The Just Shall Live by Faith
A Homily on Faith by Andrei Denisov (1674-1730)
The Word of Andrey Denisov, Pomor Monastic
"The just shall live by faith" (Habakkuk 2).
Many and ineffable blessings owe their origin to virtue, for those who acquire it are honored with immortal glory.
For each virtue, truly embraced, crowns its follower with indescribable beauty, adorning them more splendidly than dazzling pearls. Through patience, the much-suffering Job is glorified; through hospitality, Abraham, the father of many, shines with the promise of paradise; chastity resounds in the examples of Joseph and Susanna; meekness illuminates David, the royal psalmist; zeal flames forth in Elijah, the fiery charioteer; and Daniel, a man of spiritual desires, is proclaimed. Thus, both in the Old and New Testaments, the Church radiates with the brilliant pearls of diverse virtues. Yet, though many stars may shine, it is one heaven that contains them. Though a lofty house may dazzle with beauty, its entire structure rests on the strength of its foundation. So too, the Church shines with many virtues but is made radiant by the singular beauty of Orthodox faith. There are many spiritual edifices, but one foundation: the Orthodox Catholic faith.
As the chosen vessel Paul proclaims: "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." Of this, the prophet cries out with a mighty voice: "The just shall live by faith." With this prophetic declaration, I, a lowly one, humbly wish, by your prayers, to speak a word of grace. Though unworthy, I earnestly desire to adorn your God-loving and brotherly unity—not with silver, gold, the whiteness of pearls, or the brilliance of precious stones, nor with the fleeting things by which the world is adorned, but with those treasures that delight you, bring you joy, and illuminate you: that is, with living faith. By it, you journey as pilgrims, suffer diverse trials, and are enlivened. Concerning it, we must always speak, listen, and zealously devote ourselves.
Faith, according to the Apostle Paul, is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Faith is the knowledge of the invisible God, insofar as human understanding can attain; the Creator of creation, known through His creation; the revelation of God's commandments to humankind. Faith is the indisputable testimony of God's works on earth, both ancient and heavenly. Faith in the incarnation of the Son of God is the clearest manifestation; faith is the unerring obedience to apostolic teaching and the inviolable preservation of the traditions of the fathers. It is the unshakable foundation of the Orthodox Catholic Church, the harmonious participation in the grace of God, both in heaven and on earth.
O wondrous Orthodox faith! O God-given light bestowed upon us! Faith is united to the one God, shining with the singular light of Orthodoxy, yet it gleams with various rays. Faith perceives the invisible through the visible. We do not see God, yet we believe in one God. We do not see, nor can we see, the three hypostases of the one essence of the consubstantial Trinity, yet we believe. We did not witness the visible and invisible creation by God, but we believe that all things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made. We did not see the Word of God made flesh on earth, who lived among us, was baptized, crucified, and rose again, commanding His disciples to teach His commandments and baptize, before ascending in the flesh to heaven. Yet we believe unwaveringly in all of His providence for us.
Likewise, in the Old and New Testaments, we did not witness the salvific commandments of God, but we believe in them without doubt. We believe in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church without investigation. We believe in the mysteries of the New Testament, entrusted to us for salvation, and we receive them with love. Before that which is seen, we believe immeasurably in that which is unseen. In the waters of Orthodox baptism, we believe in the descent of the Holy Spirit, though unseen, by whom the original sin and other sins are cleansed, and we are clothed in Christ, along with other graces given to us through baptism. In the bread and wine of Orthodox communion, we believe, though unseen, that it is truly the body and blood of Christ. Through the other visible sacraments of the Church, we believe in the reception of invisible grace. Thus, the three-bar cross of Christ, though visibly small, is believed and confessed to surpass the heavens in its power. According to Church tradition, we believe that mysteries are performed through its sign and that it sanctifies those it marks. In all the mysteries of true faith, we confess the power of the cross with reverence.
Therefore, faith is named as such: according to the Apostle, it is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." It is not perceived by bodily senses but is comprehended through intellectual revelation and trusted in hope. Though it is unseen by physical eyes, it is clearly understood by the soul's vision. Though it is not felt or touched in a tangible way, it is firmly grasped through intellectual comprehension, embraced in love, and delighted in with the heart.
But how does such a great and boundless faith enter into us? How is the invisible planted within the invisible soul? The Apostle Paul, the teacher of the nations, says: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Since the word of God is present in His Church, whether spoken by prophets, apostles, or holy fathers—spoken by the Holy Spirit—it is from God. Therefore, faith is instilled in us by God through His word. For even in the creation of the rational soul, God gave the capacity for faith, enabling humanity to believe in Him, the invisible and incomprehensible One, who can only be known through faith. Through His word, He continues to teach, enlighten, and perfect faith within us.
Thus, faith’s goodness is not found in the body, physical senses, or bodily virtues, but is born in the rational soul, though it may be aided and demonstrated through physical deeds. Even if such deeds do not fully manifest it, this invisible virtue remains a spiritual quality residing within the invisible soul. Moreover, all virtues are dependent on it, as no virtue can be pleasing to God without faith. With it, hope and love flourish; temperance, humility, and patience are established; fasting, chastity, and mercy are illumined. Indeed, all soul-related and bodily virtues, when united with faith, become God-pleasing virtues.
Not only does faith accompany other virtues, but according to the divine Chrysostom, it is the source of all good. When faith burns fervently for God, it generates prayer, mercy, patience, fasting, chastity, self-restraint, and humility. It receives the sinner and produces fruits of repentance; it transforms the persecutor into a herald of the Gospel; it takes the loving father and makes him a servant of faith, surpassing natural boundaries. Faith converts the sinner into the righteous, the glutton and drunkard into the abstinent, and the willful sluggard into a diligent and obedient laborer. As faith blooms in the heart, the body hastens to serve. As the heavenly ladder-climber said, "Where faith is nourished by the word of God, when it burns warmly for God, when it is unwavering and in harmony with the saints, all virtues follow, passions retreat, sins flee, and the Pharaoh who oppresses the soul drowns in the sea of dispassion."
Faith, therefore, is all-powerful, yet becomes ineffective when disconnected from its proper union. Excessive scrutiny, disputes, or contradictions within the soul weaken it; discord with the saints’ teachings renders it unsound; heresies and oppositions make it improper and unorthodox. Doubts diminish it; sins, passions, and wicked lusts cool it, rendering it lifeless, like clouds obscuring the sun's sweet rays. The soul that accepts discordant faith loses the grace of its works, becoming wretched. Those who oppose faith—whether in thought or deed—grieve the holy faith and are delivered to eternal perdition.
Thus heretics, schismatics, and dissenters, teaching and acting contrary to the holy Church and the saints, become subject to anathema and eternal death. Though they claim to believe, they show themselves to be opponents of true faith. For if "the just shall live by faith," according to the prophet, then those who oppose the holy faith cannot inherit eternal life with the Church. Heretics, even in minor deviations from Orthodox faith, fall under the law of heresy. As it is written by the saints and Chrysostom explains in his homilies on Paul’s anathemas: "It is not said that if they preach something entirely different or invert everything, but even if they proclaim something small contrary to what we have preached, or if they introduce some error—let them be anathema."
Faith is so powerful that it condemns those who act unworthily against it and glorifies those who preserve it with reverence. It operates equally in the rich and the poor, shining its rays of grace alike upon a king on his throne and a beggar clothed in rags. Faith respects no person, reigning over all, from the simplest of the ignorant to the highest archpriests. As God does not regard persons in judgment, so faith is not ashamed of the mighty nor neglectful of the lowly who faithfully pursue it.
Faith resides in hierarchs and priests, adorning and being adorned by them when they are worthy of it, acting in agreement with the saints, teaching, and living accordingly. However, when they despise its majesty and innovate contrary to the saints, faith hides its rays of grace and departs from them. As Paul declares: "Even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached, let them be anathema."
Faith also beautifies the unordained who live worthily with it. As Patriarch Meletius of Alexandria praised the Belarusians who separated from erring hierarchs, calling them defenders of Orthodoxy, lambs of Christ, untainted light in darkness, earthly angels, and immovable pillars. They were especially praised for their pastoral zeal, remaining steadfast in inherited piety amidst the unfaithful clergy. Faith thus enlightens the faithful and sanctifies even places, making them radiant and worthy for God.
If there is no salvation outside the Church, as Chrysostom says: "The Church is not walls and a roof, but faith and life," then with true faith and a virtuous life, salvation is available to everyone in every time and place. The Jewish high priests, after the crucifixion of Christ, gathered in the Holy of Holies without faith and were not heard by God. Yet Peter, imprisoned by them, was freed by the prayer of the Church, which was not in a visible church building but fervently offered in a closed house. Their faithlessness condemned the high priests, as did the faithlessness of the Roman popes when they corrupted the faith. During their persecutions, Anthony and his monks fled into the desert. When the persecutions increased and the monks were scattered, Anthony alone dwelt among the rocks, a solitary inhabitant without a temple, a bloodless sacrificer, an exile for the confession of holy faith, a silent yet brilliant voice, an accuser of papal corruption.
The pope, meanwhile, remained in magnificent, gold-adorned churches, surrounded by countless ornaments and the relics of saints—among them, the most glorious remains of the universal luminaries Peter and Paul. There, amidst bells and grand processions, public assemblies, and prayers, he performed the services. Yet Anthony, alone with God on a single rock, offered his prayerful service with true faith. This visible contrast displayed the struggle: one man against many, a simple monk against high priests, an unlearned man against the cunning tongues of rhetoricians, a weak fugitive against multitudes. Yet the One who dwells on high and looks upon the humble exposed the false faith of the many and glorified the solitary man with true faith.
God demonstrated His power in nature: He made the sea roar louder than any human voice, rebuking the Latins; He caused the waves to rise in tumult as allies of the defender of Orthodoxy. The unyielding stone became lighter than a ship, obeying divine will, and carried Anthony across the sea. The waves leapt in haste, carrying the stone like a bird, lifting the man upon it. The rivers Neva and Volkhov rejoiced in their streams, delivering the supernatural messenger to Novgorod—a preacher exposing Latin heresy and affirming Russian Orthodoxy.
Thus, faith glorifies those who glorify it and dishonors those who dishonor it. It is not tied to lofty offices or glorious places but to a virtuous will and adherence to the Church’s rightful laws. It is easily housed in the rational soul, as the chosen vessel says: "You are the temple of the living God, as God has said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them.'" Therefore, faith, combined with other virtues, is wondrous and glorious, even though, as Paul teaches, love surpasses it, for love will not cease even in the age to come. Yet faith is the mother of all virtues and their foundation.
Faith must be so great in us that it aligns with the apostles, is not severed from the prophets, is in harmony with the holy councils, and proclaims one doctrine with all the righteous spirits. It must be carefully preserved, avoiding communion with the faithless, severing ties with dissenters and disobedient heretics, and rejecting the abominations of sinful deeds. For faith without works is dead—not the living, universal faith that abides eternally in all the saints, but the faith that becomes dead in the soul when severed from its living root through vile desires.
True faith is essential for salvation, for without it, Scripture says, salvation is impossible. Faith, like the sun rising high in springtime, illumines the whole universe, dispels the winter, destroys frost, and transforms the barren, snow-covered earth into a fruitful, flower-adorned garden. It gives waters to the valleys, currents to rivers, ships to the seas, sailors to the waters, and farmers to the fields. Similarly, when faith rises to the heavenly heights, it dispels the wintery chaos of false beliefs, annihilates the frost of heresies, and melts the snows of sins and iniquities. Souls adorned with the beauty of divine vision and enriched with the fruits of virtue bloom brightly.
The prophet declared, "The just shall live by faith," and faith without works is dead. Thus, the faithful must perform righteous deeds in Orthodoxy, proving themselves true workers of faith. In this way, they live immortally, justified by the living faith of righteousness. Though the goodness of faith invites envy, trials, and struggle, the faithful must endure patiently, never abandoning faith. For the Savior in the Gospel calls the faithful to press into the Kingdom of Heaven with effort, saying: "The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
If unbelievers hold fast to their false laws, enduring struggles and death for their heresies, how much more ought we Christians, for the pure and holy faith—Orthodox, apostolic, and patristic—passed down to us in custom and writing, to stand firm. This faith saves those who uphold it and grants eternal life. We must remain steadfast, neither overthrowing others in body nor wavering in tribulations, but crushing demonic plots, overcoming passionate desires, and extinguishing sins. We must rejoice not in earthly comforts or wealth apart from faith, nor despair in poverty, tribulation, or persecution while keeping the Orthodox faith.
Thus, the discourse on the Orthodox community shows how "the just shall live by faith." Many teachings and examples from the holy books affirm this. Having heard, let us rejoice in the glory of faith, delight in its riches, and exult in its invincible power and majestic beauty. Let us zealously strive to remain with it, for faith makes the poor heirs of eternal wealth and the lowly worthy of heavenly nobility. Let us endeavor to preserve the beauty of Orthodoxy, cultivating a warm faith in our hearts toward God—a faith dwelling in heaven with Christ, rejoicing in the heavenly Jerusalem, and harmonizing with the saints. Let us warm this faith continually with Scripture, prayers, and hymns of the Church. Let us adorn it with hope and love, inseparable companions of faith, and beautify it with virtuous light. Let us not dishonor its nobility with evil deeds, nor cloud our souls with anger, envy, or strife. Let us avoid disputes and divisions that tear the union of faith. Let us not exchange its eternal glory for temporary fame, its endless brilliance for fleeting beauty, its priceless wealth for perishable riches, or its heavenly sweetness for base desires.
Instead, let us dwell in peace, love, and unity, keeping to the traditions of the fathers, fasting, praying, and adorning ourselves with temperance and humility, grace, mercy, meekness, and charity. In persecution, tribulation, and sorrow, let us run with patience, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
To Him, Christ the true Son of God, be glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
This was amazing, Glory to God!