Is faith a virtue?
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toddpedlar
Iron Dramatist
Not sure I understand the question. What do you mean by "virtue"? Certainly if you mean something that an individual attains by his own efforts, and which is marked out for special recognition by others, no. "Virtue" often implies a characteristic that arises from within. If by "virtue" you intend an older meaning, more akin to "a grace", something granted by God for His purposes, then certainly you could consider faith a virtue.
toddpedlar
Iron Dramatist
It's ok, Nic. I just assumed you had momentarily slipped into the gaelic vernacular.
dudley
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
I do not believe faith is a virtue. I believe faith is a gift given by God.
I do not believe faith is a virtue. I believe faith is a gift given by God.
The definition of “theological virtue” is Hope. “Virtue” is defined in the dictionary as the quality of being morally good or righteous. However we are made righteous not by any merit of our own, the Protestant doctrine of Justification, we are made righteous through Christ’s sacrifice for us on Calvary and by placing our faith in Him alone for our salvation.
There is an account in the Gospel dealing with the faith of the apostles as they crossed the sea with Jesus in a boat and a terrible storm approached. The apostles were worried and awakened Jesus who was sleeping and said Master we are about to be drowned in this terrible storm how can you sleep?….. the stilling of the storm is well recoded in the Gospel of Luke chapter 8:22-25. Jesus put out his hand and the wind and the storm stopped and the sea calmed. Thee apostles responded……
“Who is this, that even the wind and the waves obey him?”
Faith requires us to believe that no matter the size of the storm, our God is bigger.
I believe faith is a gift given by the grace of God to each of His elect.
However Faith involves a decision for which men are responsible. Faith acts, sometimes by waiting, and sometimes by working. Faith is tested and proven by adversity and trials; doubt is not the opposite of faith. Faith faces danger and risk. Faith is trusting in God alone to do the impossible.
Faith is founded on the purposes of God. The disciples were frightened in the midst of the storm but had they known who He was, they could have had great comfort in His purpose. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
I do not believe faith is a virtue. I believe faith is a gift given by God.
The definition of “theological virtue” is Hope. “Virtue” is defined in the dictionary as the quality of being morally good or righteous. However we are made righteous not by any merit of our own, the Protestant doctrine of Justification, we are made righteous through Christ’s sacrifice for us on Calvary and by placing our faith in Him alone for our salvation.
There is an account in the Gospel dealing with the faith of the apostles as they crossed the sea with Jesus in a boat and a terrible storm approached. The apostles were worried and awakened Jesus who was sleeping and said Master we are about to be drowned in this terrible storm how can you sleep?….. the stilling of the storm is well recoded in the Gospel of Luke chapter 8:22-25. Jesus put out his hand and the wind and the storm stopped and the sea calmed. Thee apostles responded……
“Who is this, that even the wind and the waves obey him?”
Faith requires us to believe that no matter the size of the storm, our God is bigger.
I believe faith is a gift given by the grace of God to each of His elect.
However Faith involves a decision for which men are responsible. Faith acts, sometimes by waiting, and sometimes by working. Faith is tested and proven by adversity and trials; doubt is not the opposite of faith. Faith faces danger and risk. Faith is trusting in God alone to do the impossible.
Faith is founded on the purposes of God. The disciples were frightened in the midst of the storm but had they known who He was, they could have had great comfort in His purpose. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Rich Koster
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
I believe faith is the foundation that virtue(s) is built upon.
2 Peter 1:3His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
dudley
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
I will say Amen Rich and I too will agree that I believe faith is the foundation that virtue(s) is built upon. But virtue does mean we are morally good and /or righteous by any merit of our own. Therefore I am very cautious to being in any ideas that are in any way close to the heresies of the Romanists and the papist church of the popes. I escaped that horrible bondage and will have nothing to do with anything near or like Roman Catholicism again.
As Protestants we do good works because we are connected to Christ by our faith. But is truly Christ alone who saves us by our placing faith in Him alone. Our faith is an amazing grace given by God alone. I had come to the point of nearly loosing all faith. As a Roman Catholic. It was Protestantism and the beautiful and awesome Protestant doctrine of Justification that saved me from despair. I have thanked God to have found a religion, real, in which my soul shall rest as on a solid rock; in which I find justifying righteousness in knowing my salvation is secured by the gift of faith which was granted to me by the grace of God when I was born again by professing my faith in Christ alone and becoming a Presbyterian.
I have accepted the scriptures and the true Gospel as the final authority and not the pope of Rome. In so doing I am reminded that I found a true faith and religion in the Reformed Protestant faith and as a Presbyterian. I thank almighty God for that wonderful gift to me.
My studies and exploration of the Protestant Reformation and the mainline Protestant denominations also lead me to firmly believe in the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation. i.e. the authority of the Bible alone in all matters of faith and practice and that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and all Glory and Honor is for God alone. I am now Protestant in conviction, Reformed in doctrine and a Presbyterian in faith.
My faith is a gift through the grace of God alone. I have and can claim no merit. It only required a decision on my part to accept the gift of faith and be born again in Christ Jesus by accepting my being called to be one of the elect as a Reformed Protestant!
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