Faith & Works

[James 2:18] Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
The sense is, "someone might say," or, "to this it might be urged in reply." That is, it might perhaps be said that religion is not always manifested in the same way, or we should not suppose that, because it is not always exhibited in the same form, it does not exist. One man may manifest it in one way, and another in another, and still both have true piety. One may be distinguished for his faith, and another for his works, and both may have real religion. This objection would certainly have some plausibility, and it was important to meet it. It would seem that all religion was not to be manifested in the same way, as all virtue is not; and that it might occur that one man might be particularly well-known for one form of religion, and another for another; as one man may be distinguished for zeal, and another for meekness, and another for integrity, and another for truth, and another for his gifts in prayer, and another for his large-hearted compassion. To this the apostle replies, that the two things referred to, faith and works, were not independent things, which could exist separately, without the one materially influencing another as, for example, charity and chastity, zeal and meekness; but that the one was the germ or source of the other, and that the existence of the one was to be known only by its developing itself in the form of the other. A man could not show that he possessed the one unless it developed itself in the form of the other. In proof of this, he could boldly appeal to any one to show a case where faith existed without works. He was himself willing to submit to this just trial in regard to this point, and to demonstrate the existence of his own faith by his works.
You have one form or manifestation of religion in an important or famous degree, and I have another. You are characterized particularly for one of the virtues of religion, and I am for another; as one man may be particularly well-known for meekness, and another for zeal, and another for kindness, and each be a virtuous man. The expression here is equivalent to saying, "One may have faith, and another works.”
you who maintain that faith is enough to prove the existence of religion; that a man may be justified and saved by that alone, or where it does not developed itself in holy living; or that all that is necessary in order to be saved is merely to believe. Let the reality of any such faith as that be shown, if it can be; let any real faith be shown to exist without a life of good works, and the point will be settled. I, says the apostle, will undertake to exhibit the evidence of my faith in a different way in a way about which there can be no doubt, and which is the appropriate method. It is clear, if the common reading here is correct, that the apostle meant to deny that true faith could be evinced without appropriate works.
It is implied here that true faith is adapted to lead to a holy life, and that such a life would be the appropriate evidence of the existence of faith. By their fruits the principles held by men are known.
The case proves what James purposes to prove, that the faith which justifies is only that which leads to good works. Under the trial of one’s faith the result is to be seen the co-operation of faith and good works both contributed to the end.
It must be by a faith that shall produce good works, and whose existence will be shown to men by good works. As justification takes place in the sight of G-d, it is by faith, for He sees that the faith is genuine and that it will produce good works if the individual who exercises faith shall live; and He justifies men in view of that faith, and of no other. If He sees that the faith is merely speculative; that it is cold and dead, and would not produce good works, the man is not justified in His sight. No man will be justified who has not a faith which will produce good works, and which is of an operative and practical character. The ground of justification in the case is faith, and that only; the evidence of it, the carrying it out, the proof of the existence of the faith, is good works; and thus men are justified and saved not by mere abstract and cold faith, but by a faith necessarily connected with good works, and where good works perform an important part.