THE VIRTUE OF FAITH
Arthur and Claudine Grimes
ROMANS 10:8b-10
"The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart, that is the word of faith which we preach. For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Faith in the heart leads to justification, confession on the lips to salvation."
Faith is a very precious gift from God, defined both in the Old and New Testament.
In the Old Testament the Hebrew word essentially means steadfastness and is used to describe the strengthening of Moses' hands coming to mean faithfulness whether of God toward man or man toward God. If signifying man's attitude toward God, it means trustfulness.
In the New Testament credo, meaning to believe and belief, frequently means trust. From one end of scripture to the other, faith is trust and only trust. Trust in God is faith, faith is belief. Belief may mean creed, but creed is not equivalent to trust in God. If we have lost faith, we believers cling more closely to hope.
Faith objectively is the sum of the truths revealed by God in scripture and tradition. It is presented to the faithful for their belief by the Church which is the caretaker of the truths of faith. The sum of all the truths which God through Christ or the Holy Spirit has revealed, as found in the Bible and tradition is the deposit of faith. This deposit of faith was complete at the death of St. John, the last apostle. No new public revelation has been made by God since that time. Private revelation, however, still occur at times.
Faith subjectively is the virtue which enables man to agree to the truths revealed by God in scripture and tradition. It is one of the theological virtues. Faith, the theological is normally infused into the soul at the time of Baptism. It is a gift that directs our relationship to God. By this faith we believe in God and accept the truths that God has revealed. We express this faith by good works, by professing it and by spreading it. Faith is considered our response to God. Faith is a personal act which we can also receive from others and should pass it on. Through Revelation God addresses us as friends and invites us to intimate union. The proper response to God is faith by which we submit our intellect and will to God in the obedience of faith.
Hebrews 11:8
"Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go."
Hebrews 11:17
"By faith he lived as a stranger in the promised land. By faith Sarah was given to conceive a son. and by faith Abraham offered his only son in sacrifice.
In the New Testament Mary perfectly manifests the obedience of faith. By faith Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel Gabriel.
Luke 1:37-38
"Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to your word."
Luke 1:42
"Elizabeth greeted Mary: "Blessed is she who believed that there would be fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.
By faith we unite ourselves to God, giving our acceptance to the whole truth God has revealed. To believe in God is also to believe in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus reveals God to us and the Holy Spirit enables us to believe.
Again faith is a gift from God, a supernatural virtue infused by God. It is also a human act by which we freely put our trust in God and believe what God has revealed. We do not understand everything God has revealed but faith is reasonable because of the miracles of Christ. The growth of the Church shows God's hand at work.
Faith is certain because it is based on God's Word. Faith seeks to know God and to understand God's word better. While faith is above reason, it does not contradict reason or truths gained from science. Truth cannot contradict truth.
Faith must be free. God does not force us to believe even though faith is necessary for salvation. Faith can be lost by neglect and sin. We must nurture faith by study, prayer and works of charity.
James 2:17
"Faith if it has not works is dead, being alone. He also states in verse 26, "As the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
What is he suggesting? Not that we are to add works of merit to our faith, but that only a faith that works is alive. When the trials of this imperfect world shake our faith, we should turn to our model believers, Mary and Abraham. Above all, we must look to Jesus, "The Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith."
2 Cor. 5:7
"We walk by faith and not by sight:"
The story is told of a young boy who was flying his kite on a sunny April afternoon. As he was flying his kite, a cloud slowly covered the kite so that it could not be seen. It was at that time that an elderly man passed by and noticed the child holding a string. He asked, "Why are you standing there holding that string?" To which the boy replied, "I am flying my kite." The elderly man looking and seeing nothing but the cloud in otherwise clear sky said, "I don't see a kite." The boy looking up said, "I don't see a kite either, sir, but I know it is there because every now and then I feel a tug on my string." Although the boy could not see the kite, he knew it was there because of the tug on the string.
When God gives us faith, He enters into our soul and speaks to our spirit, not by manner of discourse, but by way of inspiration. It is done in so sweet a manner that it moves the understanding to consent thus yielding to truth without any doubt or distrust.
God proposes the mysteries of faith to our souls amid obscurities and darkness. Because of that, we do not see the truths, but we only glimpse them as the boy felt the tug of the string from the unseen kite.
In Gal. 5:6 we read :"In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor the lack of it counts for anything, only faith which expresses itself through love."
Faith is the unalterable combination of two elements:
(I) a firm conviction and assurance of God and His Son Jesus Christ, and
(2) the consequent action (obedience) which follows what we believe. In other words, faith responds in obedience to the commands of God. With that being the case, let me ask you this, "How is your faith?"
Before you answer that, consider the following:
(I) faithful people are those whose goal is to please God,
(2) faithful people know that faithfulness is not just a one-time act, but a life-long pursuit,
(3) faithful people practice a faith that goes beyond the walls of a church building into daily life,
4) faithful people are those who spend more time trying to be what God wants rather than trying to flirt with what God doesn't want,
(5) faithful people know God never asks for more than one can give, but does ask for what one has,
(6) faithful people know that faith is practical as much in small deeds of kindness and compassion as in extraordinary deeds of bravery and sacrifice,
(7) faithful people do not play games with church, but realize the body of Christ is God's opportunity to serve, and
(8) faithful people are not afraid to fail because success is not the test, faithfulness is.
Faith is necessary in the Cenacle way of life. Fr. Judge wrote:
"What is this faith that works by charity? That is the Cenacle Spirit. It is no new spirit that has been invented in modern times. It is the gospel spirit. We are apostles. The flame of the Holy Spirit that burned in the apostles must today burn in us. We must spread the faith as the apostles did, as Missionary Cenacle Apostles.