James 2:14 "What doth it profit, my brethren, [ adelphoi {ad-el-fos'} = from the same womb, a brother, one of the same nature, one of equal rank and dignity ] though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? [ erga {er'-gon} = to work, toil, an act, deed, action ] can faith save [sosai {sode'-zo} = to save in the technical biblical sense, to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment, to make one a partaker of the salvation by Christ ] him?

     Verse 14 basically says, "real faith makes a difference!" James asks the question to explain how saving faith reveals itself. Notice that James doesn't say "if a person HAS faith," but "if a person SAYS he has faith." In other words, if a person says they are a Christian but doesn't have any works to validate that claim, is that person's faith real?

     "This is a valid question we need to ask today." There are thousands of people on the church rolls today who haven't attended that church (or anywhere else) in years. This has been true in every church that I have been a member of. While we don't know what's in a person's heart, we can see how they respond to various things in their lives. I have learned from experience that people make time for, and do what they want to do. This reflects outwardly what their inward values are, and this is the point that James is making (and not that works save people as we will see further on). Christ taught that not everyone who says they are a Christian is one (Matt.7:21-22).

James 2:15 "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute [ leipomenoi {li'-po} = to leave, to be destitute of, deficient in] of daily food," [ trophes {trof-'ay} = nourishment, food, sustenance]

James 2:16 "And one of you says unto them, Depart in peace, [ eirene {i-ray'-nay} = a formula of wishing well, blessing, addressed by the Hebrews to departing friends, go in peace (may happiness attend you)] be ye warmed [ thermainesthe {ther-mah'ee-no} = to warm, to warm one's self ] and filled; [ chortazesthe {khor-tad'-zo} = to fill or satisfy ] notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; [ somatos {so'-mah} = the body (as a sound whole), the living body (human or animal) ] what doth it profit?

     James illustrates his point in verses 15 and 16. What good does it do just to tell someone who is cold and hungry to be warm and full. It's of no value whatsoever, and it's useless! So then why wouldn't we think the same of someone that says they are a Christian but never shows any other proof of their faith? Warren Wiersbe says:

     "People with dead faith substitute words for deeds. They know the correct vocabulary for prayer and testimony, and can even quote the right verses from the Bible; but their walk does not measure up to their talk. They think that their words are as good as works, and they are wrong"

     Whoever coined the old saying, "action speaks louder than words," must of had this verse in mind. Charles Ryrie states, "Faith that is not moved to relieve the hungry man's need is nonworking faith."

James 2:17 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, [ epga {er'-gon} = to work, toil, an act, deed, action ] is dead, [ nekra {nek-ros'} = a corpse, dead in respect of fruitlessness ] being alone." [ eauten {heh-ow-too'} = by one's self, alone ]

     If someone says they have faith but doesn't have any works that accompanies it, "then their faith is fruitless." James says that real faith is not "alone" (i.e., by its self). Therefore if someone's faith isn't accompanied by works, their faith is "dead" (literally, "a corpse"), it's not real.

     I don't know how you can get any plainer than this. It's been said that, "faith and works are like the wings of a bird. One cannot get off the ground without the other, but the two together will soar to the heavens. Saving faith and good works are inseparable>," (Author Unknown). The Apostle John and Paul expressed the same idea as James:

I John 3:17-18 "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth"

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them"

     Again, James is not teaching that we are saved by works, "but that our works spring up naturally from our faith". William MacDonald puts it this way:

     "If we were saved by faith plus works, then there would be two saviors - Jesus and ourselves"

     I saw a bumper sticker once that had a picture of Christ on the cross which read, "If you can earn it then why did He die."

     If you and I can do something to earn our salvation, then God wasted His time sending Christ to die for us because He already had the Law. If a person who was sinless wasn't good enough to save us totally, then how could a sinner ever hope to do anything that would be worthy of salvation? "The answer is, we can't!" Scripture clearly teaches that salvation is totally by the grace of God, not by anything you or I can do:

Ephesians 2:5 "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)"

Acts 15:11 "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they."

Romans 5:15 "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

James 2:18 "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: [ epgon {er'-gon} = to work, toil, an act, deed, action ] shew [ deixon {dike-noo'-me} = to demonstrate, prove, to show ] me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."

     Verse 18 gives us the point that James is trying to get across, "if you can have saving faith without accompanying works, show me." The presence of good works is the only reasonable verification of saving faith.

James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: [ kalos {kal-oce'} = well, good, rightly, honestly ] the devils [ daimonia {dahee-mon'-ee-on} = a daemonic being, evil spirit, the messengers and ministers of the Devil ] also believe, and tremble." [ phrissousin {fris'-so} = to be ruffled, to bristle or chill (goose bumps), shudder]

     James tells us that a theological or orthodox belief in God by itself isn't proof of saving faith. Belief in one God may be good so far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough. "You could say that it's a faith that has only made it to the head, but not to the heart." Even the demons have this belief but their response is evil. Their evil nature is not changed by what they know and believe.

John MacArthur states:

     "James implies that demonic faith is greater than the fraudulent faith of a false professor, for demonic faith produces fear, whereas unsaved men have no fear of God before their eyes (Rom.3:18)"

J. Vernon McGee sums this verse very simply:

     "Lip service is not the evidence of saving faith - even the demons believe"

James 2:20 "But wilt [ Theleis {thel'-o} = to desire, to wish, to purpose, to design ] thou know, O vain [ kene {ken-os'} = inconsiderate, foolish, empty ] man, that faith without works [ ergon {er'-gon} = to work, toil, an act, deed, action ] is dead?" [ arge {ar-gos'} = unemployed, lazy, useless, barren, idle, slow ]

     James tells us again that if a man's faith doesn't produce fruit it is "dead." Their faith is worthless, it doesn't work at all! "Is your faith working?" Matthew Henry says that such people rest in a "bare profession of faith are dead while they live."

Willmington's guide to the Bible sums up verses 17 through 20:

     "These verses are not meant to be saving texts, but sign texts, The only test of a man's salvation is through his works. The proof of the pudding is still in the eating. A silent believer may be indeed considered a saint before God, but he remains a sinner before man until he walks the walk and talks the talk of Christian service."

James 2:21 "Was not Abraham our father justified [ edikaiothe {dik-ah-yo'-o} = to judge, declare pronounce righteous and therefore acceptable ] by works, [ ergon {er'-gon} = to work, toil, an act, deed, action ] when he had offered [ anenegkas {an-af-er'-o} = to take up, to put upon the altar, to bring to the altar, to offer ] Isaac his son upon the altar?"

James 2:22 "Seest thou how faith wrought [sunerchei {soon-erg-eh'-o} = to be a fellow-worker, co-operate, co-working, help with, worker together ] with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" [ eteleiothe {tel-i-o'-o} = to be fully developed, to complete, make perfect ]

     Our faith is justified in the sight of men when it operates together with good works. Charles Ryrie states that:

     "Such a saving faith is made complete, perfected, and carried to its end, since it finds fulfillment in good works."

James 2:23 "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed [ episteusen {pist-yoo'-o} = to have faith in or upon, believe, commit (to trust), put in trust with ] God, and it was imputed [ elogisthe {log-id'-zom-ahee} = to take an inventory, to make an account of, conclude, impute, reckon ] unto him for righteousness: [ dikaiosunen {dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay} = justification, uprightness, correctness in thinking and of life ] and he was called the Friend [ philos {fee'-los} = brotherly love, to love someone as a relative, dear, a friend ] of God."

James 2:24 "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, [ dikaioutai {dik-ah-yo'-o} = to judge or declare or pronounce righteous and therefore acceptable ] and not by faith [ pisteos {pis'-tis} = faith, belief, firm persuasion, moral conviction, belief or reliance upon Christ for salvation ] only."

     James uses an example of Abraham and his saving faith. Abraham was saved by faith, but proved that faith by obeying God and offering his son (Gen.22). True saving faith is seen in our activities, and it's not something we just talk about. Could you imagine Abraham running around telling everyone how he was going to offer Isaac up as a sacrifice and never doing it! His faith would have been meaningless.

     You can apply this thought to anyone in the Bible. How credible would Moses have been if all he did was just talk about his faith and not obeyed God? This is James point; "faith is more than just cheap talk." Abraham's faith was "imputed" or "verified" by putting his faith into action.

James 2:25 "Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot [ porne {por'-nay} = a prostitute, a whore, harlot, an unchaste female ] justified [ edikaiothe {dik-ah-yo'-o} = to declare righteous or innocent, justify ] by works,[ ergon {er'-gon} = to work, toil, an act, deed, action ] when she had received [ upodexamene {hoop-od-ekh'-om-ahee} = to give reception to, to receive as a guest, entertain hospitably ] the messengers, and had sent them out another way."

     James gives a second example of faith in action with Rahab. According to Joshua 2:9-11, Joshua sent two spies into the city of Jericho where they found the home of Rahab. She hid the spies at the risk to her own life and helped them to escape by lowering them from her window with a cord. Though Rahab knew little about God, her faith was revealed in her actions.

James 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead [ nekra {nek-ros'} = a corpse, dead in respect of fruitlessness ] also."

     James closes this chapter by giving a third example of a human body. If a human body doesn't have a spirit it is dead, there is no mistake about it. Likewise, faith is like a human body, and its spirit is revealed by it actions or works. If it doesn't produce fruits, then it is a dead faith.

     Verses 14 through 26 are the central passages on the general Biblical contention that a "true regeneration is demonstrated by its fruit." James declares in these passages that the requirements of man for justification are good works. So it is to be expected that the world will reject or accept the profession of those who do not meet their own ideals of what a Christian should be. "The world's ideas of what a Christian is are far below God's idea." Thus, James stresses the reaction of the world to the Christian's profession as of vital importance.

     If you have not already done so, please consider trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. For more information on Salvation Click Here to view "How can I get to Heaven?"

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