We Live by Faith
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10
We live by faith and not by works, but we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works. The difference between not saved by works but created to do good works, is our motivation. God looks at our heart, and our hearts reveal our motivation. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
We are saved by having the faith when we trust Christ to guide our life. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior we receive the Holy Spirit which brings God’s love to us. The Lord wants us to serve him from a heart of love, because love is our motivation to minister to others. This is what it means “created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15) It is Christ’s love in our heart that motivates us to give our best to God and to others.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) Our faith is born out of love, and love in our hearts comes from serving the Lord. When our heart is filled with God’s love then our faith action. What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Goodbye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” (James 2:14–18)
The foundation of the Christian life is faith from a heart of love. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. We are not saved by works but by a loving heart that cares about others.
Today lived by faith and let it bring you comfort and peace. Seek to reflect God’s love by being kind and encouraging to everyone. Show kindness to everyone, that comes from a heart of love.
Prayer: Lord, fill my heart with your love and help me to walk in faith that pleases you. In Jesus name, Amen