Good works and obedience to God are the byproducts of salvation; not a means to obtain or generate it. Much like apples are never the cause of an apple tree’s living state but simply proof that the tree is alive, so are good works concerning salvation. Genuine faith in Jesus Christ for salvation will naturally produce good works and godly obedience, which increase in measure as believers spiritually mature. It is believers’ new Christlike nature that generates the inner desire to live for Jesus, obey His Word, and help others.
Salvation expressing itself through good works does not depict a "salvation by works" model. It illustrates the point that, although someone can exercise good works without possessing genuine salvation, individuals cannot be born-again without demonstrating good works since those are derivatives of salvation. Therefore, born-again believers expressing their faith through good works go together like "fire and smoke" and "rain and clouds." Or, as James 2:26 describes, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (NASB).
Individuals claiming salvation without any evidence of good works or obedience to God in their lives do not possess saving faith, but a fabricated, nonexistent, dead faith. In other words, such assertions of salvation are false because saving faith — which trusts exclusively in God's grace for forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ — is characterized by an expression of good works. The book of James addresses this truth by distinguishing authentic salvation (saving faith) from pretense or charades (dead faith), using the evidence of good works as a determining factor.
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