Daily Reading for Personal Growth, 40 Days with God

Faith and works

¹⁴ What use is it, my dear family, if someone says they have faith when they don’t have works? Can faith save such a person? ¹⁵ Supposing a brother or sister is without clothing, and is short even of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; be warm, be full!”—but doesn’t give them what their bodies need—what use is that? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith, all by itself and without works, is dead.

¹⁸ But supposing someone says, “Well: you have faith, and I have works.” All right: show me your faith—but without doing any works; and then I will show you my faith, and I’ll do it by my works! ¹⁹ You believe that “God is one”? Well and good! The demons believe that, too, and they tremble! ²⁰ Do you want to know, you stupid person, that faith without works is lifeless?