Faith vs Good Works

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved--- through faith, this is not of yourselves but a gift from God. This verse clearly states we cannot save ourselves, through good works, but what about James 2:14?

For what use is it, for a man to say he has faith, if he does nothing? Will such a faith give him salvation?

 I think he is saying that through our strong we ought to have the want to do things for the Lord. That good works are the product of strong faith. If a christian is truly saved then they should have this desire to tell the world about God. A desire to do the right thing. A desire to go out of their way to do good things for people. James is saying that if a person is truly saved then they should have fruit that comes from our faith. We are not saved through good works. We are saved through grace, through faith. Through Jesus Christ, the mediator between God and us. In James 2:16 he talks about words with no action. (upon seeing a person in need of clothing and food) If one of you says, "Go in peace, be warm and well fed." But does nothing about their physical needs what good is it. In the next verse James goes on to say faith without action is dead. And here you realize that James is saying saying you believe and showing you have faith are two different things. Everyone thought Job had faith but they didn't truly see it until they saw him trust God to the utmost even after losing everything. Now it might seem funny that James said "Will faith save him?" Especially since the book Ephesians just said you are saved by faith. But what James really meant was will that kind of faith save him? If you say you have faith but do not show it then will that save you? James does not mean to discredit what the book Ephesians said. He means only to clarify. We are not saved through good works but what is our faith without fruit? Nothing.

~JESUSFREAKTEEN