Faith is one of those words we hear so often in Church that we risk forgetting how powerful it truly is. Many people have asked me, “Father, why does God ask for faith — isn’t it enough just to live a good life?” It’s a sincere question, because deep down, every heart longs to know how we can be right with God.
Faith is essential because it is the way we open our hearts to God’s saving grace. Salvation is not something we can earn or build for ourselves — it is a gift freely offered by Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection. As Saint Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Faith is the door through which this gift enters our lives.
To have faith means to trust — not only to believe that God exists, but to place our whole life in His hands. When we believe in Christ, we are saying, “Lord, I cannot save myself. I need You.” This humble trust allows God to work in us. It unites us to Jesus, who alone can bridge the gap between our sin and God’s holiness. Without faith, even good works lose their meaning, because they are no longer expressions of love but attempts to prove ourselves worthy — something none of us can achieve on our own.
The Church teaches that faith is the beginning of salvation — the root from which hope and love grow. True faith naturally bears fruit in good works, because love always acts. But faith comes first, not as a rule, but as a relationship. It is what allows God’s love to take root in us and transform our hearts.
When we live by faith, we are no longer driven by fear or pride, but by trust in the One who loved us first. Faith makes us children of God, not servants trying to earn favor. It is the quiet “yes” that lets grace do what we cannot — redeem, renew, and make us whole.
May we never forget that faith is not about certainty, but about trust — a trust that keeps saying “yes” even in the dark.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
