The words "faith" and "believe" appear 495 times in the King James translation of the New Testament.

The purpose of this study is to show from Scripture the absolute necessity of believing in Christ or the gospel message in order to be saved.

This study is primarily concerned with the passages which contain three ingredients: (1) the more than 200 verses which use the words "faith" or "believe," (2) which also have as their object Christ or the gospel message, and (3) some dimension of salvation stated. The ends of the passages including these three dimensions contain the designation "F+O+S."

Additional passages are included which refer to faith in Christ. These contain the first two ingredients above, but there is no specific dimension of salvation given in the context. They implicitly support the bulk of texts that specify that believing in Christ brings salvation. The ends of these passages bear the designation "F+O."

There are also additional verses in the New Testament which refer to "faith" or "believe" in the salvific sense, as in "believers." These support the importance of believing in Christ, but they have not been included at this time.

There are no passages that link faith and salvation which are not linked also to the object of faith.

Highlighting Codes: The words "believe" and "faith" are in bold, the object of faith is in bold italic, the dimension of salvation, if given in the context, is in bold underline. The opposite of salvation is often underlined in regular type.

For example, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

The links between faith and Christ and salvation in these passages is sometimes implicit and sometimes explicit, sometimes prescriptive and sometimes descriptive.

Except in Old Testament references and in references to John the Baptist, saving faith is always linked to Christ or to the gospel message. There are no references to faith in God being salvific, as in believing in God through natural revelation, apart from the gospel.

Content Last updated, November, 1998