Why does James 2:24 say we are not saved by faith alone?
James 2:24 (ESV):
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James 2:24 (ESV):
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Tzadiq
Favorite Answer
You can't earn your salvation by works, No man is justified by his works, we all deserve the death penalty. However the other side of the story never seems to come up Hebrews 6 and 10 clearly state.
Hebrews 6:4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
Hebews 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Remember Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Bobby Jim
Beginning at Verse 14 of James 2, the text clearly says that faith comes first, and good works follow. It also says that faith without good works is a dead faith. Faith and works are like a hand and glove, but one must first have a hand to put the works on.
Ernest S
You people are so slap dash and unthinking, aren't you?
Even in your own question you contradict yourself. Why so careless and uncomprehending?
If you are like that, how then can you ever understand anything? That's how the Atheists are.
James says we are justified by works, meaning that God's works justify our faith.
Donald
anyone can claim to be a Christian.
even satan believes in GOD. he just wont follow HIM
(the same can be said for those without good works)
did you know our eternal clothing is created from our righteous acts?
people without any, are going to be naked.
Rev 19 shows this...
show me your works (and i will see your faith) - old saying
peacelily
We must consider the whole context of the Book of James to interpret this. One thing I would point out is 3:1: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.” I believe this is important, because James is claiming to be a teacher. In Acts 5:42, you will notice the apostles were doing two different kinds of work according to this verse: preaching and teaching. Preaching work is done for the benefit of the unconverted. It is a preaching of the gospel or good news of Jesus Christ to the unsaved. Teaching, on the other hand, is for the benefit of those who have already received Jesus Christ. This is a feeding of spiritual food to bring new converts along on the road to maturity. It is instructing new believers in the way of truth and righteousness.
James acknowledges that he is a teacher, and in fact, he begins this letter (in 1:2) by showing that he is writing to his brethren (saved believers in Christ Jesus). This is repeated in 1:16, 1:19; 2:1, 2:5, 2:14, 3:1, 3:10, 3:12, 4:11, 5:7, 5:9, 5:10, 5:12 and 5:19).
So, James is not preaching the gospel to the unsaved so they will hear how to receive salvation, but he is teaching people who are already saved how to act like it! He mentions salvation only once in 1:21, “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”
James wrote at some length about justification before the watching world. (“So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of LIBERTY”--2:12; See also 2:18). While Paul stresses the ROOT of justification (our faith), James stresses the FRUIT of justification (our works).
Here is a very good example: James says, “Was not Abraham justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.”
But Paul said, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, BUT NOT BEFORE GOD.” (Romans 4:2; read 1-5) See, men look at what Abraham did, and they are in awe of what he did—they can’t see his faith per se, but they can see his works that flow out of that faith! (I’m in awe, because I don’t know that I could raise a knife to kill my son). But God looks at what Abraham did, and sees that Abraham did not do this to try to earn God’s favor or earn his salvation. God sees that what Abraham did was a result of his FAITH. Abraham’s faith in God and God’s promise to give him descendants as the stars and to make him the father of a multitude of nations, and more importantly, to establish His covenant and bless the nations through Isaac (Gen. 15-17; 17:21—God promised this before Isaac was even born!) was so strong that he knew without a doubt if he killed Isaac, God would raise him back to life again. In fact, when he left the men behind to travel the rest of the way with Isaac, Abraham told them, “WE will worship and RETURN to you!”
Also concerning this particular verse in James, Eph 2:8-10, Rom 3:20 and Gal 3:1-7 unequivocally state that our faith is NOT perfected by works. So, it is clear that James is speaking of our works as the PROOF of our faith before others (this is how someone—believer or non-believer--can discern when they come in contact with a true Christian, by their “fruit” or their works). However, it is error to remove these verses in James from context to mean that one’s salvation is contingent upon their works, when there is an overwhelming amount of Scripture to the contrary.
James does stress works in this book. But, elsewhere in the Bible we are specifically given the work above any other work that God wants us to do. John 6:28-29: They said therefore to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you BELIEVE IN HIM WHOM HE HAS SENT.”