What is the fruit of faith according to the Bible? Because Christians often say, that they believe in Jesus Christ and that they believe God, but do they really? Izikhathi eziningi, their words and works (izenzo) 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?
KumaHeberu 11:1 we read the definition of faith: Manje ukukholwa kungukuqiniseka ngezinto ezithenjwayo, ubufakazi bezinto ezingabonwayo.
Faith is the assurance of the things hoped for and the evidence (ubufakazi) of things that are not seen.
Let’s look at the word ‘hope’. Hope is translated from the Greek word ‘elpízõ’ and means; ukulindela noma ukuthulula isifuba: – (babe, into) ithemba (-d) (okwe), ukwethemba.
Hope means that you are confident and that you trust, ukuthi kukhona okuzokwenzeka.
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.
Ngakho-ke, ukukholwa yisiqiniseko sezinto ozilindele ukuthi zenzeke. Faith is the evidence of things that are not seen.
How does faith speak?
Faith speaks the words of God, okunguMoya nokuphila. Faith call those things which are not as though they were (AmaRoma 4:17).
Isikhathi sokuqala, the fruit faith became visible on earth was during the creation. God had faith in His Word and power. Wayazi, when He spoke the Word (uJesu, iZwi eliphilayo) lokho ngamandla aKhe (uMoya oNgcwele) kwaba khona. Bekungakabonakali okwamanje, kodwa uNkulunkulu wayewazi amandla eZwi laKhe.
God had this creation in His mind and spoke this creation into being. Wabiza lezozinto, okungenjalo, sengathi bakhona.
Uma ukhona Ukuzalwa kabusha kuKristu 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.
Ngokukholwa siyaqonda ukuthi umhlaba wakhiwe ngezwi likaNkulunkulu, ukuze okubonwayo akwenziwa kokubonwayo (amaHebheru 11:3)
Lisho ukuthini igama elithi ukukholwa?
Ukholo luhunyushwe egameni lesiGreki elithi ‘epistis' futhi izindlela: ukuncenga, leyo, ubufakazi; ukuqiniseka ngokuziphatha (weqiniso lenkolo, noma ukuba yiqiniso kukaNkulunkulu noma umfundisi wenkolo), ikakhulukazi ukuthembela kuKristu ukuze uthole insindiso; ukungaguquguquki kulowo mkhakha; ngokwandisa uhlelo lwezenkolo (Ivangeli) iqiniso ngokwalo: – isiqiniseko, inkolelo, kholwani, ukholo, ukwethembeka.
You are persuaded, unesiqiniseko. You are certain that ‘something’ is the truth. Ngakho-ke, you stand and keep standing on that truth.
You remain faithful to the truth. Akukho futhi akekho ongakususa kulelo qiniso. Awuhlehli futhi awungabazi (Funda futhi: Ngabe ngizothola ukukholwa emhlabeni?).
Ukholo lwakho luqala nini?
Your faith begins when you are convinced that something is the truth. Uzwile, funda, noma ubone okuthile, futhi niyakholwa, lokho enikuzwile, funda, 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.
Their words, izenzo, 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.
Nokho, it happens often that when they get some kind of proof or a sign, they still doubt. (Funda futhi: Bona kuqala bese uyakholwa noma kholwa kuqala bese ubona?).
Sonke siyazi ukuthi ukungabaza kuphambene nokukholwa. Doubt is the fruit of the old man; umuntu wenyama. 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, imizwa, imizwelo, njll., But they are moved and ruled by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Bangu 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. Kholwa, that through His sacrifice at the cross, ngegazi laKhe, novuko kwabafileyo, Jesus dealt with the sin problem of mankind, kuhlanganise neyakho.
Jesus delivered man from the power of the devil, Isono nokufa, 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.
Leso isinyathelo sokuqala osithathayo ekukholweni; believing in Jesus Christ, kanye nezaKhe umsebenzi wokuhlenga futhi phenduka lempilo yakho yesono
The second step of faith
Manje kufika isinyathelo sesibili, 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.
Wena crucify your (onesono) inyama (wena uqobo, your carnal lusts and desires, Imibono, indlela yokucabanga, izono, ububi, njll.) 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, wemukela uMoya oNgcwele.
You are born of the Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Usuyindalo entsha; indodana kaNkulunkulu (lokhu kusebenza kokubili abesilisa nabesifazane), 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
Uyakholwa, ukuthi usuyisidalwa esisha. The old you is gone and the new you, owadalwa ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu, uzelwe. 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..
Ngakho-ke njengalokho namukele uKristu Jesu iNkosi, ngakho hambani kuye: Igxilile futhi yakhelwe kuYe, njalo liqinisiwe ekukholweni, njengoba lifundisiwe, nichichima kulo ngokubonga.
AbaseKolose 2:6,7
Ukuthuthukisa kanjani ukukholwa?
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 ukuvuselela ingqondo yakho 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.
Ukukholwa kuvela ngokuzwa nokuzwa ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu (AmaRoma 10:17)
Kodwa wena, bathandekayo, zakheni ekukholweni kwenu okungcwele kakhulu, ekhuleka ngoMoya oNgcwele (Jude 1:20)
You shall build yourself up in your most holy faith and walk according to what the Word says.
Niyakukhuleka ngoMoya oNgcwele, lokho kungukukhuleka ngezinye izilimi.
The Holy Spirit knows exactly, okudingayo nokuthi yiziphi izithiyo empilweni yakho. Usiza ubuthakathaka bakho, and intercedes for you.
Ngokunjalo noMoya uyasiza ubuthakathaka bethu: ngoba kasikwazi okumele sikuthandazele njengoba kufanele: kodwa uMoya uqobo usikhulumela ngokububula okungenakuphinyiswa (AmaRoma 8:26)
IZwi elembulwa nguMoya
Ngaphambi kokuthi uzelwe kabusha, ubungazi, okwakulotshwe eZwini likaNkulunkulu. You didn’t know Jesus Christ, nokuthi ungubani uNkulunkulu, wahamba ebumnyameni. Or maybe you did read the Bible, kodwa awuqondanga okulotshiweyo.
Kodwa manje, 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 (okunguMoya) kwakho.
UMoya unjalo i key to understanding the Word of God, UnguMfundisi wakho. Awudingi zonke izinhlobo zothisha. The Holy Spirit teaches you into all truth and guide you. He shall raise you in His Word, ukuze nihambe ekukholweni.
Uzokwenza, lokho iZwi elikutshela ukuba ukwenze. 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
Ukukholwa ngaphandle kwemisebenzi kufile. Ngokufunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu, applying the Word, and therefore doing the Word of God, uyakuhamba kuYe. Uzogcina imiyalo Yakhe futhi umlalele.
Uyokhuluma futhi uphile ngokweZwi. Uma wenza iZwi, imisebenzi iyakukulandela, njengoba nje imisebenzi yayilandela uJesu, ngoba Wahamba emva kukaMoya.
Inqobo nje uma uhlala kuYe; iZwi, imisebenzi iyakukulandela.
Ngoba njengoba umzimba ngaphandle komoya ufile, kanjalo nokukholwa ngaphandle kwemisebenzi kufile
UJames 2:26
Cimani yonke imicibisholo evuthayo ngokholo
Ngeke uhlale uthola ukwamukelwa okufudumele futhi mhlawumbe abantu abaseduze nawe ngeke bakuthande, futhi nginizingele.
The devil shall do everything he can, to bring you back to the flesh, so that he can reign over you again, esikhundleni se wena obusa phezu kwakhe.
Uyakukumangalela engqondweni yakho, he shall raise thoughts in your mind that oppose the Word of God.
Kuphuma kuwe, wenzani ngale micabango. 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.
Usathane unenhloso eyodwa futhi ukukucekela phansi. Ngakho-ke, the devil shall do everything he can and use everyone he can, ukufeza umsebenzi wakhe.
But when you stay in Christ and abide in the Word, khona-ke ngokholo ningacisha konke the fiery darts of wicked one. Qaphela, it is written ‘all’ and not ‘some’.
Ukukholwa yisihlangu sakho, kodwa kufanele uyibambe. No one else can do that for you. Therefore it is important to build yourself up in your most holy faith.
Ngaphezu kwakho konke, ethatha isihlangu sokukholwa, eniyakuba namandla ngayo ukucima yonke imicibisholo evuthayo yomubi
Kwabase-Efesu 6:16
Okubhubhisa Ukukholwa Kwakho?
As long as you stay in the Word of God and walk after the Spirit and obey His words and keep His commandments, uyakuhlala ekukholweni. But you must stay awake and be watchful ngezikhathi zonke. You must never let your guard down.
Gcina ingqondo yakho ingangeni nolwazi lwaleli zwe, futhi uhlale uthembekile eZwini. Lapho wondla ingqondo yakho ngolwazi lwalo mhlaba, khona-ke kuyovela ukungabaza. 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:
- Ukungabaza ngaphakathi: ukungabaza kungangena uma ungakavuseleli ingqondo yakho ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu (IBhayibheli). Kungenzeka ukuthi kwezinye izindawo zempilo yakho, awukayivuseleli ingqondo yakho ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu. 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.
- Ukungabaza ngaphandle: 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.
Hlala kuYe
Inqobo nje uma uhlala kuYe futhi uhamba ngokweZwi, khona aniyikunyakaziswa, and shall stand and walk in faith. But if you do not walk according to the Word, kodwa ngokwalokho okushiwo yizwe(amafilosofi, isayensi njll.) uzolalela umhlaba futhi ngeke ukwazi ukuhamba ngokukholwa. Ngoba izwe liyizitha kuNkulunkulu neZwi laKhe.
Ngakho-ke njengalokho namukele uKristu Jesu iNkosi, ngakho hambani kuye: Igxilile futhi yakhelwe kuYe, njalo liqinisiwe ekukholweni, njengoba lifundisiwe, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, ngokwesiko labantu, emva kwemithetho yomhlaba, futhi hhayi emva kukaKristu. Ngoba kuhlala kuye konke ukugcwala konkulunkulu ngokomzimba
AbaseKolose 2:6-9
Luyini ukholo lwezithelo?
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, tell you. But you shall walk by faith after the Spirit by what the Word and the Spirit tell you.
Hlala ethembeni
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. Yilwa Ukulwa Okuhle Kokholo. Makungabikho ontshontsha ukukholwa kwenu, even when they turn against you.
Kuningi kakhulu okumele sikubhale mayelana nesithelo sokholo, ngoba lonke iVangeli likhuluma ngokukholwa kuJesu Kristu. Ukuhamba komKrestu ozelwe ngokusha kumayelana nokukholwa.
I would like to finish this blog post with the following question: Uma kuyisikhathi sakho sokuya Ekhaya, can you say the same words that Paul said?
Ngikulwele ukulwa okuhle, Sengiyiqedile inkambo yami, ngigcinile ukukholwa
2 UThimothewu 4:7
‘Yiba usawoti womhlaba’
