Faith's Only Window

What is true faith? What does true faith do? Those are two separate questions. If I were to ask you what a flashlight *is* you might describe it as a metal tube with a bulb inside. If I were to ask you what a flashlight *does*, then you would tell me that it shines light. 

The same is true of faith. The question "What *is* faith?" is different from "What does it do?" To hear from our own catechism what faith is: "Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel." That is what faith *is.* Faith alone is what saves you. Faith isn't works. It is a grace to trust Christ, to count on Him alone for your salvation. Even the book of James is very careful to make a distinction between faith and works as we will see in a moment. 

Now, the question that our particular passage prompts us to ask is, "What does faith do?" It will focus our attention on externals. Works is the arena where true faith is displayed. And this is what we are going to see from our passage today. Our two points are: True faith works and true works only come from faith.