2. Faith is a Gift of God, Not a Human Work
World Scripture
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2.8-10
God has endeared the Faith to you, and has made it beautiful in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you unbelief, wickedness, and rebellion: such indeed are those who walk in righteousness—a grace and favor from God.
Qur’an 49.7
No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.
John 6.65
He it is who sent down peace of reassurance into the hearts of the believers, that they might add faith to their faith.
Qur’an 48.4
Abandon all supports and look to me for protection. I shall purify you from the sins of the past; do not grieve.
Bhagavad-Gita 18.66 (Hinduism)
Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so many things in vain?—if it really is in vain. Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Thus Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” So you see that it is men of faith who are sons of Abraham… Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for “He who through faith is righteous shall live.”
Galatians 3.2-7, 11
“If even a good man can be reborn in the Pure Land, how much more so a wicked man!” People generally think, however, that if even a wicked man can be reborn in the Pure Land, how much more so a good man! This latter view may at first sight seem reasonable, but it is not in accord with the purpose of the Original Vow [of Amida Buddha], with faith in the Power of Another. The reason for this is that he who, relying on his own power, undertakes to perform meritorious deeds, has no intention of relying on the Power of Another and is not the object of the Original Vow of Amida. Should he, however, abandon his reliance on his own power and put his trust in the Power of Another, he can be born in the True Land of Recompense. We who are caught in the net of our own passions cannot free ourselves from bondage to birth and death, no matter what kind of austerities or good deeds we try to perform. Seeing this and pitying our condition, Amida made his Vow with the intention of bringing wicked men to Buddhahood. Therefore the wicked man who depends on the Power of Another is the prime object of salvation.3
Shinran, Tannisho (Buddhism)
One of the crowd said [to Jesus], “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid… have pity on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Mark 9.17-24
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
How can we explain the relationship our Father has with us, considering that we are all descendants of the sinful lineage?
We cannot escape the bondage of sinful history.
We live within the realm of sin, unable to overcome it. Because we cannot relate well with the Father even by our best efforts, we are taught to believe with all our heart. This is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which teaches us to approach the Father not through any other way but by believing in our hearts.
(7:52- 53, July 12, 1959)
How will you be justified by Heaven? You cannot take pride in your merits and efforts for Heaven. These things do not acquit you at the judgment. Only by your experience of God’s heart and Jesus’ heart within you, bearing fruit—a relationship that even God and Jesus cannot break—will establish the condition for eternal life.
(4:107, March 16, 1958)
As you live your life of faith, do you have an explosive and stimulating power in the center of your heart, which moves unceasingly towards the world of God’s Will? When you have that heart, then it is evident that God is with you. On the other hand, if you do not have that power, it is evident that God is separate from you. When your heart is pouring out love for people, and you have the heart to share your life limitlessly with others, it is clear that you belong to Heaven.
You must know that self-centered love and arrogant, self-centered values are evidence that God is already leaving you.
(32:21-22, June 14, 1970)
God created humankind and has believed in us unfailingly. God has maintained that standard throughout history, no matter how often people betrayed His trust. Fallen parents in this world believe in their children, even though they are not trustworthy. They continue to believe in their children even after being deceived and lied to again and again. This is the very heart of God.
What happens when you believe in someone who cannot be believed, love someone who is unlovable, and stay by the side of someone you cannot live with? Even though they may leave you, once they realize your love for them, it will move their heart and they will return. God has been walking the providence of restoration with that heart.
(Way of Unification 8.4.8)
With what heart did God create this world? God created this world with a heart that longed for all things to become worthy of His infinite trust.
He longed for human beings to become worthy of His infinite trust… God tried to believe in people, believing that they could be in such oneness as to not even be conscious of the word ‘faith.’
With this heart God sought for people of eternal faith. Yet due to the human Fall this heart of God has remained unfulfilled.
(4:71, March 9, 1959)
We know we appear unworthy.
When we critique and analyze ourselves
we know we do not measure up as beings able to offer something to Thee.
Yet let us not forget that we are already Thy children.
It is our destined relationship,
which cannot be broken whatever we do.
(24:245, August 24, 1969)