Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

¹¹ Our faith then must be different from the faith of devils. For our faith purifies the heart; but their faith makes them guilty. For they do wickedly, and therefore say they to the Lord, “What have we to do with You?” When you hear the devils say this, do you think that they do not acknowledge Him? “We know,” they say, “who You are: You are the Son of God.” This Peter says, and is commended; the devil says it, and is condemned. Whence comes this, but that though the words be the same, the heart is different?

Let us then make a distinction in our faith, and not be content to believe. This is no such faith as purifies the heart. “Purifying their hearts,” it is said, “by faith.” But by what, and what kind of faith, save that which the Apostle Paul defines when he says, “Faith which works by love.” That faith distinguishes us from the faith of devils, and from the infamous and abandoned conduct of men. “Faith,” he says. What faith? “That which works by love,” and which hopes for what God does promise.

Nothing is more exact or perfect than this definition. There are then in faith these three things. He in whom that faith is which works by love, must necessarily hope for that which God does promise. Hope therefore is the associate of faith. For hope is necessary as long as we see not what we believe, lest perhaps through not seeing, and by despairing to see, we fail. That we see not, does make us sad; but that we hope we shall see, comforts us. Hope then is here, and she is the associate of faith.

And then charity also, by which we long, and strive to attain, and glow with desire, and hunger and thirst. This then is taken in also; and so there will be faith, hope, and charity. For how shall there not be charity there, since charity is nothing else but love? And this faith is itself defined as that “which works by love.” Take away faith, and all you believe perishes; take away charity, and all that you do perishes. For it is the province of faith to believe, of charity to do. For if you believe without love, you do not apply yourself to good works; or if you do, it is as a servant, not as a son, through fear of punishment, not through love of righteousness. Therefore I say, that faith purifies the heart, which works by love.