Hi again Ben.
I'm more than a bit slow when it comes to the music scene. Just recently I saw the music video "Love is a verb!" sung by John Mayer.
Reading your opening question, it suddenly dawned on me that in a similar way "faith is a verb" That is the bridge that explains a lot to people (like me) who can be confused by messages like "you are saved by grace through faith - and not your faith, but the faith given you by God" on the one hand, and the scriptures that tell us to "work out our own salvation" on the other,
Farouk is encouraging you to read the letter to the Hebrews, and especially chapter 11. What the letter shows is precisely that faith is a verb! All the "giants of faith" that it refers to showed that they had belief in the promises of God by acting on them. Abraham believed God (by leaving Ur and going to Palestine, by believing the unbelievable in getting 99-yearold Sarah pregnant, later obeying God in going to offer up Isaac - that very child of the promise - sure that somehow God would solve the obvious problem). And because of that active faith, he was accounted righteous by God.
Ben you cannot win God's approval by doing good works. He is love (as a verb) even to those who hate him. Everything you have came ultimately from him, including your life, moment by moment, your strength, your mind, your heart. You just have to realise that he really likes you as well. He delights in his people! He is overjoyed when you want to speak with him, when you open yourself up to him. He is just bubbling with longing to share with you the plans he has for encouraging and helping you to be all you can possibly be, to become the very "fullness of Christ" but still as Ben Collyer. For heaven's sake, Ben, His Son died for you, and if he did that, don't you get it that he has a lot more to give you - beyond your wildest imagination?
So. You're forgiven. You have the right to be called the child of God! Now live it. Make faith a verb. Not by doing all kinds of "good" stuff that you think up, but doing all the normal things in life (without committing the obvious sins) but doing them as if you're doing them for Him, with thankfullness and joy!
And keep your ear open to his instructions when they come for any special task. They don't come in an endless stream, but when they come, act on them. Talk to him continuously, read the scriptures and listen, so you get to recognise his voice. You don't have to win his approval - you, as a person, already have that. Now live it.