James 2:8-26

8If, however, you 1are fulfilling the 2royal law according to the Scripture, “3You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9But if you 4show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the 5law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole 6law and yet 7stumbles in one point, he has become 8guilty of all. 11For He who said, “9Do not commit adultery,” also said, “10Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the 11law. 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by 12the law of liberty. 13For 13judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy 14triumphs over judgment.

1415What use is it, 16my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can 17that faith save him? 1518If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “19Go in peace, 20be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17Even so 21faith, if it has no works, is 22dead, being by itself.

1823But someone 24may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your 25faith without the works, and I will 26show you my faith 27by my works.” 19You believe that 2829God is one. 30You do well; 31the demons also believe, and shudder. 20But are you willing to recognize, 32you foolish fellow, that 33faith without works is useless? 2134Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22You see that 35faith was working with his works, and 36as a result of the 37works, faith was 38perfected; 23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “39And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called 40the friend of God. 24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25In the same way, was not 41Rahab the harlot also justified by works 42when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also 43faith without works is dead.