The Fruit of the Holy Spirit - Chapter 10
Faith
Last time we were thinking about goodness, for this study we turn to the next ‘‘Fruit of the Spirit’’ which is ‘‘Faith’’.
The word faith is in the older English translations of the Bible. In the more modern translations the word is translated as ‘‘faithfulness’’. The word used by Paul is translated both ways in the New Testament. Sometimes it is clearly faith that is meant, and sometimes it is just as clear that it is faithfulness, or loyalty, that is meant.
In this list of the fruit of the Spirit it could just as well mean either. After all, the two meanings are very close together. Faith, that is the atmosphere of trust and confidence, soon produces faithfulness and loyalty. On the other hand, there can really be no faithfulness or loyalty except there be trust and confidence first. So we will think of the word in both ways.
First of all, faith as trust or confidence which are ideas well known to us. We know that even in everyday, ordinary life, we could hardly get along without it.
We have to have faith in those who work for us, who take us anywhere in a car or wagon, and in our own friends and relatives, if we are to live peacefully together. It is because we have a certain amount of faith of this kind that we go about our work and play without worrying too much.
But Paul is thinking about faith which is far more important. It is faith that means confidence in God Himself, and in Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Faith in Jesus is the very basis of Christian living. Paul says in Romans chapter 1 verse 17, ‘‘The righteous (or justified) shall life by faith’’. Continually we learn more and more of what it means to live trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith is needed in every detail of our lives. Faith enables us to live for the Lord in surroundings that seem impossible. Faith enables us to sing in prison, and to fight the good fight of faith even in chains.
The Letter to the Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1 says, ‘‘Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see’’. So let us see how this works out in practice.
First of all, it is the secret of being able to praise God in all kinds of circumstances. We may be able to praise God without sight and even without many other good things that we have, but we certainly cannot have joy and praise God without faith and confidence that He is with us, and is in charge of all that is happening.
This is why Paul and Silas could sing in prison after they had been beaten. They had faith in God; they believed He was true and faithful and would not fail them.
Life is full of opposites. Sometimes we find ourselves getting restless, never happy unless we are doing something. We have lost the deep inner peace of resting in the Lord. But we can go the other way and in our desire to avoid being restless, we become too easy going and lose our vision. It is faith that keeps us balanced.
Faith in God enables us to leave things with Him. It enables us to trust Him to work things out all right, and not to think we are the only ones who can get things done.
On the other hand, if we have real faith in the Lord, we will never be lazy or lose the vision of His purpose for our lives. We can be very active to fulfil the Lord’s purpose, but in the activity there is the knowledge that only He can enable us, and so we are restful in Him.
There is the same kind of balance required as to when we should speak and when we should keep quiet. We so often want to have the last word. We want to be sure we win the argument and make others see out point of view.
If our faith in God is real, we know that He can get the last word quite easily without our help. We realise that He can look after His own truth, and that it is far more important to show a Christ-like spirit than to win the argument.
But there is another kind of situation when a word from us may help someone in time of trouble or temptation. A word from us can help them trust in the Lord themselves. We are often inclined to keep quiet, and to think that our words will not be of much use. But if we are trusting in God ourselves, and experiencing His help in our own lives, we will want to speak, and say what Christ means to us.
The Psalmist said, ‘‘I believe and therefore have I spoken’’, and Paul echoes these words in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verses 13-18. Read these verses and see that as we believe God and speak, He will make our words powerful.
So you see, faith is important in every part of life. It is as we believe God that we have fellowship and communion with Him. As we do this His grace and strength flows into our lives, and He enables us to triumph in temptations and trials.
Now we must turn to the other meaning of the word, that is, faithfulness or loyalty. It is faith in the sense in which we have been speaking that enables us to be faithful and loyal.
Before we think about the faithfulness of the believer, it is good to remind ourselves that this word is used of God several times in the New Testament. We read in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13 that God is faithful in not allowing us to be tried beyond what we can bear.
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 24, Paul says that God is faithful to His promise to make us and keep us holy and blameless until the return of the Lord Jesus. John says in his First Letter chapter 1 verse 9 that God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all uncleanness.
God is faithful, He can be depended upon, He will not fail. So we can trust Him always, whatever is happening.
We will continue to look at the fruit of faithfulness in our next study.