FAITH WITHOUT DEEDS IS USELESS

James 2:14-26 / Keywords 2:24

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

 

2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Footnotes

d. James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead

e. James 2:23 Gen. 15:6

 

1. A person can go around doing many good deeds. But if those deeds are not accompanied by faith in Jesus, those deeds will not save the doer. In the same way, if someone has great faith, but it isn’t accompanied by good deeds, their faith is useless. When someone comes to us with a problem, if all we do is say good words to them and do not give them help, it is useless. We must do more than just believe in God. Even demons do that! We show our faith by the deeds that we do. In other words, we show our faith his by our deeds.

2. James gives Biblical examples of people who showed their faith by their own deeds. Abraham was considered righteous because he obeyed God and offered up his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham’s faith was evident, and it was made complete by offering his son. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Gen 15:6). Rahab was a prostitute. She lodged the Israelite spies and kept them safe from Jericho’s soldiers. She was counted as righteous for what she did. She showed that a person is considered righteous by their deeds, and not by faith alone.

Prayer Father, I thank you for the faith you have given me. May my works be a testimony to my faith in you.

One Word Faith without works is useless