Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 405
2:7–3:2
J ames
393
Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the
ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?
Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over
others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person
who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, “You must
not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder
someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged
by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have
not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be
merciful when he judges you.
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but
don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say,
“Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you
don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds,
it is dead and useless.
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good
deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good
deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for
you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right
with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see,
his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed
God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even
called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by
what we do, not by faith alone.
Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with
God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely
away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also
faith is dead without good works.
Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the
church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make
