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The nature of faith
Our soul
possesses the amazing ability to sense God. Although this
awareness of the Divine presence is weak and hazy in a
person just beginning to grow spiritually, it gets stronger
and becomes more and more conscious with a virtuous way of
life. This, in turn, strengthens one's faith in Him, so that
the inner feeling of God grows to a strong religious
conviction. In such a state, the omnipresence of God, His
infinite love and fatherly care are continuously felt and
become a source of inner peace and strength.
True faith cannot be satisfied with a cold
recognition of God's existence but strives to be in close
communion with Him. The believing soul naturally reaches
to God, as a sunflower turns toward the sun. In turn, an
active relationship with God further strengthens the
person's faith, so that his faith becomes a spiritual guide,
based on personal experience. In some particularly gifted
people faith grows into an all-illumining and constantly
inspiring idea, that leads them from this world of vanity
into the transcendent world of eternal life. Among such
people were the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, the
Apostles John and Paul, and countless saints like Sergius of
Radoneszh, Seraphim of Sarov, John of Kronstadt, Herman of
Alaska and Blessed Xenia of Petersburg, to name just a few.
The significance of faith in a person's development
lies in that it gives proper direction to all his
aptitudes and powers. Specifically, it gives clarity and the
correct outlook to his intellect, direction and purpose to
his will, it ennobles and refines his senses. Faith brings
harmony to a person's inner world. It frees one from
base earthly interests and leads him into a realm of higher
and holier experiences.
Faith and knowledge
In our time of
many scientific achievements it has become customary to
belittle faith in comparison to intellect. Knowledge is
regarded as something firmly founded, positive, and
completely objective. Faith, on the other hand, is
considered to be arbitrary, subjective and unproved.
However, both high confidence in scientific knowledge and
disdain of faith are pitiable misconceptions.
First of all, to regard present knowledge as
absolutely certain, proven and representing the absolute
truth is very naive and historically unfounded. Perhaps it
is an “ideal” of knowledge but not its state. It would be
worthwhile to compare the theories about matter throughout
human history — during ancient times, then towards the end
of the last century, the middle of this one, and finally the
latest discoveries of quantum mechanics — in order to be
convinced that scientific ideas radically change with each
new generation. Similar “revolutions” can be observed in all
fields of science — in physics, astronomy, biology,
medicine, etc. That which was considered to be
unquestionably true yesterday is rejected today. As new
scientists become popular for their discoveries, the old
ones gradually fade into oblivion. We may well ponder that
if humanity survives yet for a few more centuries, our
descendants will discuss ironically the primitive ideas and
theories of the “dark” twentieth century.
This fact should convince us that of most value is
not knowledge in itself but the ability to delve
deeper and deeper into the secrets of nature. And here, the
propellant of science is not rationalistic knowledge based
on the five human senses but intuitive vision. Many
philosophers and scientists have experienced a sudden
enlightenment which gave birth to their discoveries and new
theories. Intuition, like faith, is a very valuable ability.
It resembles faith but is a step below it, since intuition
relates to the physical domain, whereas faith to the
spiritual.
No one will dispute that the engineer's knowledge is
valuable for practical matters such as designing and
constructing something. But if no scientists existed, who by
their intuition unlocked the secrets of nature, then
engineers would have nothing to study, and human knowledge
would be very limited. Thus it is not knowledge but
intuition that leads to the progress of science. Let us
consider another example. Many musicians are appreciated for
their fine performance of musical compositions. But if there
were no composers who were gifted with creative genius, the
musicians would have nothing to play. The genius of
composers, poets, sculptors, artists and others like them,
has the ability to transform their ideas into something
beautiful, sublime and ennobling. Thus, wherever we look, we
see that imagination, intuitive vision, inspiration and
creative genius are all spiritual forces which lead to the
progress of science and art.
Comparing faith to other elevated human abilities,
we see that it, like intuition, broadens human
reason. It gives men access to that which is unattainable
by corporal senses. Thus, thanks to faith, we come to
the conviction that the world which surrounds us is not
eternal but came to existence by the will of One Allwise
Creator. He created us and gave us an immortal soul so that
we may share with Him eternal and blessed life. As a matter
of fact, faith was often ahead of scientific
discoveries by stating, for example, that our world is not
eternal but appeared some time ago from “nothing” (the “Big
bang” theory), that its origin is not matter but energy,
that it gradually evolved from lower to higher states
(theory of evolution), that there is a unity in the laws of
nature (modern searches for a unifying force), that there
should exist other worlds different from ours (the search
for extraterrestrial intelligence), and so on.
Thanks to personal contact with God, believers
receive a special sense of truth, a faculty to
perceive what reason is yet incapable of comprehending. For
example, the forthcoming resurrection of the dead, the Last
Judgment, and the beginning of eternal life are all beyond
our everyday experience and any possibility of verification,
and yet we perceive these future events as certain truths
and “know” that they will happen. Thus faith, as a spiritual
eye, gives us the ability to perceive what lies far away on
the horizon of the future.
However, even the most sensitive eye cannot see
without light. Similarly, faith needs the spiritual light of
divine revelation. God, in His love for us, revealed
through the prophets, the apostles, and especially through
His Only Begotten Son, all that is necessary for us to know
for the spiritual development and salvation of our souls.
Thus, God has revealed to us the mystery of the Trinity and
of the Divine attributes, the mystery of the Incarnation and
the power of the redeeming sufferings of the Son of God, the
significance of His resurrection for our spiritual rebirth
and corporal Resurrection on the last day of this world and
so forth.
But by saying that the ability to believe is above
physical knowledge, we do not wish to exclude reason or
logical thinking. On the contrary, according to the plan of
the Creator, all spiritual capabilities must be in
harmony and reinforce one another. Genuine faith must
not be blind nor light. Gullibility discloses laziness of
the soul, naiveté of the mind. Reason must help faith
to differentiate between truth and delusion. Calm
exploration of religious truth makes faith more definite
and founded. The Lord Jesus Christ never demanded
blind faith from His followers. On the contrary, He advised
the Jews, “Search the Scriptures; because they testify of
Me” (John 5:39). He also suggested that unbelievers
examine His miracles in order to be convinced of His Divine
ministry: “Though you not believe Me, believe the works
[that I do], that you may know and believe that the Father
is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10:38). Likewise, the
apostles urged the early Christians to use reason and
discretion in questions concerning faith: “Beloved, do
not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they
are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into
the world” (1 John 4:1). In particular the apostles
urged their disciples to hold to sound doctrine, rejecting
fables and human fabrications (2 Tim. 1:13, 4:3).
Thus, it is erroneous to set reason against faith;
they complement and reinforce each other. Reason is for
searching out, proving and substantiating. It protects faith
from delusion and humanity from fanaticism. Faith, on the
other hand, is the driving force that opens new horizons,
elevates us to new heights. It can be compared to an engine,
while reason to a steering wheel. Without the engine the car
will not move, and without the steering wheel it may crash
Dependence of
faith on free will
“Behold,
I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and
opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and
he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). With these words our Savior
tells us that He offers to each of us the gift of faith, but
it is up to us to accept or to reject this gift.
The Lord is merciful to those who doubt not
from obstinacy but due to spiritual weakness and
inexperience. Those who seek the truth and lament
their lack of faith receive Divine help to acquire faith.
Thus, for example, Christ took pity on the despairing father
of the possessed youth who cried out: “Lord, I believe,
help Thou my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) and healed his sick
son. He likewise had compassion on the apostle Peter who,
having become frightened of the storm, began to sink. Giving
His hand to Peter, the Lord gently rebuked him, saying: “O
you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:30).
Nor did the Lord reject the doubting Thomas, who wished to
be personally convinced of the miracle of the Resurrection.
The Lord, having condescended to Thomas with His appearance,
did not, however, praise him for becoming a believer on the
basis of an obvious proof but said to him, “You believe
because you have seen; blessed are those who do not see and
believe” (John 20:29). In other words, faith based on
external experience has little value; it's actually not
faith but ordinary knowledge. True faith is born of inner
experience; it demands sensitivity, a spiritual
up-lifting, and, therefore, is worthy of praise.
However, we see the complete opposite of such a
searching faith in the Jewish scribes and Pharisees of
Christ's time. They obstinately and stubbornly
refused to believe in Jesus Christ as the God-sent Messiah.
Neither the fulfillment in Christ of the ancient prophecies,
nor His countless miracles and raising of the dead, nor
signs in nature, nor even His Resurrection shook their
unbelief. On the contrary, with each new miracle they became
still more embittered and hostile towards Him. Thus if even
Christ was unable to awaken faith in those who did not
want to believe, is it any wonder that in our time there
are conscious and adamant atheists? They claim that they do
not believe because they see no miracles. But the real
reason for their unbelief lies not in a lack of miracles,
which occur daily in different parts of the world, but in
the negative direction of their will. They simply
don't want God to exist.
The problem of unbelief is closely tied to the
sinfulness of human nature. Because the subject of faith is
not an abstract theory but a positive teaching that demands
certain behavior and imposes definite responsibilities, not
everyone is willing to change his life around to adapt to
its high moral standards. Faith puts a check on a person's
greed. It calls him to overcome his selfishness, to live
moderately, to do good to others, even to sacrifice himself.
When a man prefers his passions over the will of God and
places his own good over the good of others, then he will do
everything he can to repudiate arguments in favor of faith.
The Savior indicated that an evil will is the chief
cause of unbelief when He said: “For everyone practicing
evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes
to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they
have been done in God” (John 3:20-21).
Being capable of suppressing faith within himself,
man is also capable of strengthening it. Turning
again to the Gospel, we find in it striking examples of
ardent faith. Inspiring in this regard are the examples of
the Roman centurion, the Canaanite woman, the woman with an
issue of blood, the blind men of Jericho, and similar
others. The Lord repeatedly called for His listeners to
imitate the faith of these people. Consequently, it lies
within our power, with God's help, to gather and
direct our spiritual capabilities towards a greater
faith. Faith, as everything good, demands effort.
That is the reason a reward is promised for it: “He who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
Faith as the
foundation of hope
Trials and
sorrow are inevitable in this temporary life. At difficult
moments only faith can give a person the necessary spiritual
strength. When a person with a weak faith despairs during
misfortunes, feels defeated and complains bitterly, the
believing person more strongly turns to God for help. He
disperses the tide of despondency with hope in God, having
learned from previous trials that “whoever believes on
Him will not be put to shame” (Rom. 9:33).
Sorrows are the “rainy days” and “storms” in our
life and are meant to test our faith. During fair
weather every sailor can fantasize about his skills, but it
is during a storm that the genuine mariner is unveiled.
Reading the Holy Scripture or lives of the saints, one
becomes convinced that righteous people displayed their
faith more obviously during persecutions and sufferings than
during calm and normal conditions. When the Apostle Paul
refers to the Old Testament righteous, he specifically
mentions their difficult moments as examples of strong
faith. He thus concludes his overview of their lives: some
of them “were tortured, not receiving deliverance, that
they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had
trials of mocking and scourging, of chains and imprisonment.
Some were stoned, some were sawn in two, others were tempted
and slain with the sword. Some wandered about in sheepskins
and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Of
whom the world was not worthy, wandered in deserts and
mountains, in dens and caves of the earth … Therefore, —
concludes the apostle — since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every
burden of sin (which so easily ensnares us) and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Instead of the
joy that was set before Him He endured the cross, despising
the shame. Now He sits at the right hand of the throne of
God” (Hebr. chapters 11-12).
Although faith helps man to face suffering with
fortitude, the question remains: why does the Lord permit
the righteous to suffer? The answer is not obvious at all;
“Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His
counselor has taught Him?” (Isai. 40:13). Nevertheless,
the Apostle Paul explains that “all things work for good
to them who love God” (Rom. 8:28). The word “all”
includes sorrows as well. Actually, having himself
experienced innumerable trials during his missionary
journeys, Saint Paul shares with his disciples what he has
learned: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distress for
Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong; for the
strength of God is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor.
12:10).
Sorrows convince man of the instability of life's
blessings, remind him of God the Rescuer, of eternal life,
and teach him patience. They develop fortitude and constancy
in good deeds. When man can expect help from nowhere, he
turns to God with all his strength. And while he is troubled
from the outside, in his heart he finds Divine peace and
consolation. Such direct awareness of God is greatly
beneficial to a man's faith. Thus, on the one hand, faith
helps a man to bear sorrows, and on the other, sorrows
strengthen the faith in him. For this reason Saint James
taught Christians: “My brethren, count it all joy when
you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of
your faith produces patience” (James 1:2).
Probably because faith gives man fortitude at
difficult times and serves as a bulwark for his
spiritual life, our Savior named it a rock, saying: “On
this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).
Indeed, it is impossible to enumerate all the persecutions
of Christians in the two millennia of the existence of the
Church. While so many empires and powerful governments fell
and have completely disappeared from the face of the Earth,
Christ's Church, founded on faith in Him, stands firm and
will remain invincible until the end of the world.
Faith as the key
to God's treasures
Faith draws a
person into a living communication with God in heartfelt,
concentrated prayer. When a person comes into close contact
with the Almighty, then, according to the words of the
Savior, everything becomes possible to him: “Whatever
things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive … If
you have faith as (small as) a mustard seed, and you will
say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” it will
move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matt.
21:22, 17:20). Thus even the smallest faith can work wonders
provided it is wholesome and healthy like a mustard
seed. The great miracle worker Saint John of Kronstadt,
speaking from his own experience, called faith “the key to
God's treasures.”
True faith has nothing to do with self-confidence.
Greatly mistaken are those who confuse faith with ordinary
auto-suggestion. Some sectarian preachers teach that one
must convince oneself of whatever one desires, for example:
in health, success, or well-being — and that is enough to
obtain it. These auto-suggestions resemble a game in which a
child imagines that he is sailing accross the sea or riding
a horse while he sits on the floor in his room. Faith built
on self-suggestion leads to self-delusion and a spiritual
catastrophe.
True faith acts not by the power of imagination or
self-hypnosis but in that it joins a person to the
ultimate Source of all life and strength — to
Almighty God. Faith is like a vessel with which one scoops
up from the Divine fountain, and prayer acts as an arm
with which one reaches into it. It is important to take
recourse prudently to the power of faith. Because
only God knows what is best for us, in praying one should be
less concerned about pressing one's own desires and more
about understanding what is the will of God. After
all, prayer should not become a monologue but a two-way
conversation. And in every conversation one must learn
to listen as well. When we sincerely pray to God, He replies
to us in our heart and in subsequent external circumstances.
Turning to the Gospel accounts, we see that those
people who possessed an exceptionally strong faith as, for
example, the Roman centurion, the Canaanite woman, the
friends of the paralytic, and others, were all very far from
any elation or pathos. Actually, they all were extremely
humble people (Matt. 8:10, 15:22, 9:2). The combination
of strong faith and humility is not accidental. A deeply
believing person feels, more than anyone else, the greatness
and the almightiness of God. And the more he realizes it,
the more keenly he becomes aware of his own limitations and
deficiency. The great miracle workers such as, for example,
the prophets Moses and Elisha, the apostles Peter and Paul
and those like them were always distinguished by profound
humility.
Faith acting through love
Is there an
interrelationship between faith and good works? Some ask: is
faith alone sufficient for salvation, or are good works also
necessary? The fact that many contemporary Christians oppose
faith to good works reveals how impoverished and distorted
their concept of Christianity has become. True faith extends
not only over man's mind but over all the powers of
his soul, including the heart and will. Many contemporary
preachers have narrowed the concept of faith to a rational
acceptance of the Gospel's teaching. They declare: “Only
believe, and you will be saved.” The error here, just as
with the pharisaic approach, consists in the formal
and legalistic understanding of salvation. The Jews in
Christ's time taught justification by fulfillment of the
Mosaic Law, while Protestants since Luther's times teach
justification by faith alone, independent of good works.
Traditional Christianity, however, calls for complete
spiritual re-birth: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). Salvation is not only the
resettlement from earth to paradise but the grace-filled
state of man's renewed soul. According to our Lord: “The
Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). In this
renewed state a complete harmony is established between
internal convictions and external behavior. Here good works
become fruits which naturally grow on a healthy tree. And on
the contrary, lack of good works testify of an ill and dying
soul.
Now, spiritual re-birth is not achieved
instantaneously. Christ's words to those who believed, “Thy
faith has saved thee,” (Matt. 9:22) refer to that
crucial turning point made by those who have decided
to break with the past and follow Jesus Christ. Without this
radical change in thinking, any improvement and spiritual
progress are impossible. Naturally, after a person has
chosen the right path he must subsequently walk on
it, i.e., apply its high principles with patience and
perseverance. All New Testament books speak about working on
oneself and becoming more like Christ: “We were buried
with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). What is
needed here is not abstract faith but that which acts
through love (Gal. 5:6).
The Apostle James firmly rises up against those who
separate faith from good works, saying: “What does it
profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does
not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister
is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to
them, `Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do
not give them the things which are needed for the body, what
does it profit? … But someone will say, `You have faith, and
I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I
will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there
is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and
tremble!” Further, the apostle gives examples of
righteous men and women of old who proved their faith by
their works, and he draws the following conclusion: “Do
you see that faith was working together with his works, and
by works faith was made perfect? … For as the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”
(James 2:14-26).
The Apostle Paul likewise does not recognize faith
without its fruit: “Though I have the gift of prophesy,
and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though
I have all faith, so that I could move mountains, and have
not love, I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2-3). Therefore,
correct understanding of faith dispels all doubt as to which
is more important — faith or works. They are inseparable,
like the light and warmth of a flame.
How to strengthen
one's faith
Thus, among
the many talents and faculties of the human spirit, faith is
the most precious of the Divine gifts. Faith broadens man's
horizons and gives him a proper outlook, reveals to him the
purpose of his life, encourages him during hard times and
gladdens his heart, empowers his prayer and gives him access
to a multitude of God's treasures and mercies.
Sadly, however, our life of plenty and well-being
weakens our faith, and God's goodness gets forgotten. As
faith grows dim, a man's inner condition becomes
increasingly disordered: he loses clarity of thought and
purpose of life, his spiritual strength leaves him,
emptiness and despondency firmly set into his heart, he
becomes irritable and dissatisfied with everything. After
all, the soul cannot live without faith, just as a plant
cannot live without light and moisture. No matter how
intelligent and talented he might be, with faith
extinguished a person descends to the level of a cunning
animal, or even a predator.
In order to escape such a “shipwreck of faith”
(1 Tim. 1:19), one must seriously concern oneself with the
renewal of his soul. But how? We know that all talents
require exercise: to preserve a sharp mind, it must be
engaged in mental work; so that fingers maintain their
flexibility, it is necessary to practice on a musical
instrument; to have the body remain limber, it is necessary
to do gymnastic exercises; and so on. If people expend so
much energy and money to develop and preserve their physical
abilities, should not we Christians strive to strengthen our
spiritual capabilities?
Specifically: to strengthen our faith, we must
live spiritually. This includes regular reading of the
Holy Scripture, meditation about God and the purpose of our
life, fasting and prayer. When praying, one must make an
effort to concentrate on the meaning of the words and
feel the presence of God. It is also important to repent
sincerely for one's sins, go to Confession and take
Communion on a regular basis. Finally, one must try to live
not for oneself alone but for the good of one's neighbor and
one's church. The heart of one who loves is warmed by the
grace of the Holy Spirit. Of course, in trying to lead a
Christian life one cannot avoid battles, trials and
difficulties. At times it may seem that the whole world is
armed against us. These are unwanted but precious periods in
which we are given the opportunity to grow spiritually and
become better Christians.
In striving to strengthen our faith, let us always
remember that ultimately faith is a gift of the Holy
Spirit. The Apostle Paul testified to this: “The fruit of
the Spirit is: joy, love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
kindness, faith” (Gal. 5:22). Let us, therefore, ask God
for faith, that great spiritual treasure. As Jesus
Christ has promised: “Ask, and it shall be given unto
you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened
unto you” (Matt. 7:7). And as faith grows, it will bring
with it peace of mind, joy, and a foretaste of final triumph
over all evil. “This is the victory that has overcome the
world — our faith” (1 John 5:4).
Poems on Faith
Oh, wondrous holy Faith,
You are a miracle streaming current,
You are the door of the soul to the abode of Paradise,
You are the dawn of the future life!
Burn in me, lamp of Faith,
Burn more clearly, do not go out,
Be everywhere a faithful campanion to me
And enlighten the path of life for me!
K. R. (1852-1915)
Oh, my God! I give thanks
For Thine having given my eyes
To see the world – Thine eternal temple –
And the earth, the sky and the dawn. . .
Let torments threaten me, -
I give thanks for this moment,
For everything which I understood with my heart,
Of which the stars speak to me. . .
Everywhere I sense, everwhere
Thee, Lord: in the night silence,
And in the most remote star,
And in the depth of my soul.
I wish my life to be
Unceasing praise to Thee;
Thee for midnight and the dawn!
For life and death – I thank! - D. S. Merezhkovsky (1866-1941)
Blessed is he who with holy faith
Raises, inspires his spirit,
And strengthens his heart as with steel armor
From the storms of life.
For him trials are not terrible,
Nor is remoteness, nor the depth of the sea;
Grief and sufferings are not terrible,
Nor is the power of death terrible. - A. Ushakov
Poems translated from the Russian by Dimitry J. Hicks
Hloboschin 30/XI/1998
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Missionary Leaflet 26E
Copyright © 2001 Holy Trinity Orthodox Mission
466 Foothill Blvd, Box 397, La Canada, Ca 91011
Editor: Bishop Alexander (Mileant)
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