For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
- Ephesians 2:8-9
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
- James 2:26
So then what is faith? Answer that question and we begin to unravel the meaning of these two passages. For many we would say that it is believing in something that you cannot see. This is correct but not complete. Faith without works is dead, you are saved through faith, and your salvation is not the result of your works. Quite the riddle huh? Well let me take a crack at it. It is my belief that (biblical) faith is not just a declartion that you make but is literally a part of your life. It is the reason behind your existence, what you live for. It is the purpose behind all that you do. If we have faith in God we can't help but have works because God is at the root of our existence. He is our meaning in life. Everybody has faith in someone or something and it is seen in how they live their lives. If I have faith in me instead of God I will center my existence around myself, which is one of the biggest problems in the church. We concentrate so much on our works that it becomes about us more than Him. I'm not saying that if we have faith in God that we will be perfect, but I am saying that we will continue to pattern our lives around His will. Based on the very definition of faith it would be impossible for someone with genuine faith to do otherwise.
