"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." ---Hebrews 11:1-3 / NIV
"For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, for which God prepared in advance for us to do." ---Ephesians 2:8-9 / NIV.
{"Faith is not that human notion and dream that some hold for faith. Because they see that no betterment of life and no good works follow it, and yet they can hear and say much about faith, they fall into error, and say, 'Faith is not enough; one must do works in order to be righteous and be saved.' This is the reason that, when they hear the Gospel, they fall to and make for themselves, by their own powers, an idea in their hearts, which says, 'I believe.' This they hold for true faith. But it is a human imagination and idea that never reaches the depths of the heart, and so nothing comes of it and no betterment follow it.
Faith, however [true faith, genuine faith, saving faith], is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God (John 1); it kills the old Adam and makes us altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Ghost. Oh [and listen carefully, my friends], it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith; and so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly. It does not ask whether there are works to do, but before the question rises; it has already done them, and is [constantly] always at the doing of them."} Martin Luther, Father of the Reformation- taken from his preface to his commentary on the Book of Romans
THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIANITY by Amelia Williams