The Breath of Life:

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave can be used as an analogy.  This account is found in the Gospel of John; Chapter 11 verses 1-44.  Lazarus was dead.  There was no evidence of life.  Yet when Jesus called to him, he came alive and walked living and breathing out of the grave.  The fact he was breathing gave evidence that he was alive.

John 11:43-44:  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.  ⁴⁴And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin.  Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go

The Breath of Faith:

Man is brought to life by Christ just as Lazarus was. John 5:21.  A spiritually dead man hears Christ and comes spiritually alive.  Romans 10:17, 1 Peter 1:23.  This man walks from a spiritual grave with a living and breathing faith.  John 5:24.  From that day forth this man’s faith will ‘breath’ in the form of actions.  Philippians 2:13, Colossians 1:29.  These actions give evidence that this man’s faith is alive.  Just as Lazarus’ breathing  was involuntary so are this man’s actions.  James makes a very similar analogy:

James 2:26:  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.