If a person wants to be saved and receive eternal life with God, he must have saving faith (John 5:24). For without faith, it is impossible to be accepted by God (Heb. 11:6). Faith, however, is not a human achievement; it is a gift from God. But what are the people like who possess this gift of faith? Are they sinless saints?
The Fruits of Faith
A person who is acceptable to God through their faith feels righteousness, peace, and joy in their heart, but also weakness of faith, temptations, and distress. By nature, every person—including believers—is a sinner. Yet, through their faith, believers possess the perfection of Christ, by which they are also righteous—that is, acceptable to God.
The Bible describes the fruits of faith, which are manifested in the life of a Christian through the Holy Spirit. Jesus compared himself to a vine whose branches are tended by his Father. He urged his followers to remain as living branches in the vine, so that they might bear fruit (John 15:1–8). The fruits of the Spirit produced by faith are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Of these, love, joy, and peace are the first fruits in the life of one who has received the gift of faith (Acts 16:33, 34). Hope, too, is a fruit of faith. Yet, believers often feel that they lack these fruits.
Love
Love is the greatest fruit of the Spirit. Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians is called the hymn to love. According to it, love endures even when all the other gifts cease to exist. True love comes from God. God’s love came to earth in Jesus Christ, so that no one would perish but might have eternal life. The Savior taught that love born of faith is what identifies His disciples on earth. Jesus Himself set an example of serving love by washing His disciples’ feet.
A believer feels love for his heavenly Father, who has adopted him as a child, as well as for his brothers and sisters in faith, who share the righteousness of Christ. This wonderful bond of love unites God’s children with one another. They share the same faith, experience mutual love, and desire to support one another on the journey to heaven. Before God, they are neither foreigners nor strangers, but one great family of God (Eph. 2:19).
Jesus taught us to love all people, even our enemies. A believer touched by heavenly love hopes that all people might possess God’s grace and the gift of righteousness. That is why he or she wants to convey to them the invitation to God’s kingdom through his or her behavior, words, and entire life.
Joy
For a believer, the Gospel is a “message of joy” every day and every moment of his or her life, but especially when forgiveness is proclaimed to him or her. In the Garden of Eden, God proclaimed to the fallen human couple the good news of a woman’s offspring who would crush the serpent’s head. The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when God would bestow great joy and gladness. At the birth of Jesus, these promises—along with many others—were fulfilled.
The Savior preached the Gospel, called people to repentance, and forgave the sins of those who regretted. He urged His followers to rejoice above all in that their names are written in the Book of Life in heaven. Moved by God’s love, believers rejoice in their loved ones, their friends, and other believers—their brothers and sisters. Paul called his fellow believers his joy and crown and encouraged them: “Rejoice in the Lord always… Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:1,4 6)
God’s church rejoices over every lost sheep that is found, and the angels in heaven join in this joy (Luke 15:5–7, 15). On the other hand, the Bible urges believers to rejoice even when they suffer for their faith (1 Peter 4:12,13). “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.” (Psalm 126:5-6)
Peace
Jesus said to His disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27) A living faith brings to the heart that peace of God which surpasses all understanding. No one can attain this kind of peace through their own efforts, for true peace is based on a person being accepted by God through faith (Rom. 5:1). Believers desire to be peacemakers and to express this through their words and lives, for the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace.
Despite the peace in their hearts, believers are constantly fighting—both personally and together with God’s people—against the devil, the unbelieving world, and their own corrupt nature. A Christian also seeks to avoid conflict. Jesus urged His followers to maintain peace among themselves (John 13:35). Paul, in turn, urged believers to do everything possible so that they might live in peace with everyone else (Rom. 12:18).
Hope
Hope in heaven is the steadfast anchor of the believer’s life. The believer is not tossed around by the wind, for hope encourages him or her to look ahead to where Jesus has gone. Hope is something no one can see, and that is why believers are encouraged to be patient. Living hope is based on the fact that God will one day raise believers from the dead, just as He raised His beloved Son. Peter encouraged Christians to place their hope in the grace offered through Christ (1 Pet. 1:13), for the foundation of God’s Word remains firm.
When a person who has fallen into unbelief has the opportunity to hear the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which forgives sins, his heart is filled with peace and the hope of eternal life. A person whose hope is in Christ desires to fight against sin and walk together with the children of God. That hope is finally fulfilled in the glory of heaven.
Faith Must Be Nurtured
God guides the history of nations and the lives of individuals, but nurturing one’s own faith is a personal responsibility. God works in believers and gives them the desire and strength to do so. The believer’s teacher is not the law, but God’s grace, which guides them to reject godlessness and to live according to God’s will (Titus 2:11, 12). Christian Doctrine teaches us to read and listen diligently to God’s Word, to participate in the Lord’s Supper, to pray, and to maintain fellowship with fellow believers.
A believer does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The voice of the Good Shepherd is heard where the Holy Spirit reveals the message of the Bible—that is, in His church. Worship services of God’s children are important to believers, for there they hear God’s voice, and the gospel of forgiveness frees their consciences from burdens. Among the believers, they also find their closest companions, with whom they can share life’s worries and joys.
A believer also hears God’s voice in his or her conscience. It guides them to do what they know is right and warns them against doing what they know is wrong. However, the conscience must be bound to God’s Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without them, the voice of conscience cannot guide the believer to do what is right. A neglected conscience and sinful life lead to a loss of faith.
To help His children in the battles of faith, God has given them their own spiritual weapons with which they can repel the enemy’s attacks. The most important piece of armor is the shield of faith, which protects against the enemy’s deadly arrows (Eph. 6:10–17). Spiritual weapons are intended primarily for protection; of these, only the “sword of the Spirit”—that is, the Word of God—is a weapon of warfare. It is essential to read and know the Bible, for in it one can find weapons against the enemy of souls, the world, and the sin that dwells within oneself. Jesus Himself repelled the devil’s temptations with the Word of God. However, faith cannot be obtained simply by reading the Bible.
What Brings Strength to Faith?
The most important thing that gives a believer strength for the struggle is the forgiveness of sins. A believer can have their sins forgiven through a congregational sermon, in which a believing preacher proclaims forgiveness of sins to the entire congregation. In addition, believers have been given the grace of confession. In confession, an individual may confess the wrong thoughts, deeds, and omissions that trouble their conscience to a trusted brother or sister, who then forgives their sins in the name and blood of Jesus. Absolution restores peace of conscience. Confession is intended as a source of strength so that the believer does not become weary in their faith.
The sacraments—baptism and the Lord’s Supper—strengthen faith, but do not create it. According to Christian Doctrine, the sacraments are sacred rites of the congregation that Jesus himself has established. He Himself is present in them and bestows His grace upon us through visible signs. God has given us the sacraments as reminders of His promises. Faith holds on to God’s promise, and the sacrament, in turn, supports and strengthens that faith.
Since a person is born into this world as a participant in Christ’s redeeming grace, all of God’s promises apply to that person. In baptism, God confirms that these promises apply to a person by name, entering into a covenant of good conscience with him or her (1 Pet. 3:21). Jesus taught: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
A person is saved through faith, and by their childlike faith, even an unbaptized infant is accepted by God. However, despising the sacrament and leaving a baby unbaptized is contrary to the Word of God. After baptism, the parents and the loved ones have the important responsibility of baptismal instruction, so that the child may remain in the care of the Savior and His church.
Believers wish to partake of the Lord’s Holy Communion with a heart of faith, encouraging one another with the gospel of forgiveness. According to the Small Catechism, proper participation in Communion requires a heart of faith, for Communion has been given to believers to strengthen their faith. Furthermore, it is meant to be received frequently.
In prayer, the believer may share their concerns with God, ask for blessings for themselves and others, and give thanks. The Savior comfortingly stated that our Heavenly Father knows all our needs even before we present them to God. The Bible encourages diligence and perseverance in prayer and urges us to pray even for our enemies. In intercessory prayer, believers remember their loved ones and sometimes ask their friends to pray for them. God hears all prayers, but answers them in His own way and in His own time. He does not justify anyone through prayer.
Obedience of faith
God expects obedience from people. Faith that springs from the heart leads a person to be obedient to God’s Word, the voice of conscience, and God’s church. Peter encouraged Christians to place their hope in the grace that Christ has earned, as “obedient children” (1 Pet. 1:14). Abraham was obedient to God’s call and trusted in His promise. He was accepted by God through faith, but his actions complemented his faith (Heb. 11:8; James 2:21–24). Without obedience, there is no true faith. Obedience born of faith is obedience to the truth, for Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. He also prayed that His own would abide in the truth (John 17:17).
As a result of the Fall, human will has turned toward evil, and people try to rely on their own reason and understanding. Disobedience is a sin against God. It hardens the conscience and separates the person from God and His church. An example of this is King Saul, who acted contrary to God’s will, refused to admit his wrongdoing, even defended it, and tried to shift the blame onto others. God rejected him.
Faith makes a person a member of God’s church. The church helps believers remain righteous. According to Paul, God’s church is the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tim. 3:15). This means that the church must always uphold the truths of God’s Word and base its teaching on them.
Human reason struggles against God’s will, but faith helps the believer understand that the voice of God and the Holy Spirit is heard in the church’s teachings and counsel—a voice worth obeying. When a person obeys God, God’s blessings follow.
Author: Kingdom of Peace
Image: SRK