One of the reasons why faith is not working for some people is because they do not have a full understanding of what the Word of God says. Faith that works by love will measure up to all of the standards set in the Word of God.
Faith is what takes the things we need from God. This includes salvation, healing, the fullness of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, and victory over the world, victory over our carnal ways, victory over the devil and all the powers of darkness. All of these things come to us by faith, but as the Spirit of God through Paul stated in Galatians 5:6, it must be "faith that works by love." We must have faith to please God, but we must not eliminate that faith only works by love. The Bible says that demons believe and tremble, (James 2:19), but they never receive anything from God, why? Because they don't have love. They operate in fear and hate.
In Galatians 5, Paul challenges his readers to walk in the Spirit so that they would not fulfill the lust of their carnal ways.
We who have been given new life by faith through the Spirit of God should walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). Faith working through love, through God’s love for us (Galatians 2:20), avails much. Because of His love, and because of the Spirit of God producing love in us, we can serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). Believers have no capacity to accomplish this kind of love on their own, which is why we must yield to the Holy Spirit. The same power that brought justification to believers, is the same power that is at work in us to help us grow in Christ and become more like Him. Faith causes us to know our Father and His Son Jesus Christ, but the love that He shed abroad in our hearts causes our faith to work. Love, then, does not work of itself, except in the strength of faith. Love is so entirely dependent upon faith, it cannot exist without it. No man loves a Savior in whom he puts no confidence. There may be an admiration of the character of Christ, but the emotion which the Scripture treats as “love” only comes into the heart when we trust in Jesus. “We love him because he first loved us.” When we have a belief in His love, and a sense of it, then we begin to love Jesus, but love to Jesus cannot exist without faith in Him.
I always say that "how we got into the kingdom of God, by FAITH, (Ephesians 2:8), is how we are expected to live on the earth, BY FAITH, (Romans 1:17), and it is exactly how we will die, BY FAITH, (John 11:25-26, knowing that when we leave this earth, we will rule and reign with Jesus Christ in heaven. Earth is our FAITH school and the just shall live by their FAITH that works by love.
God Bless You,
Sonia McQueen
Teaching From Talmidim's Christian Center Teaching Series