14 What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, 16 and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. 18 [a]Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. 19 Thou believest that [b]God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 [c]Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; 23 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, [d]And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; [e]and he was called the friend of God. 24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
Footnotes
- James 2:18 Or, But some one will say
- James 2:19 Some ancient authorities read there is one God.
- James 2:22 Or, Seest thou . . . perfect?
- James 2:23 Gen. 15:6.
- James 2:23 Isa. 41:8; 2 Chr. 20:7.
Faith In Actions – James 2:14-26
The Bible teaches that faith is not a possession that we passively hold on to, but it is an attitude that we live out. We see this principle at work in the lives of Noah, Abraham, and Sarah.
God’s Word is the foundation of our lives and it shapes what we believe and how we act in response to Him. If we obey the commands and warnings in Scripture and if we genuinely believe that He has called us to meet the needs of others, then our faith is growing and our actions will reflect that.
A good example of real faith in action is when we give to a fellow Christian who is in need of food or clothing. If we don’t do that, then we are acting on an empty faith.
In James we see this idea portrayed in a very simple and practical way, one that is often misunderstood by those who are not aware of it.
The verse begins with a bold statement: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?” That is an interesting question to ask because it shows that James is interested in a type of counterfeit faith that does not produce love.
It’s important to note that this type of counterfeit faith cannot justify anyone and will not save them. This kind of faith is like a hypocritical well wisher who tells a starving person that they have faith and then gives them no tangible help.
