Demonstrate Your Salvation

Don't get this backward. Your works will not bring you salvation.  But your salvation will bring about good works. Yes, those two can co-exist. It's like a mountain stream and a lake. The water begins in the mountain stream and flows to the lake. It can't go the other way.

Similarly, your works will never lead to your salvation; but salvation will always lead to good works. Another way to say this is that works don't define your faith, but rather reveal your faith. Your works reflect what you believe,  your closeness to Christ, your commitment and your obedience.

James put it this way: "But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works'. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18; Titus 3:8).

Faith that is visible, observable, and lived out is real faith. Faith that stays tied up in our heads or feelings is not. Paul even went so far as to say that we are "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

Our salvation is not meant only to avoid sin and hell; God's purpose for us before He even created us is to love, to work, to help, to testify, to submit, and to be merciful. We are saved by God. Through that salvation we reflect Him.