can you explicate this scripture?

Question

James 2:26

"Just as a body without a spirit is dead, so too is faith without good works."

Answer 1

It means, contrary to fundamentalist teaching, that you can't just do Jesus the great favor of believing in Him, and announcing to people that you are "saved." If you don't get up off your blessed assurance and do something with your faith, you might as well not believe at all.

Answer 2

Jam 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

It means that if we TRULY have faith in God then we will see signs of that faith. We will see healings, miracles, people being saved, etc. We cannot have faith in God but yet have no works of our faith. "For as the body without the spirit is dead" that's how impossible it is.

Answer 3

Faith and works go together like peanut butter and jelly. You can't have one without the other. Faith without works is dead. But, usually when you have faith in Jesus the good works just goes hand in hand.

Answer 4

Some believe that doing good (good works) will make them approved by God.
That scripture reminds us that faith is most important.
It does not mean a christian can forget good works. It means to have priorities right.
If one really has faith, good works will automatically follow.
The comparison is to the human body.
It is dead (useless) if it does not have the spark of life.

Answer 5

Back up, verse 14. We have got to get the context. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?”

What does the Bible teach about salvation? Abraham was justified by works? Romans four, is that what it says? "Abraham was justified by what...? "Faith." Abraham was not justified by works. Romans chapter three says, "No man is justified by works. By the deeds of the law shall..." what? "No flesh be justified," none. There is no way that we can be justified. In Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Salvation is by faith, not by works. Galatians chapter three tells us the same thing, that you cannot be justified by works, you cannot be saved by what you do, in terms of deeds. He says, “…they that are of faith,” Galatians 3:9, “are blessed with faithful Abraham.” It’s all a matter of faith. The man that is justified, he says in verse 11, “But no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, … The just shall live by faith.” Now the Bible teaches that you are saved by faith, well you say that what in the world is James saying?

He is simply saying, if your faith is genuine then it’s going to manifest itself. “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation, old thing are passed away and behold all things become...” what? "…new.” There is going to be a manifestation. And so he says, what kind of faith have you got my friend, I don’t see any evidence?

For example, he says, “If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you who claims to have saving faith says depart in peace be warm and filled.” Just what he needs. Condolence. Hope you feel better, hope you find some food. But you don’t give him the things needful to the body, what kind of faith is that? If you’re really saved it’s going to be a working kind of salvation that will bear fruit. That’s all he’s saying. So, in verse seventeen, “…so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, because it's alone.” So it’s a dead faith not a living faith. If “a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works; show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works.” And he contrasts two kinds of faith.

One kind of faith is the faith that doesn’t have any works and it is dead faith and the other faith is the faith that produces something and its living faith. One saves and one doesn’t. That’s what he is saying, "Oh," but he says "I believe, I believe," "Yeah," he says, "The devils believe and they tremble." It’s not enough to believe unless that believing results in an act of commitment to Christ that results in a changed life that bears fruit. That’s his whole point.

Answer 6

People are watching what we do as we call ourselves Christians. Our faith takes life with good works in the eyes of people. In context that is what James is saying.

But they prove NOTHING to God. God says we are saved by faith alone, without works. Adding works makes a false gospel that leads to eternal hell (Galatians 1).

Answer 7

While there are no "works" that can be preformed to gain any one entry into heaven.... When one does receive God's free gift of salvation, by coming to Him in The Way He prescribes, there will be some desire to so something... In thanks and love for God for His gift..... some "works" done in love of God will earn rewards in Heaven.... But no work done with the thought of gaining rewards will receive reward.... There are those who do receive God's free gift of Salvation(which is irrevocable) and do not go on to earn any rewards... when they get to Heaven they will be in lessor standing.... their lives on earth, after receiving Salvation, will be seen as dead... as they did nothing with the new life they were given.

Answer 8

YOU CAN SAY YOU BELIEVE IN CHRIST THEREFOR YOU ARE SAVED BUT THAT IS NOTHING IF YOU DON'T ACT UPON IT.

MATTHEW 10:7
7 As YOU go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’

Answer 9

Text without context is pretext.

Any single sentence from anywhere, can mean anything you want it to mean.

Answer 10

If you don't do good works then you don't really have faith.