James 2:14-26

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Now that we have covered some foundational things in Chapter 1, I want to look at the main thrust of this idea that a Genuine Faith in Christ Jesus is accompanied by Good Works.

James cites three powerful examples of the correlation between a Genuine Faith and Good Works:

1. 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
2. 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
3. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Some people think that Paul is contradicting what James writes when we look at Ephesians 2:8-9:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

That is definitely NOT the case – Paul and James are in agreement when it comes to salvation by grace through faith.

However, Paul goes on to then write is verse 10:

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

James speaks the same idea this way:

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

It’s really important to understand that a natural progression of our salvation in Christ is then the ongoing lifestyle of doing good to others. There is NO separation of salvation and value-adding to the lives of others because of your strong faith in Jesus.

There is no separation of a Genuine Faith and Good Works flowing out from that genuine faith. James is saying his genuine faith is shown, proven, demonstrated and revealed by his works.

Not only that – these good works are not of your own volition – these good works flowing out from your genuine faith are God ordained – He prepared them beforehand.

If we put together Ephesians 2:8-10...