FAITH WITHOUT DEEDS IS USELESS
Key verse: 24
NIV
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?(A) Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.(B) 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?(C) 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.(D)
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds,(E) and I will show you my faith(F) by my deeds.(G) 19 You believe that there is one God.(H) Good! Even the demons believe that(I)—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]?(J) 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?(K) 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together,(L) and his faith was made complete by what he did.(M) 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b](N) and he was called God’s friend.(O) 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?(P) 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.(Q)
Footnotes
- James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead
- James 2:23 Gen. 15:6
Cross references
- James 2:14 : Mt 7:26; Jas 1:22-25
- James 2:15 : Mt 25:35, 36
- James 2:16 : Lk 3:11; 1Jn 3:17, 18
- James 2:17 : ver 20, 26; Gal 5:6
- James 2:18 : Ro 3:28
- James 2:18 : Heb 11
- James 2:18 : Mt 7:16, 17; Jas 3:13
- James 2:19 : Dt 6:4; Mk 12:29; 1Co 8:4-6
- James 2:19 : Mt 8:29; Lk 4:34
- James 2:20 : ver 17, 26
- James 2:21 : Ge 22:9, 12
- James 2:22 : Heb 11:17
- James 2:22 : 1Th 1:3
- James 2:23 : Ge 15:6; S Ro 4:3
- James 2:23 : 2Ch 20:7; Isa 41:8
- James 2:25 : S Heb 11:31
- James 2:26 : ver 17, 20
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith (A)but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 (B)If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 (C)and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith (D)apart from your works, and I will show you my faith (E)by my works. 19 (F)You believe that God is one; you do well. Even (G)the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 (H)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that (I)faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed (J)by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, (K)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a (L)friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also (M)Rahab the prostitute justified by works (N)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- James 2:16 Or benefit
Cross references
- James 2:14 : [ch. 1:22]
- James 2:15 : [Job 31:19, 20]; See Luke 3:11
- James 2:16 : 1 John 3:17, 18
- James 2:18 : [Rom. 3:28; 4:6; Heb. 11:33]
- James 2:18 : Matt. 7:16, 17; Gal. 5:6
- James 2:19 : Deut. 6:4; [Rom. 2:17-25]
- James 2:19 : Matt. 8:29; Mark 1:24; 5:7; Luke 4:33, 34; Acts 16:17; 19:15
- James 2:21 : Gen. 22:9, 12, 16-18
- James 2:22 : Heb. 11:17
- James 2:22 : See 1 Thess. 1:3
- James 2:23 : Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; Cited from Gen. 15:6
- James 2:23 : 2 Chr. 20:7; Isa. 41:8
- James 2:25 : Heb. 11:31
- James 2:25 : Josh. 2:1-22; 6:23
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
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 by our deeds.
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 him 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
