Before anything else, one must believe in God. Faith, according to the
teaching of St. Antioch, is the beginning of our union with God. One who
truly believes is a stone in the temple of God. He is prepared for the
edifice of God the Father, raised to the heights by the power of Jesus
Christ, that is, of the Cross, with the aid of ropes, that is, the grace
of the Holy Spirit.
Faith without works is dead ( James 2:26 ), and the works of faith are:
love, peace, long-suffering, mercy, humility, rest from all works ( as God
Himself rested from His works ), bearing of the Cross, and life in the
Spirit.
Only such faith can be considered true. True faith cannot be without
works; one who truly believes will unfailingly have works as well.
Little Russian PhilokaliaVolume 1. - St Seraphim of Sarov
