James said in Ja. :17-18,

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”

Faith and belief are two different things. For example, if I were to tell you that if you will go down to my bank and give them your name and social security no. they will give you a million dollars. You can believe that what I said is true but if you don’t go down to the bank and give them my name and ss your believing will not get you the million dollars.

Faith is an action word. Jesus told his disciples in John 11:24,

“What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

When do I believe that I have the things that I pray for? When I pray!
If I have the word of God that I can have something then I should know that when I ask Him for them I have them. This is faith in action because my faith is in His word and when I receive the things I pray for I no longer need faith for them because I have them.

Therefore, if I keep asking God for the same thing over and over guess what? I am not asking in faith because if I believe His word I know I have the things that I ask Him for. (1 John 5:14-15)

Paul said in Eph. 2:8-9,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

We have been saved by the grace of God by the second Adam, Jesus, and our faith in what God accomplish through Jesus on the cross. The faith that we use to believe this was even given to us by God. God designed it this way so no man can boast that he was saved because of something that man did.

Jesus said in John 6:65, (KJV)

“Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”

(NIV)

“That’s why I told you that no one can come to me unless it be granted him by the Father.”

Religion tells us to go out and save some souls. Or how many souls have you saved this year? None!! You don’t have the power to save a soul. You can the word of God to that person but if the Holy Spirit doesn’t draw that person to God he won’t obey the gospel.