Faith Without Works

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2:26 (NKJV)

In this verse James teaches that faith without works cannot be called faith, for, as he says, faith without works is dead.

If you say you have faith but it doesn't produce fruit, it doesn't mean anything because verbal faith is not what God expects of us. Your faith must be visible, it must grow and be productive, resulting in good deeds. For having faith without proper works is worse than one who does not have faith.

If we go deeper into this verse, we can see that James is not advocating a saving faith based on works, but rather a "dead" faith that produces no tangible evidence in the Christian's life. Talking about one's faith without there being concrete works to prove it is speaking to please men. It is important that your faith produces works that please God, not men. In other words, works should be defined as faith in action for the glory of God.