SAVING FAITH

How can you know for sure that you have saving faith? James insists that it will authenticate itself by producing good works ...

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble! But do you not know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 

But the Apostle Paul emphatically states ... For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 

Don't be confused ... James is not questioning whether one is saved by grace.

Lawrence Richards explains - James stresses 'the work of the believer in relation to faith'; Paul stresses 'the work of Christ in relation to faith'. James is concerned that the result of faith be fruitful so that no one is able to confuse creed with Christianity; Paul is concerned that the object of faith is Christ, unmixed with self-reliance or self-righteousness. 

Remember pilgrim ... good works are not self-imposed disciplines that you add to your belief in Christ. They should naturally follow as 'evidence' of your faith, never the means by which you 'earn' justification. The Fruit of the Spirit produces virtuous behavior for which we cannot claim credit.