What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (17) Thus 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 without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

The verses we study today were written by James, the half brother of Jesus and the head of the church in Jerusalem. These verses seem to be James contradicting the apostle Paul who taught that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, apart from works. James seems to be saying we must have faith plus works to be saved. At the heart of this dispute is the question, “What is genuine saving faith?” And, “What is false faith that does not save?” James wrote these verses to confront the problem of those who profess to believe in Christ but do not have any behavior to show for it.

We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. James does not dispute this but is dealing with the question of what is true saving faith. James shows that a new birth (saving faith) is not due to anything in us and thus it is by grace. It comes to us by the exercise of God’s will. Both James and Paul teach that genuine faith results in good works. IBut there is such a thing as false faith which does not save; that is the false idea that someone works many good deeds apart from faith in Christ will be saved. Or if faith is merely intellectual and doesn’t affect one’s daily life this is not true faith. Paul also spoke of false faith – those who profess to know God but by their deeds they deny Him. Their profession of faith is false and does not save. The faith that does not save is a mere profession of faith that does not result in a life of good deeds.

Good deeds are not tacked on to salvation by faith but are inherent in saving faith. When God imparts new life to us we are changed from within – a fundamental change from death to life that is associated with genuine faith. Because of its very nature this new life will result in good works. Those who merely say that they have saving faith but live for themselves are deceived.