A good quote on the essential relationship of faith, works, and life

"Simply put, a person is justified from sins or saved based on his faith in Jesus alone – faith in Jesus that does not stand alone, but is full of the works of God.
It is best to explicate this with the Word itself. But before turning to the final authority of reality, an old adage aptly illustrates the truth of the essential relationship of faith and works: You do not put the cart (with its goods) before the horse when going on a journey. Note that if the horse and cart do not move, you have no journey. Yet, the cart is not pushed by the horse, but moves forward with its goods as it is pulled under the direction and power of the horse. Note, too, that the goods are not delivered without the cart. In this illustration, when you see the horse as representing faith and the cart as representing works and the goods as representing life you see a simple yet profound illustration of the teaching of the Word about faith and works and life. They all vitally exist and operate together. You can no more separate faith from works and have eternal life than you can separate hydrogen from oxygen and have water."

http://hearjesus.net/faith-and-works.html