Many people believe that "true" saving faith will produce good works...they just go hand in hand. If we are truly Christians, then we should be able to echo James' sentiments, "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead....Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith BY my works..(James 2:17-18)
James does not contradict Paul, who insisted that we are saved NOT of works (Ephesians 2:9). James merely clarifies for us the KIND of faith that saves. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works; but saving faith will have works that accompany it. As the saying goes: faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone - it has good works with it.
Paul understood the necessity of works in proving the character of our faith. He wrote: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). He also wrote: This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. (Titus 3:8)
So, from all of this I would answer the question... Can faith save the person who does not have good works along with it to prove that it is real?? No...true faith will bring forth fruit....
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