Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Some would have you believe there is but one faith. Faith is faith and that is all there is to it. You believe or you don’t. For those who can only see faith as believing, then for them it is that simple. For some there is nothing but the faith that saves. I have put my faith in Christ, everything is in His hands now. He is seated in the heavenlies, I am seated in Christ, done deal.
If that was all there is to faith then why is there a fruit of the spirit called faith? While looking over the use of the word faith I discovered it was only used twice in the Old Testament. Once in Deuteronomy where God declares there was no faith in them. The second was in Habakkuk where He declares the just shall live by His faith. Live by His faith, not their own. Even on this point we concede that there is but one faith. So what is the difference?
If there is one faith, then perhaps we should liken it to a heartbeat. There is a resting heart rate. That heart rate, about 70 beats per minute, is sufficient to maintain life for a couch potato. If you are running, that heart rate goes up to 200 to 250 beats per minute, depending on conditioning. The heart steps up its rate to support activity.
Faith is capable of doing more than just save. Faith can be active, and supportive. I once thought James to be very legalistic in his description of faith and works. I didn’t get it, but now I do.
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James saw the active side of faith. Faith does not produce good works, it responds to it, joins it, is active in it, is supportive of good words through obedience of faith.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We were not saved to be couch potato Christians.