Faith and Works?

It's funny, I was sitting in Church one day and the pastor (not my current pastor) showed a slide of a bunch of different scriptures that talked about these apparrent contradictions between being saved by faith and some that showed being saved by works. He didn't delve any further, and I was disappointed.

Are we saved by works alone? NO.

Are we saved by faith alone? NO.

That last one probably shocked you, right? But, but the Bible says, for it is by Grace that we are saved not of works, so that any man can boast... right? And John 3:16, says that whosoever believes shall have eternal live... but it doesn't explain what is entailed in believing.

The bible further explains belief and faith in James 2:

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if people claim to have faith but
have no deeds? Can such faith save them?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless"

Are these Contradictions? The answer is easy, No. You must have faith, and if you really had that faith, the works would naturally follow. So, you must act upon that Faith. Faith without action is useless. Faith without love is also useless (1 Cor 13:2).

If you truly believed and had Faith, your works would follow your faith. If your actions in this world don't follow closely to your beliefs, then are you really believing? Do you really have Faith? Salvation is a Gift from God, are you willing to accept that gift and follow Him. Following requires faith and action; action requires work.

Don't be confused, there are not a specific set of works, (which is what the bible refers to when it says we are saved by grace through faith a gift from God and not of works). There is no requirement for baptism, or confession, or rosary as some will have you believe. Faith and Action go hand-in-hand; faith without action is not really faith at all.