Real Faith Dictates Our Actions
My wife is convinced that organic food is more nutritious than regular food, so she pays extra money for it—sometimes double the price, which really makes me cringe.
She does that because she BELIEVES it’s worth it. She has FAITH that organic is healthier, and has CONVICTION that it’s the better choice.
Her faith dictates her actions.
I think this is the kind of faith that is needed for salvation, and Jesus’s brother seems to agree when he writes:
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no action? Can that faith save him?”
—James 2:14
That’s why faith in Jesus leads to salvation. When you really believe that Jesus is the key to eternal life, then that faith dictates your actions. (Just like how my wife’s faith in organic food dictates her actions.) When you truly believe that Jesus is the key to life, you automatically start implementing His teachings. His spirit starts to live inside of you and dictate your decisions. You stop living your life centered around your own desires and reorient it around HIS desires.
…And the more His spirit lives inside of you, the more you experience spiritual life.