Christians, what is faith and what is works according to James 2? 'faith without works is dead'?

In his epistle, James makes the statement “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). Faith without works is dead faith because the lack of works reveals an unchanged life or a spiritually dead heart. There are many Scriptures that make it very clear that true saving faith will result in a transformed life which is demonstrated by the “works” we do. How we live reveals what we believe and whether the faith we profess to have is a living faith.

James 2:14-26 is sometimes taken out of context in an attempt to create a works-based system of righteousness, but that is contrary to many other Scriptures. James is not saying that our works make us righteous before God, but instead he is making it clear that real saving faith is demonstrated by good works. Works are not the cause of salvation; works are the evidence of salvation. The person who claims to be a Christian but lives in willful disobedience to Christ with a life that shows no works has a false or dead faith and is not saved. James is clearly making a contrast between two different types of faith—truth faith that saves and false faith that is dead.

Many profess to be Christians, but their lives and their priorities indicate otherwise. Jesus put it this way; “By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers’” (Matthew 7:16-23).

Notice that the message of Jesus is the same as the message of James. Obedience to God is the mark of true saving faith. James uses the example of Abraham and Rahab as the type of works that demonstrate salvation, and both of those examples are of people who obeyed God in faith. Saying we believe in Jesus does not save us, nor does religious service. What saves us is a life of faith demonstrated by ongoing obedience to God.

Misunderstanding the relationship of faith and works comes from a misunderstanding of what the Bible teaches about salvation. There are really two errors in regards to the relationship between works and faith. The first error is the gospel of “easy believism.” This error is the belief that one can “make a decision for Christ” or “pray a prayer of salvation,” and based upon that profession of faith salvation occurs. This is also called “decisional regeneration” and is dangerous and deceptive. Often those who advocate this view of salvation say that once a person has prayed the sinners’ prayer or made a profession of faith they are saved regardless of how they live afterwards. This leads to the creation of a new type of person called the “carnal Christian” in order to excuse the ungodly lifestyles of many who have made a one-time profession of faith in Christ. Yet as we can see in James and other verses of Scripture, this type of profession of faith that does not result in a life of obedience to Christ is in reality a dead faith that does not save.

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Works are the natural result of faith.

Living faith will be working faith.

Faith without works is nothing more than "lip service"...it is dead, useless, lifeless.

Living faith does not consciously think "I must do this or that"...to someone with "living faith" doing "good works" comes as naturally as breathing. Indeed, doing God's will is as necessary as breath to living faith.

That is what James is trying to tell us...

faith is when you are really sick and you ask God to make you well and believe and know in your heart that He will make is so, that is faith Works is when you see someone in need, but you cant be bothered to help, until the holy spirit gives you no rest until you do. that is works rooted in the love of Christ.

Faith is saying you are going to follow the guidelines of christian living

works is applying them to your life

faith without works = is belief without life application

Faith without works is dead. Did not Jesus demonstrate this over and over again to the Pharisees and Sadducees? Is not true religion caring for widows and orphans?

Faith = trust in our lord jesus christ, the one who died for our sins, and rose again on the third day,

works = showing that we understand his love for us, and redistributing it to others. showing them the way, the truth, and the life. as jesus did with us.

faith w/o works is dead, b/c it is meaningless, it has no meaning any other way.

Basically, it means that if you believe something to be true (faith), but you don't act on it, or live your life accordingly(works), then that belief has no value at all.

You live what you believe. If we are not changed by our faith, then it is no faith at all.

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.

I am not sure what you mean by reading indiscriminately? But.. The Scriptures tell us: “Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.” (Heb 11:1) Faith is, therefore, the basis for hope and the evidence for conviction concerning unseen realities. The entire body of truths delivered by Jesus Christ and his inspired disciples constitutes the true Christian “faith.” (Joh 18:37; Ga 1:7-9; Ac 6:7; 1Ti 5:8) Faith is based on concrete evidence. The visible creative works testify to the existence of an invisible Creator. (Ro 1:20) The actual occurrences taking place during the ministry and earthly life of Jesus Christ identify him as the Son of God. (Mt 27:54) To be acceptable to God, it is now necessary for one to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, and this makes possible a righteous standing with God. (Ga 2:16) Those lacking such faith are rejected by Jehovah.—Joh 3:36; This experience can help us focus on an essential element of faith. True faith is not passive belief; it is backed up by action. The Bible writer James explained: “Faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.” (James 2:17) The apostle Paul said that “faith follows the thing heard.” (Romans 10:17) This natural progression from hearing the Word of God to exercising faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, puts us in line for everlasting life. Yes, something more is required than simply saying, ‘I believe in God and Christ.’

Jesus urged his followers to have the kind of faith that would move them to action: “My Father is glorified in this, that you keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples.” (John 15:8) Later, Jesus’ half brother James wrote: “Become doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) How, though, can we know what to do? By word and example, Jesus indicated what we need to do to please God. Jehovah is well-aware of the effort we put forth to serve him. He knows, for example, when we are sick or weary. He is aware of our insecurities and self-doubts. When financial burdens weigh us down or when our health or our emotions seem to betray us, Jehovah is ever mindful of our situation.—2 Chronicles 16:9; 1 Peter 3:12.

How delighted Jehovah must be when despite our imperfections and difficulties, our faith moves us to action! The tender regard that Jehovah has for his faithful servants is not just a vague feeling—it is backed up with a promise. Under divine inspiration, the apostle Paul wrote: “God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name, in that you have ministered to the holy ones and continue ministering.”—Hebrews 6:10.