Faith and Works Together

14  What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 15  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17  So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18  But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. 19  You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear.

20  But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22  You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 23  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25  And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26  For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

3  Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly. 2  For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. 3  And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. 4  Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. 5  So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. 6  And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell.

7  For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. 8  But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9  With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. 10  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. 11  A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? 12  Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.