Faith Without Works Is Dead (James 2:14-26)

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.

¹⁶If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

¹⁷So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

¹⁹You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?

²¹Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

²²You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.

²³And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.

²⁴As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.

²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?

²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.