Background of the Passage In this lesson, James continues his series of tests by which his readers can evaluate whether their faith is living or dead. This passage contains the composite test—the one test that pulls the others together: the test of works, or righteous behavior that obeys God’s Word and manifests a godly nature (see 1:22–25). James’s point is not that a person is saved by works (he has already strongly and clearly asserted in 1:17–18 that salvation is a gracious gift from God), but