Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy

“ The foundation of faith is a true comprehension of life, which enables man to distinguish what is important and good in life from what is unimportant and bad. Faith is a correct appreciation of all the manifestations of life. At the present time men, whose faith is grounded on a teaching of their own, cannot make it agree with the faith that flows out of the teaching of Christ any more than the disciples could. And we find this misunderstanding more than once clearly and definitely spoken of in the gospel. ”

“ They cannot sacrifice the life of their only son, as Abraham did, who did not doubt for a moment that it was his duty to offer up his son as a sacrifice to God, to the God who alone gave importance to his life. And in the same way, Christ and his disciples could not help giving up their lives to others, because in that alone lay the object and blessing of their lives. It is from men’s thus misunderstanding the substance of faith that their strange longing arises. They make themselves believe that it would be better to live up to the teaching of Christ ”

“ The teaching of life, δοξα, is the basis of faith.
All our actions proceed from faith. Faith proceeds from the δοξα of the light in which we consider life. There may be innumerable deeds and numerous beliefs, but there are only two teachings of life (δοξα) . Christ rejects one of them, and acknowledges the other. The one that Christ rejects is that of the existence of individual life, as belonging to man. It is the teaching that was then, and is still, maintained by the majority of men, and from which proceeds all the various beliefs of men, and all their deeds. ”

“ He who has understood the teaching of Christ can require no strengthening of his faith. Faith, according to Christ, is based on the light, on the truth. Not once does Christ call upon men to have faith in Him; He calls upon them to have faith in the truth. ”

“ Even if he gives up his whole life, he cannot give back what he has received, and therefore the master cannot be unjust. If a man declares that he has a right to his own life, and requires compensation from the Author of all – from Him who entrusted him with life – he only shows that he does not understand the true purpose for which life was given to him.
Men, having obtained happiness, require more. ”

“ Faith needs no promises of reward. It is only necessary to understand that salvation from inevitable destruction lies in a life in unity with all humanity according to the will of the Master. He who has once understood this will seek no confirmation of his faith, but will be saving himself without his requiring any exhortation.
When the disciples beg him to confirm their faith, Christ says, ‘When the master comes home with his laborer from the field, he does not tell him to sit down and eat immediately, but first orders him to pen the cattle and to serve him ”

“ James 2:14-26: ‘What does it profit, my brethren, if a man supposes that he has faith, and does not have works? Faith cannot save him. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them those things that they need ”

“ The laborer obeys, and does not think himself ill used, neither does he pride himself on his work, nor require thanks or a reward for it. He knows that it must be so, and that he has only done his duty ”

“ The precept given by Christ to forgive our brother not only once, but seventy times seven, fills the disciples with awe at the difficulty that they would experience in putting such a precept into practice, and they say, ‘Yes but... to fulfill it we must believe. ”

“ And he answers that it cannot be given to them, and explains why it is impossible to do so. He says that they cannot believe because they are not of his sheep, or, they do not follow the path of life that he points out to his flock. ”