O a le fua o le faatuatua e tusa ai ma le Tusi Paia? Aua o le au Kerisiano e masani ona fai mai, latou te talitonu ia Iesu Keriso ma latou te talitonu i le Atua, ae e moni lava? Tele taimi, their words and works (galuega) don’t line up with what they say they believe. They don’t walk after the Spirit by faith but they walk by what their senses perceive and carnal mind say. Let’s look at what the Bible says about the fruit faith?
What is the definition of faith according to the Bible?
I Eperu 11:1 we read the definition of faith: O lenei o le faʻatuatua o le mea moni o mea o loʻo faʻamoemoe mo, o le fa‘amaoniga o mea e lē o va‘aia.
Faith is the assurance of the things hoped for and the evidence (the proof) of things that are not seen.
Let’s look at the word ‘hope’. Hope is translated from the Greek word ‘elpízõ’ and means; e fa'amoemoe pe ta'u atu: – (maua, mea) faamoemoe (-d) (mo), faatuatuaina.
Hope means that you are confident and that you trust, that something is coming to pass.
You expect it to happen.
There is no doubt in hope, but hope is an expectation.
There is a full assurance in hope; an expectation, that ‘something’ is going to happen.
O lea la, faith is an assurance of the things that you expect to happen. Faith is the evidence of things that are not seen.
How does faith speak?
Faith speaks the words of God, which are Spirit and life. Faith call those things which are not as though they were (Roma 4:17).
Taimi muamua, the fruit faith became visible on earth was during the creation. God had faith in His Word and power. Na ia iloa, when He spoke the Word (Iesu, o le Afioga soifua) that by His power (O Le Agaga Paia) it came into being. It wasn’t visible yet, but God knew the power of His Word.
God had this creation in His mind and spoke this creation into being. He called those things, which be not, e peiseai o latou.
Afai o oe Toetufo ia Keriso and have become spiritual, then you understand through faith that the worlds were created by the Word of God. Every Christian believes and understands this through the Word and the Holy Spirit.
E ala i le faatuatua ua tatou malamalama ai i lalolagi na faaleoina mai i le afioga a le Atua, Ma o mea e vaʻaia e le o faia o mea e faʻaalia (Eperu 11:3)
What does the word faith mean?
Faith is translated from the Greek word ‘epistis' ma lona uiga: persuasion, o lena lava, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; e ala i le faalauteleina o le faiga o tapuaiga (Tala Lelei) upumoni lava ia: – fa'amautinoaga, talitonuga, talitonu, faatuatua, faamaoni.
You are persuaded, you have credence. You are certain that ‘something’ is the truth. O lea la, you stand and keep standing on that truth.
You remain faithful to the truth. Nothing and no one can take you away from that truth. You don’t back down and you don’t doubt (Faitau foi: Ou te maua ea le faatuatua i le lalolagi?).
When does your faith begin?
Your faith begins when you are convinced that something is the truth. You have heard, Faitau, or seen something, and you believe, that what you heard, Faitau, or saw is true.
God has given a free will to everyone. Therefore every person has a free will to make his own choices in life. Everyone decides to believe the Word of God or not believe the Word of God.
Latou upu, galuega, and lives show, whether they believe the Word of God or not.
Carnal people always need some kind of proof and/or a sign, before they believe. They are sense-ruled and will only believe if they’ll see it with their natural eyes.
Ae peitai, it happens often that when they get some kind of proof or a sign, they still doubt. (Faitau foi: Muamua vaʻai ona talitonu lea pe muaʻi talitonu muamua?).
We all know that doubt is the opposite of faith. Doubt is the fruit of the old man; le tagata faaletino. If you doubt, you can’t walk in faith and bear the fruit of faith.
What are the four simple steps of faith in the process of regeneration?
But the new creations don’t walk after the flesh by what they see in the natural realm. The new creations walk after the Spirit in submission to God in obedience to the Word.
They speak and do the words of God and walk in faith and bear the fruit of faith in their lives. They abide in the Word of God and call those things which are not as though they were.
The new creations are not moved and ruled by their senses, lagona, lagona, ma isi., But they are moved and ruled by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. E iai 4 simple steps of faith in the process of regeneration.
the first step of faith
The first step of faith is to believe in Jesus Christ that He is the Son of God and came in the flesh and became the Substitute and Redeemer for fallen man. Talitonu, that through His sacrifice at the cross, e lona toto, Ma Le Toetu mai le Oti, Jesus dealt with the sin problem of mankind, e aofia ai ma oe.
Jesus delivered man from the power of the devil, Agasala ma le Oti, and translated man from the darkness into the light. He restored the position of man and reconciled man back to God.
If you believe all this, you repent of your old life as a sinner and make Jesus your Saviour and Lord.
That’s the first step you take in faith; believing in Jesus Christ, ma lana Toe Faatinoina Galuega ma salamo of your sinful life
The second step of faith
Now comes the second step, which is regeneration in Christ. After your repentance, you are baptized in water and identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In the water you lay down your old life as a sinner. You bury the old man with its sinful nature and arise in newness of life.
O oe crucify your (agasala) tino (your self, your carnal lusts and desires, Manatu, auala o mafaufauga, agasala, amioletonu, ma isi.) and your spirit raises from the dead
The third step of faith
You will arise from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit and enter eternal life. After the baptism, e te maua le Agaga Paia.
You are born of the Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Ua avea oe ma se foafoaga fou; o se atalii o le Atua (e faatatau lenei mea i alii ma tamaitai), and God’s nature dwells in you.
Now you believe that you are a new creation that is born of water and Spirit.
The final step of faith
E te talitonu i ai, ua avea oe ma se Forld New Foafoaga. The old you is gone and the new you, O ai na fausia pe a uma le ata o le Atua, has been born. As you believe that you are a new creation and that the past is gone, you will also walk as the new creation in newness of life.
You shall be confident in Jesus Christ; the Word and walk after the Spirit in submission and obedience to His words. The Bible shall guide you and the Holy Spirit shall lead and teach you..
Fa‘apei ‘ona ‘outou talia o Keriso Iesu le Ali‘i, ia outou savavali ia te Ia: Ua mauaa ma atiina ae ia te Ia, ma faatumauina i le faatuatua, e pei ‘ona a‘oa‘oina o ‘outou, ‘ua fa‘ateleina ai le fa‘afetai.
Kolose 2:6,7
How do you develop faith?
You develop faith by hearing the Word of God, renewing your mind with the Word of God, and applying the Word of God into your life, whereby you shall speak and do the Word of God.
Hearing and faafou lou mafaufau with the Word of God are so important, because without the knowledge of the truth and knowing the will of God, you can’t pray and walk by faith and live a holy life.
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Roma 10:17)
Ae o outou, alofagia, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, tatalo i le Agaga Paia (Iuta 1:20)
You shall build yourself up in your most holy faith and walk according to what the Word says.
You shall pray in the Holy Ghost, that is praying in other tongues.
The Holy Spirit knows exactly, what you need and what the obstacles in your life are. He helps your infirmities, and intercedes for you.
E faapea foi ona fesoasoani mai le Agaga i o tatou vaivai: auā ‘ua matou lē iloa le mea e tatau ‘ona matou tatalo ai: a o le Agaga lava ia e fautua mo i tatou i le oi e le mafai ona faamatalaina (Roma 8:26)
The Word revealed by the Spirit
Before you became born again, you didn’t know, what was written in the Word of God. You didn’t know Jesus Christ, and who God is and walked in darkness. Or maybe you did read the Bible, but you didn’t understand what was written.
Ae o lenei, that you are spiritual and have received the Holy Spirit, and entered into His light, you shall read His Word by His Spirit. You shall understand what is written, because the Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God (which is Spirit) mo oe.
The Spirit is o le key to understanding the Word of God, He is your Teacher. You don’t need all kinds of teachers. The Holy Spirit teaches you into all truth and guide you. He shall raise you in His Word, so that you will walk in faith.
O le a e faia, O le a le upu taʻu atu ia te oe e fai. You’ll live according to what the Word says, instead of what the world or your senses say.
You shall abide in Him and walk in Him and walk in truth.
The works shall follow your faith
Faith without works is dead. E ala i le faitauina o le Afioga a le Atua, applying the Word, and therefore doing the Word of God, you shall walk in Him. You will keep His commandments and obey Him.
You shall speak and live according to the Word. When you do the Word, the works shall follow you, just like the works followed Jesus, because He walked after the Spirit.
O le a lava le umi e te nofo ai ia te ia; le Upu, the works shall follow you.
Auā e pei ‘ona oti o le tino e aunoa ma le agaga, e faapena foi ona mate le faatuatua pe a leai ni galuega
Iakopo 2:26
Quench all the fiery darts by faith
You shall not always receive a warm welcome and maybe the people around you shall dislike you, ma sauaina outou.
The devil shall do everything he can, to bring you back to the flesh, so that he can reign over you again, nai lo le you reigning over him.
He shall accuse you in your mind, he shall raise thoughts in your mind that oppose the Word of God.
Pule oe, what you do with these thoughts. Do you feed them, or do you take these thoughts captive in Jesus Christ and cast them down?
The devil not only uses your mind, but also people to attack you.
The devil has one goal and that is to destroy you. O lea la, the devil shall do everything he can and use everyone he can, to accomplish his mission.
But when you stay in Christ and abide in the Word, then by faith you can quench uma the fiery darts of wicked one. Manatua, it is written ‘all’ and not ‘some’.
Faith is your shield, but you have to hold it up. No one else can do that for you. Therefore it is important to build yourself up in your most holy faith.
Ae sili atu i mea uma, ave le talita o le faatuatua, O fea o le a mafai ai ona e techench uma le au fana a le au leaga
Efeso 6:16
O le a le mea e faaleagaina ai lou faatuatua?
As long as you stay in the Word of God and walk after the Spirit and obey His words and keep His commandments, you will stay in the faith. Ae e tatau ona e nofo awake and be watchful at all times. You must never let your guard down.
Guard your mind against the knowledge of this world, and stay faithful to the Word. When you feed your mind with the knowledge of this world, then doubt will arise. Because the knowledge and truth of this world goes against the knowledge and truth of the Word.
Therefore faith can be destroyed by doubt. This doubt can come both from the inside of you and from the outside:
- Doubt from the inside: doubt can enter if you have not renewed your mind with the Word of God (Tusi Paia). It may be that in certain area’s of your life, you have not renewed your mind with the Word of God. In those area’s your mind is carnal and human reason still reigns instead of the Spirit. This will ensure that you keep living after the flesh.
- Doubt from the outside: doubt can also enter from the outside through false teachings, wisdom of the world etc.. Paul warned the believers many times about false teachers and philosophies of man that will lead them astray and away from the faith in Christ Jesus.
Nofo ia te ia
As long as you stay in Him and walk according to the Word, then you shall not be moved, and shall stand and walk in faith. But if you do not walk according to the Word, but according to what the world says(filosofia, science etc.) you shall obey the world and shall not be able to walk in faith. Because the world is enmity against God and His Word.
Fa‘apei ‘ona ‘outou talia o Keriso Iesu le Ali‘i, ia outou savavali ia te Ia: Ua mauaa ma atiina ae ia te Ia, ma faatumauina i le faatuatua, e pei ‘ona a‘oa‘oina o ‘outou, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, e tusa ai ma tu ma aga masani a tagata, e tusa ai ma mea faavae o le lalolagi, ae lē mulimuli ia Keriso. Auā o lo‘o mau ‘iā te Ia le tumu uma lava o le Aiga Atua i la le tino
Kolose 2:6-9
O le a le fua o le faatuatua?
The fruit faith is a fruit of the Spirit and is present in every born again believer’s life. When you bear the fruit faith, you shall not walk by what your flesh, your carnal mind and senses, ta'u atu ia te oe. But you shall walk by faith after the Spirit by what the Word and the Spirit tell you.
Keep the faith
Don’t loose you faith but keep the faith. Make sure that you seek the things which are above and fill your mind with the things of God and His words and stay in Christ. Ia tau le taua lelei o le faatuatua. Let no one steal your faith, even when they turn against you.
There is so much more to write about the fruit faith, because the whole Gospel is about faith in Jesus Christ. The walk of a born again Christian is all about faith.
I would like to finish this blog post with the following question: When it’s your time to go Home, can you say the same words that Paul said?
Ua ou tau lelei le taua, Ua maeʻa laʻu vasega, Ua ou tausia le faatuatua
2 Timoteo 4:7
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
