That is why every Christian must make a constant effort to strengthen faith. These efforts should first of all be aimed at revealing the natural qualities of the human soul, which are conscience and the fear of God. The saint exhorts Christians to always have a clear conscience, for "faith in a clear conscience loves to rest, and without a clear conscience it cannot be pure" (5:284). In addition, he calls on Christians to constantly maintain in themselves a sense of the fear of God and that inner thirst for knowledge of the mysteries of the spiritual world, which lives in a God-fearing soul (3:134). A God-fearing person will not be indifferent to the knowledge of the laws of spiritual life, and he who thirsts for truth and knowledge of God will not be satisfied with the initial knowledge in the field of faith, but will bring it to the conviction of the heart (5:12).

Sincere and living faith in the Redeemer is inseparably linked with humility, which is the fruit of a repentant appeal to God, heartfelt sorrow and sorrow for the sins committed. Only a deep consciousness of sinfulness leads a person to true faith, which gives the soul a living and active consolation (3:134).

An important means of strengthening faith is also the reading of the Holy Scriptures (3:188), which saturates the soul of a Christian with heavenly food, encourages constant sobriety and struggle with sinful inclinations and the enemy of our salvation – the devil. From frequent reading or hearing of the word of God, faith is strengthened, grows, and bears abundant fruit in the field of the heart (1:185; 3:21). But the word of God exerts such a beneficial effect on the soul only when it is received with attention and for the purpose of spiritual edification and correction. Only in this case will it contribute to the firm establishment of faith and good morality in the soul of a Christian. In addition, the reading of the Holy Scriptures, according to the teaching of the Holy Father, should be combined with prayer. If faith is a gift of God, then this gift can be preserved only with Divine help, which is requested in prayer (3:188). Inseparably linked with prayer is contemplation of God, which is pious contemplation of the mysteries of the Divine economy, Wisdom, goodness, and God's love for fallen humanity. Such pious reflection has the most beneficial effect on the soul of man; by this meditation the mind is enlightened, "faith is strengthened and grows" (3:22).

A special, grace-filled means of strengthening living faith, according to the teaching of the Zadonsk Wonderworker, is the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The saint says that without communion of the life-giving Mysteries of Christ, "faith cannot be and be preserved in the human heart" (4:166). Holy Communion not only serves to preserve the true faith, but is also the most effective means of perfecting it. Worthy reception of the Holy Mysteries of Christ enlivens the soul of a Christian. And just as the human body is strengthened and grows from the reception of natural food, "so the faith of Christ, which is conceived in the human heart, is strengthened and grows by the mysterious food of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ" (3:23).

The efforts of a Christian aimed at strengthening the faith, as well as the use of God-given means of salvation, do not remain fruitless. Warmed by fervent prayer, inspired by the reading of the word of God, enlivened by the Holy Mysteries of Christ, faith elevates the mind of a Christian, governs his will, sanctifies his feelings. Such faith fosters in a person complete devotion to Christ as his God and Saviour, prompts the believer to renounce self-love and strive to acquire the righteousness of Christ, and draws him to the realization of that highest ideal of purity and holiness which Christ brought to earth.

Based on all of the above, we can conclude that faith is one of the main and fundamental Christian virtues, since without faith in Christ it is impossible to save a person. Faith is the driving force of the spiritual life of a Christian, it is also the foundation on which the edifice of Christian virtues is built. The salvation of man, therefore, is possible only with the all-round influence of faith on the personality of man and its indissoluble unity with other Christian virtues.

2. Love for God and neighbor

Having firmly embarked on the path of a virtuous life, a Christian must direct all the forces of his soul to the acquisition of love for God and neighbor. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself called this love the greatest commandment: "In this I command all the law, and the prophets hang" (Matt. 22:40). Only love can lead a Christian to moral perfection and vouchsafe him unity with God. It is for this purpose that man was created, for this purpose the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth and redeemed the human race, and all the rules of Christian life are directed to this.

Christianity inspires the believer with nothing so often and persistently as love for God and neighbor. And this is for the reason that it is the basis and the main guiding principle of Christian morality. All other Christian virtues are not only born of love, but are also united with it, like body with soul, like sap with wood, or warmth with fire (3:188). They flow from love just as streams flow from their source (3:174). Without the grace-filled spiritualization of love, no Christian activity is possible, and without it a Christian is like a withered, barren tree (3:400). Just as every living organism, if it does not have in itself a motive force and natural warmth, cannot exist, but decays and turns into corruption, so every good deed of a Christian who does not have love in himself is counted as nothing and "cannot be alive, but only shows a false appearance" (2:50). Love alone can transform and change for the better all aspects of human life. The Lord Jesus Christ and His holy apostles testified to this love before the whole world by Their teaching and life, inspiring people to put off the old man with his deeds (Ephesians 4:22) and to put on the new, created according to God in righteousness and holiness, i.e. through moral renewal to attain unity with God and the primordial, blessed state that he had. being in paradise. That is why love can be called not only the root and source of all good and all good (2:283), but also the mother of all joys (5:235). Worthy of praise are families, cities, and even states that arrange life according to the law of love. Truly, life there is like "an earthly paradise, filled with joy and sweetness." And further, basing himself on the statement of St. John Chrysostom, the saint concludes: "If all in the world loved one another, there would be no need for laws, nor trials, nor executions, nor anything of the kind, since all evil would be so removed that the very name of sin would be unknown" (2:340).

Love has such a property that it "unites the lover with the beloved". Thus, on the one hand, God, for the sake of His love, took on human nature and became like man in all things, except sin, in order to bring him to a better state. In the same way, a person, on the other hand, when he loves God, unites with Him, is filled with the Spirit of God, Who spiritualizes him and directs him to the path of salvation. Thus, love determines and conditions all aspects of the relationship of man to God and of God to man (1:167).

A Christian is impelled to love God, first of all, by His goodness, which surpasses all reason and understanding, as well as by the multitude of God's blessings manifested to the human race (1:87). St. Tikhon enumerates and explains in some detail all that God has done in His love for man. "O amiable and highly venerable creature, man! he exclaims. "The image of God, as the seal and banner of the Heavenly King, bears within itself. So highly has our gracious Creator honored us, O men... Whom shall we love if not Him?" (4:351)

All creation bears witness to the blessings of God: the sun, warming and illuminating the visible world, the moon and stars, showing the way in the night, the air that sustains the life of all living things, the clouds that irrigate the earth, after which it is able to grow everything necessary for life, the birds that fly through the sky. "In a word, all creation, created for our service, preaches God's good deeds to us" (1:88). And this all-merciful care of God, extending both to one person and to the whole world, testifies to that supreme love, without which the world could not exist for a single minute (5:234).

A person, due to his limitations, cannot foresee those accidents that can deprive him of this life. "But from all these the loving God preserves us as a compassionate mother preserves her little and senseless child" (1:88). The Lord also assigned angels to man, who would guard his spiritual and bodily life (1:160). And in general, just as a river flows incessantly and a spring pours out water, so God's blessings are constantly poured out on the human race (4:352; 2:279).

However, most of all, love for God should be aroused by the fact that He sent His Only-begotten Son to save sinful man, to deliver him from the power of sin, the devil and death, and to restore him to his former filial dignity. And for this reason the Son of God endured many sorrows, sufferings, and even death on the cross (5:233). In explanation of his thought, St. Tikhon cites the following comparison. If someone were to deliver a person from anger and the death that threatens him, or even to intercede for him a decent rank and position in the world, then how earnestly and sincerely he would love his benefactor! But man, redeemed at the high price of the Son of God and freed from all punishment and even eternal death, forgets his Benefactor and instead of loving Him brings insult (3:152).