Daily Reading for Personal Growth, 40 Days with God

Faith and Works

¹⁴ What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it?^{[a] 15} If a brother or a sister is poorly clothed and lacking food for the day, ¹⁶ and one of you should say to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well^[b],” but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what is the benefit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.”^[c] Show me your faith apart from your^[d] works, and I will show you my^[e] faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?