Persuaded

by Katy Kauffman

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness …” (Galatians 5:22 NKJV).

Did you know that the King James Version of the Bible translates “faithfulness” in this verse as “faith”? The fruit of the Spirit is faith. A closer look at the definition of this word can help us cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts to make us faithful or faith-filled.

Faith/faithfulness is:

• “conviction of the truth of anything”
• “a conviction or belief with the included idea of trust and holy [fervor]” that comes from it
• “the character of one who can be relied on”¹

The root word of faith is “to persuade.”² Interesting.

Faith is a conviction about something—what I am persuaded is true.

Christian faith is the conviction that God exists (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:6), Jesus is God (John 1:1, 14; John 8:58; John 20:28), and Jesus became a man to die on the cross for our sins (Luke 2:11; Romans 5:8). He is a living Savior ready to rescue all who believe in Him (1 Corinthians 15:3-5; Acts 16:31).

Faithfulness is the character of a person who can be relied on. How does being persuaded fit into the character quality of faithfulness? It has two parts:

1. A faithful person is persuaded that a certain set of beliefs and actions are worth choosing. He or she will adhere to what is believed to be right.
2. Other people are persuaded that a faithful person is worthy of trust.  

Personal convictions are powerful—they cause us to choose a path for our lives, and they cause other people to trust us or not.

What are you convinced—or persuaded—of?

Our society may be persuaded that making money and gathering materialistic things is the best way to live. A soul desperate for love and closeness may be persuaded that going past God’s boundaries of godly character is a good thing. Another person needing affirmation and acceptance might accept violence as a way of life and join a gang.

What does God want us to be persuaded is true? What truths affect the quality of our daily lives?

• God loves us (John 3:16, 15:9; Jeremiah 31:3; Psalm 107:9).
• He creates the best plans for our lives (Psalm 37:23; Jeremiah 29:11, 32:40).
• We have a sin problem (a tendency toward “me, me, me!” that can tear down our lives and relationships if left unchecked), but God has a “Jesus-solution” (faith in Him gives us eternal life and a better quality of life now). (See Romans 3:23 and 6:23.)
• We don’t have to do life in our own strength (Philippians 4:13) or with our own wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• God can work all things for good if we love Him and seek Him (Romans 8:28).
• He knows how to calm a storm or calm our hearts (Psalm 107:29-30).
• People are worth valuing and loving (Mark 12:31; John 13:34).
• God’s commands are worth obeying because they are given for our good—they don’t steal our joy or fun, but protect us (1 John 5:3; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Psalm 16:11).
• God is a Champion, standing up for those He loves (2 Timothy 4:16-17; Psalm 37:28, 46:5, 68:5, 76:8-9, 108:13).
• He is selfless, not proud or brash (Psalm 5:4, Philippians 2:5-11; 1 John 4:16; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
• He chooses to love (Psalm 111:4), comfort (Psalm 34:18), strengthen (Isaiah 40:29), protect (Psalm 9:9), provide for (Philippians 4:19), and delight in us (Zephaniah 3:17).

If we believed these things, what kind of character would we have? One that can be relied on. One that’s deemed faithful.

In the comments, share what you love about God’s character and how that inspires your choices in your walk with Him.

1. Larry Pierce, The Online Bible, CD-ROM (Winterbourne, Ontario: Larry Pierce, 2023), Galatians 5:22.
2. Ibid.