Faith that Works is More than Words

James 2:14-20 

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

If we say we have faith but have nothing outward to show the inner change, then we only have an intellectual assent or emotional response to the gospel.  True regenerative change, a rebirth or transformation, is by God’s work in us and not simply something we agree to.  If we know the hopelessness of our sin and its judgement and our inability to come to Christ, the gospel words can be used by God’s Spirit to change us and produce the good works we have been made for (Ephesians 2:10) as a result.  A faith without God’s work in and out of us is truly dead.  When we are changed, we see needs and do what we can to meet them, not just offering empty platitudes and walking away.  True faith loves God and those He created in His image, and so cares by faith in action as a result.  Both faith and works are therefore part of salvation.  Just saying “Jesus is Lord” without speaking from a transformed heart is no proof of our regeneration; a changed life is, or we would be no better than the demons who believe there is one God (and so also one Son of Him as a triune God).  They know the truth of who He is, but not the effects of the regeneration and reconciliation in Christ.  The bottom line is that true faith works as a result of God’s transforming and saving work in us, and is not our understanding nor our assent to the facts alone.