That is not hard to answer if we believe the Bible; because the very passage that talks about faith and works tells us the answer. James 2:22. It’s BOTH. Faith and works work together. That’s what the scripture says. That’s what James spends 24 verses trying to tell us. Every illustration, every example he uses is to show how faith and works must go together.
We are
justified "accounted as righteous" by faith and not by works (Romans 4:2-6) and
justified "shown to be righteous" by works. (James 2:21,24) The Greek word for justified has more than one meaning, depending on the context.
The Greek word for justified is "dikaioo":
1. to render righteous or such he ought to be
2.
to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered -
fits the context of James 2:24.
3. to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
Dikaioo Meaning - Greek Lexicon | New Testament (NAS)
So, James is not using the word "justified" in James 2:24 to mean "accounted as righteous" but is
shown to be righteous. James is discussing the
evidence of faith (
says-claims to have faith but has no works/I will show you my faith by my works - James 2:14-18) and
not the initial act of being accounted as righteous with God. (Romans 4:2-3) Works bear out the justification that already came by faith.
In James 2:22, faith made perfect or complete by works means bring to maturity, to complete like love in 1 John 4:18. It does not mean that Abraham was finally saved based on the merits of his works after he offered up Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he
fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6.
The first illustration is about a brother or sister being naked and hungry. He says it does no good to just TELL them to be warm and filled. You must DO SOMETHING. You must “work”. He concludes in verse 17, faith is DEAD if it doesn’t have works.
Not work to become saved but work to show that our faith is genuine. How about a little context. In James 2:14, we read of one who
says/claims (key word) he has faith but has no works (to
evidence his claim). That is not genuine faith, but a
bare profession of faith. So, when James asks, "Can
that faith save him?" he is saying nothing against genuine faith, but only against an
empty profession of faith/dead faith. So, James does not teach that we are saved "by" works. His concern is to
show the reality of the faith professed by the individual (James 2:18) and
demonstrate that the faith claimed (James 2:14) by the individual is genuine. Simple!
The next example is about the demons. He shows that they have faith (believe) but they have no works, so obviously are not going to be saved. He concludes, again, after this example in verse 20 that faith without works is a DEAD faith and won’t save us anymore than it will save the demons.
In James 2:19, we see that the demons believe "mental assent" that "there is one God," but they
do not believe in/have faith in/trust in/reliance in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, they
do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31)
and are not saved. Their trust and reliance are in Satan (and not in Jesus) as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works. That is why they are not going to be saved. There is a difference between mere "mental assent" belief (as the demons have) and saving belief in Christ, which the demons do not have, and only genuine believers do have.
In James 2:20, "faith without works is dead" does not mean that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith or that works are the source of life in faith or that we are saved by works. That would be like saying that a tree is dead until it produces fruit and then it becomes a living tree, and the fruit is the source of life in the tree. James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works
demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely
says-claims they have faith, but lack
resulting evidential works, then they
demonstrate that they have an
empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (James 2:14)
The next example is Abraham. We all know Abraham was a man of faith. But he was JUSTIFIED ( saved) when he offered his son Issac as a sacrifice. That just means when he OBEYED God’s instructions. When he DID what GOD told him to do. When he performed the “work” God instructed. He concludes that argument with verse 24. “ You see then that by works a man is justified and NOT by faith only.
In James 2:21, notice closely that James
does not say that Abraham's work of offering up Isaac resulted in God accounting Abraham as righteous. The
accounting of Abraham's faith as righteousness was made in Genesis 15:6 (also see Romans 4:2-3)
many years before his work of offering up Isaac recorded in Genesis 22. The work of Abraham did not have some kind of intrinsic merit to account him as righteous, but it
showed or manifested the genuineness of his faith. (James 2:18) That is the "sense" in which Abraham was "justified by works." (James 2:21) He was
shown to be righteous.
The next example is Rahab. She also was saved by works (justified) when she DID something—when she hid the spies. He concludes thus example and the entire passage with “For as the body without the Spirit is DEAD, so faith without works, is DEAD also.”
In James 2:25, Rahab believed in the Lord with authentic faith (Joshua 2:9-13), requested "kindness" (2:12), received the promise of kindness (2:14), and hung out the "scarlet line" (2:21), as the
demonstration of her authentic faith. She
showed that her faith in God was not a dead faith by her works, just as all genuine believers show theirs.
In James 2:26, the comparison of the human spirit and faith converge around their modes of operation. The spirit (Greek pneuma) may also be translated "breath." As a breathless body
exhibits no indication of life, so fruitless faith
exhibits no indication of life. The source of the life in faith is not works; rather, life in faith is the source of works. (
Ephesians 2:5-10) You have the cart before the horse.
Man is saved through faith and not by works
(Romans 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9); yet genuine faith is (evidenced) by works. (James 2:14-26) Jesus Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption "alone" and not based on the merits of our works. (Romans 3:24-28) It is through faith "in Jesus Christ alone" (and not based on the merits of our works) that we are justified on account of Christ (Romans 4:5-6; 5:1; 5:9); yet the faith that justifies does not remain alone (unfruitful, barren) if it is genuine. (James 2:14-26) *Perfect Harmony*
This is clear Bible teaching. Nothing hard or complicated about this. It takes BOTH—faith and obeying God’s commandments—whatever He has told us to do, to be saved.
Salvation by faith AND works is a false gospel. (Romans 4:2-6; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9) Don't confuse what God tells us to do in order to be saved with what God tells us to do after we have been saved.
Just believing in Jesus is no better than the demons. And men and preachers who say “JUST BELIEVE! That’s ALL you have to do.” Are preaching the doctrine of demons.
The difference is the demons merely believe "mental assent" that there is one God (James 2:19) but they do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are not saved. (Acts 16:31) The latter involves faith, trust and reliance in Jesus Christ for salvation. Believers are then made alive together with Christ and created in Christ Jesus unto good works. (Ephesians 2:5-10) Good works follow salvation through faith as the demonstrative evidence of authentic belief/faith.
It sounds too simple for you, which is why you mock salvation through faith, not works. You want to work for salvation and boast in your works. Why don't you tell Jesus that believing in Him (John 3:15,16,18; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26) is not enough, which means the OBJECT of our belief (Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection) was not enough to save us. (1 Corinthians 1:18-21)
myself I just believe...John 3:16-17. There was just the Torah then no NT and you just didn't carry it in your ..hmm no pockets lol. Its as He said in Samuel...its the heart He looks at. He said who so ever believes.....these signs shall follow them that believe...He said even though you do not believe me.. believe the works so that you may know and believe the Father is in me and I in Him. He also said I tell you the truth anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done.