James 2:14–24

FAITH AND WORKS

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?

¹⁵If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?^{m 17}In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.^{n 19}You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.^o

²⁰Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? ²¹Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? ²²You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete,^{p 23}and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,^Aq and he was called God’s friend.^{r 24}You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.