James

Partiality

My brothers and sisters, if you genuinely believe in our glorified Lord Jesus Christ, you will not discriminate against anyone.

Suppose someone enters your assembly where you are gathered, dressed beautifully and wearing a gold ring; at the same time, a poor person enters dressed in rags, 

and you focus your attention on the well-dressed and say, ‘Come and sit in the best seat,’ while to the poor person you say, ‘Stay standing, or sit down at my feet,’ 

have you not, in fact, made a distinction between the two? Have you not judged using a double standard?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor in this world to receive the riches of faith, and to inherit the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 

Yet, you despise them!

Is it not the rich who oppose you and drag you into court?

Do they not insult the noble name by which you are called? 

If you keep the law of the kingdom, according to scripture: Love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; 

but if you make distinctions between persons, you break the law, and are condemned by the same law.

For whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one aspect, is guilty of breaking it all.

For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not kill.” If then, you do not commit adultery, but you do commit murder, you have broken the law.

Therefore, act and speak as people who the law of freedom will judge. 

There will be justice without mercy for those who have not shown mercy, but mercy has nothing to fear from judgment.

Faith and Works

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you.

If a brother or sister needs clothes or food, 

and one of you says, “May things go well for you; be warm and satisfied,” without helping with their material needs, what good is that? 

So it is for faith without deeds: it is completely dead. 

Say to anyone who challenges you, “You have faith, and I have good deeds; show me your faith apart from actions, and I will show you my faith from my works.” 

Do you believe there is one God? That’s good, but don’t forget that even the demons believe—and tremble with fear! 

You foolish person, do you need to be convinced that faith without deeds is useless? 

Think about our father Abraham. Was he not justified by the act of offering his son Isaac on the altar? 

So you see, his faith was active along with his deeds, and he was made perfect by what he did. 

The scripture was fulfilled: Abraham believed in God, so he was considered righteous, and he was called the friend of God.

So you see, a person is justified by works, not by faith alone. 

Similarly, we read about Rahab the prostitute, that she was recognized and spared because she welcomed the spies and showed them another way out. 

Just as the body is lifeless without its spirit, faith without actions is also dead.