If I say…

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the Spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
James 2:24-26 (ESV)
 
Faith without works is not faith. If I believe in something, it affects my actions. If I say I believe in something that does not affect my activities, then I do not believe. This is not teaching that we achieve favored status with God by working. It is stating the obvious that faith and actions are one.
 
If I say, I believe God loves me, and do not act like He loves me, then do I think that He does?
If I say I trust God but live as if I do not, do I trust Him?
If I say I believe in God's mercy, yet live a guilt-ridden life, do I believe in His mercy?
James is stating the obvious here: our talk can be disconnected from reality or hypocritical.
How we live our lives is the most significant indicator of what we believe, not what we say.
 








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