The Spirit of Faith

"The greatest power in the realm and range of human existence is spirit - the divine breath which animates and pervades all things." --`Abdu'l-Bahá (Promulgation of Universal Peace, page 58)

The Spirit of Faith
What is It?
by Ronald Tomanio

"The fourth degree of spirit is the heavenly spirit; it is the spirit of faith and the bounty of God; it comes from the breath of the Holy Spirit, and by the divine power it becomes the cause of eternal life. It is the power which makes the earthly man heavenly, and the imperfect man perfect. It makes the impure to be pure, the silent eloquent; it purifies and sanctifies those made captive by carnal desires; it makes the ignorant wise." --`Abdu'l-Bahá ([emphasis added] Some Answered Questions, pages 144-145)

Step One:

Make a list of what this incredible divine power makes possible in your life.

Step Two:

Make a list of your deepest spiritual desires. If the Step One List and the Step Two List are similar and compatible, continue with the exercise.

Please read carefully the following very powerful quotation. A Manifestation of God, as interpreted by `Abdu'l-Bahá, declares a person dead if he is not animated by the spirit of faith.

". . . .as is clearly indicated in the Gospel where it says: 'Let the dead bury their dead;' . . . inasmuch as he who would bury these dead was alive with the vegetative, animal and rational human soul, yet did Christ - to whom be glory! - declare such dead and devoid of life, in that this person was devoid of the spirit of faith . . ." --`Abdu'l-Bahá (Bahá'í World Faith, pages 370-371)

Hopefully, at this point, you have been convinced that you need this animating divine power in your life. Now, let's spend a little time understanding the difference between a person animated only by the human spirit and someone who is also animated by the spirit of faith.

"But the human spirit, unless assisted by the spirit of faith, does not become acquainted with the divine secrets and the heavenly realities. It is like a mirror which, although clear, polished and brilliant, is still in need of light. Until a ray of the sun reflects upon it, it cannot discover the heavenly secrets."

". . . .the mind is the power of the human spirit." --`Abdu'l-Bahá (Some Answered Questions, pages 208-209)

Step Three:

Take a "divine secret" or a "heavenly reality" such as an attribute of God -- love or justice or mercy. Now visualize an iceberg with only a small portion of its reality visable above the water. We know that most of the iceberg is not perceptible to the human eye.

Clearly we all want to see more of the "iceberg" but only when the human mind is bathed in the light of the spirit of faith can we begin to see what is hidden from our spiritual eyes.

How do we obtain the spirit of faith? In short, obedience to God.

"The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth everyone who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration." --Bahá'u'lláh (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, page 19)

We see that faith and obedience are inseparably linked.

But is it simply a cut and dried mechanical act of knowing what the law is and obeying? Sometimes yes and sometimes it gets a little more complicated.

"Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power." --Bahá'u'lláh (The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, page 21)

There is also the matter of being faithful to the Covenant. I believe this entails more than knowing the history dayes about when who succeeded whom. For example, believing in Bahá'u'lláh also means believeing in the world of the Manifestation. When you react to a Manifestation of God,you are also reacting to the powers and characteristics of that world.

You know that Bahá'u'lláh is infallible and that you are not. Does that not push you in a healthy direction where you are more likely to choose humility instead of arrogance? Are you not more likely to be someone who chooses to be a servant of god who engages in pure-hearted consultation rather than someone who believes and acts like a divine institution?

To sum up: Make the right reactions. Reactions that are in harmony with reality, that are in harmony with the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and those reactions allow you to receive the spirit of faith emanating from God.

It all comes down to the4 choices we make and `Abdu'l-Bahá has told us that the only choices we can control are our own moral choices.

"Some things are subject to the free will of man, such as justice, equity, tyranny and injustice, in other words, good and evil actions; it is evident and clear that these actions are, for the most part, left to the will of man. But there are certain things to which man is forced and compelled, such as sleep, death, sickness, decline of power, injuries and misfortunes; these are not subject to the will of man, and he is not responsible for them, for he is compelled to endure them. But in the choice of good and bad actions he is free, and he commits them according to his own will." --`Abdu'l-Bahá (Some Answered Questions, page 248)

I have a practical suggestion.

Step Four:

Take a law or a spiritual principle that you have no trouble with. Go beyond mere compliance. Submit your whole being to it. make this a conscious choice. Visualize yourslef with your arms open, welcoming the outpourings of the spirit of faith from God. Over time, with the aid of the spirit of faith, you will find that the "heavenly mysteries" will be made known to you and the wisdom of laws and ordinances that once eluded you and that you had trouble obeying will be easily understood. Remember this is an eternal process that never ends, so the "steed of this valley is patience."

In Conclusion:

When you make choices that are in harmony with the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, you are gradually being born in the world of the spirit. The accumulation of those choices results in the knowledge of your true self, the unfoldment of your unique individuality.

"If the travelers seek after the goal of the Intended One (Maqsud), this station appertaineth to the self - but that self which is 'The Self of God standing within Him with laws.'" Bahá'u'lláh (Seven Valleys and Four Valleys, page 50)

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