James 2:14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
The question raised above is an important one that each person needs to answer: “Can faith save him?” Not knowing the answer to this question has eternally deadly consequences, and it is one you will not get a second chance to reconsider. It is quite literally a question of heaven or hell.
So then, can faith save? Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it well:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
The passage above clearly indicates that we are saved by grace through faith, and works do not contribute to our salvation. Romans 5:1 supports this idea:
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Faith is undeniably of utmost importance. Without faith, we cannot be saved. The object of our faith is also paramount. We must place our faith in Jesus Christ, as John 14:6 makes clear:
"Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’"
This issue may seem settled, but the book of James adds complexity with this statement in James 2:17:
"Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
While we are justified by faith, true faith is evidenced by works.
I believe the relationship between faith and works can be understood through the relationship between a cart and a horse. Both the cart and the horse are essential, but their order is crucial. If the cart gets ahead of the horse, complete disaster follows, and it is extremely unlikely that a person will reach their destination if the cart is in front of the horse. If you unhitch the cart from the horse, it might be possible to reach your destination, but upon arrival, you will lack the items you intended to bring with you—you cannot be fully prepared for your destination without the horse.
When it comes to faith and works, we must correctly identify their roles and order to understand how we are saved. Faith is the horse, and works are the cart. This means that faith comes before works, and works follow genuine faith. There is always a cart and a horse in this paradigm of faith and works.
When we approach the question posed in James 2:14—“…can faith save him?”—we must ensure that faith is the horse, and that it is pulling the cart of works behind it. Faith without works is dead; therefore, true faith will be accompanied by real works for Jesus Christ. Placing your faith in Jesus means more than simply giving mental assent to the doctrines of Christ—it is a moral decision to believe in Him, one that requires the whole person.
When we rightly choose to place our faith in Jesus, we can be sure that our works for Him will follow. Today, I hope each one of you carefully considers the question raised in James 2:14:
"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?"
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