Our works, that is our actions in everyday life, is a byproduct of our faith. We are moved by faith.
Many of us have tried to show we had faith through our actions – our good works, but felt unsuccessful and discouraged when we grew tired. This was because we were confusing the cause with the effect.
Think of salvation like a sailboat. God’s grace and promises are the wind — already blowing, already available. Our faith is like raising the sail. Once the sail is truly raised, the boat must move — not by paddling or effort, but because the wind carries it.
That movement of the boat is what we call works — the natural result, not the cause, of salvation. So, when someone says they have faith but there’s no movement — no change, no obedience, no fruit — it’s like saying their sail is raised but the boat isn’t moving. That’s impossible if the wind is real and the sail is truly up.
The book of James says, “Faith without works is dead.” He’s not saying our works save us, but rather, true faith always creates movement.
Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 