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.

Our verses today, taken from the pastoral letter of James the half brother of Christ, seem to be a contradiction of Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith alone. Rather James and Paul complement each other. Their arguments differ but each makes an important contribution to our understanding of faith. James is saying faith as an intellectual belief that does not produce works is not a saving faith – that it is necessary for believers to act in accordance with faith and proof of real faith is a changed life with the caveat that we are saved not by deeds but for them. Saving faith results in our changed hearts as evidenced by our external transformation.
Salvation – saving faith – comes from God alone and is not due to anything in us but is by God’s grace. It is not a result of good works so that no one may boast. Both James and Paul teach that genuine faith necessarily RESULTS in good works. God changes the heart and the old nature passes away – the change is from within and is a fundamental change.
False faith means there is no accompanying external conversion. Good deeds alone never accomplish salvation which rests on Jesus Christ as revealed in scripture. James is refuting NOT the doctrine of Paul and justification by faith, but is showing the error of those who abuse it. He is saying if there is no evidence of rebirth, man’s faith is of no value – if there is no ministry of faith there is no genuine faith. James is not being abstract in our verses but is saying faith has real effects in this world. We are to behave as we believe.