Faith is the key, faith opens our eyes to see that we are lost and cannot save ourselves, what we need is is to be re-born, we need to receive Christ into our hearts and lives. When He comes as our Lord and Saviour He will do HIS works THROUGH us.
Those are the works James was looking for. True faith is the key, no other way.
Those are the works James was looking for. True faith is the key, no other way.
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
James 2:14-17 KJV
James example lines up with Jesus words about loving others in deed and truth and actions
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Matthew 25:34-36, 40 KJV
and then the contrary regarding those same works we refuse to do
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal.”
Matthew 25:41-43, 45-46 KJV
It’s about how we actually treat other people especially those with too little.
Same example John gives
“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
1 John 3:16-18 KJV
Faith doesn’t work if we don’t act upon it if we do that will produce works , and we can’t act upon faith until we hear the gospel and believe and begin to have faith
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17 KJV