1. A Knowledge of the Facts of the Gospel. [Rom. 10:14]

2. A Belief of the Facts. [Rom. 4:20, 21]

3. Trust or Confidence in Christ our Saviour. [II Tim. 1:12+] This trust
is the chief part of faith.

True faith is not a mere matter of the head, but of the heart. It is not
a mere intellectual belief that God exists or that Christ lived and
died; but it is a firm confidence that Christ is actually _our_ Saviour,
and that all _our_ sins are washed away by His precious blood. Faith
says, "The Son of God loved [I John 1:7] _me_, and gave Himself _for
me_." [Gal. 2:20]

True faith is always preceded by repentance. The impenitent have no
promise of forgiveness, and therefore cannot have faith. They cannot
believe a promise which has not been given to them.

_Regeneration and Conversion._ Those whom the Holy Spirit has brought to
repentance and faith are in a state of regeneration and conversion. The
change which has taken place in them is called a new birth or
regeneration, [John 3:5, 6] because a new life has been planted in them.
[II Cor. 5:17+] It is called conversion, [Acts 3:19] because they have
been converted or turned from sin to righteousness, from self to God.

It is not necessary that a Christian should be able to point to the
exact time of his conversion. The important question is not, "When were
we converted?" but, "Are we now in a converted state?" that is, "Are we
now penitent and believing?"