James 2:14–26

Faith and Works

^14aWhat use is it, ^bmy brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can ¹that faith save him?

^15aIf a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

¹⁶and one of you says to them, “^aGo in peace, ¹be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

¹⁷Even so ^afaith, if it has no works, is ¹dead by itself.

^18aBut someone will say, “You have faith; and I have works. Show me your ^bfaith without the works, and I will ^cshow you my faith ^dby my works.”

¹⁹You believe that ^1aGod is one. ^bYou do well; ^cthe demons also believe, and shudder.

²⁰But are you willing to recognize, ^ayou foolish fellow, that ^bfaith without works is useless?

^21aWas not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

²²You see that ^afaith was working with his works, and ¹as a result of the ^bworks, faith was ²perfected.

²³And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “^aAnd Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called ^bthe friend of God.

²⁴You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

²⁵And in the same way, was not ^aRahab the harlot also justified by works ^bwhen she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

²⁶For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also ^afaith without works is dead.