Ministry of Grace Church

So also faith, if it should not have works, is dead by itself.

Truth to Learn

A living, breathing faith in Christ is always accompanied by good works, for these works are the evidence that it is a living faith.

Behind the Words

“So also” is translated from houtōs kai, which means “in this manner also.” These words directly tie what has just been said with what is about to be said. The two are tied together, not as a comparison or a contrast, but directly, saying one is just like the other.

The word translated “faith” is pistis. This noun is derived from the verb peithō, meaning “to win over” or “to persuade.” Hence, pistis refers to a moral conviction. It is used throughout the New Testament in reference to our faith in Christ.

Once again, “if” is from the word ean, which introduces a third class conditional clause (indicating that the clause is not currently true but there is a possibility of it becoming true).

The word translated “have” is echō, which means “to have in one’s possession.” The word itself implies that the possessing is a continual state of affairs.

“By itself” is from the Greek kath heautēs, meaning “according to itself.” That is, it refers to faith being by itself, without any additional properties or characteristics.

Meaning Explained

This entire section of the book of James is a very strong treatise on the proof of genuine faith through action. In the current verse he gets right to the point. If you claim to have faith and yet your actions don’t demonstrate godliness or Christ-likeness, then you don’t really have faith.

“But,” you may argue, “James doesn’t say the faith doesn’t exist, simply that it’s dead. So, I don’t have to do good works as long as I have genuine faith.” To that let me ask, if you have a pet that dies, is it still your pet? No. It was your pet, but now it is dead. It has ceased to be a pet.

Whereas there are some Christians who believe that you have to do deeds as penance for bad things you have done in the past, that’s not what James is talking about. He is not talking about deeds of contrition. He is saying that doing good deeds is the proof of your salvation, not the penalty for your sins.

Let me repeat what I have said before: James is not claiming that you are saved by works or that works are necessary to make up for sins you have committed. He is teaching that your good works are a result of your faith, that they are, in fact, the evidence of your faith.

Application

Each one of us needs to take a good look at ourselves (on the inside) and ask, “Do I do good works?” If the answer is yes, then we need to see if these good works are the result of our appreciation to God for having given us salvation, or an attempt to win His favor. If the answer is no, then we need to seriously investigate whether or not we’re really saved!