Faith belongs on the list of the fruit of the Spirit but not as vague optimism, positive thinking, or a one-time decision we made years ago. In this episode, Krisan Marotta unpacks “faith” in Galatians 5 as a growing, Spirit-given way of seeing reality: believing the gospel, holding its core convictions, and learning to stand firm in that truth for a lifetime.
In this week’s episode, we explore:
- How viewing faith as a one-time “switch” at conversion misses the New Testament emphasis on a lifelong battle to keep believing
- The problems with dividing Christians into “spiritual” and “carnal” based on who has supposedly “claimed” more blessings by faith
- A clear definition of saving faith as believing the gospel and living in light of it, not conjuring up certainty about whatever we want God to do
- Four core convictions at the heart of saving faith: longing for holiness, knowing we can’t save ourselves, recognizing God is not obligated to save us, and trusting His mercy because of Jesus
- The “armor of God” in Ephesians 6 as a picture of standing firm—holding fast to truth, righteousness, the gospel, salvation, and the Word in a real spiritual battle
- Paul’s call in 1 Thessalonians 5 to stay awake, sober, and ready for Christ’s return, wearing “the breastplate of faith and love” and “the hope of salvation”
- The Spirit’s role in taking scoffers and skeptics, opening their eyes to the gospel, and slowly growing a faith that weaves into every decision and desire
After listening, you’ll see why “faith” truly belongs on the list of the Spirit’s fruit—not as vague religious language, but as a profound, growing trust in the gospel that changes how you interpret everything in life.
Series: Fruit of the Spirit
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