The Lantern

James2

A Warning against Favoritism

My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partialities.

For if a man with a gold ring in splendid apparel comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby apparel also comes in,

and you look upon the one wearing the splendid apparel and say, “You sit here honorably,” and to the poor man you say, “You stand there,” or, “Sit under my footstool,”

have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brothers: has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him?

But you dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do they not themselves drag you into courts?

Do they not themselves blaspheme the good name that has been called upon you?

If indeed you keep the royal law according to the Scripture, “You will love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well;

but if you show partiality, you are committing sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

For whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of all.

For the one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

So speak and so act, as those about to be judged through the law of freedom.

For the judgment will be without mercy to the one not having shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works

What is the profit, my brothers, if anyone says he has faith but does not have works? Is the faith able to save him?

If a brother or a sister is without clothes and may be lacking the daily food,

and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” but you do not give them the things needful for the body — what is the profit?

So also the faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you the faith by my works.

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe — and shudder.

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith apart from works is worthless?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, having offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

You see that faith was working with his works, and by the works the faith was perfected;

and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

And likewise also, was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works, having received the messengers and having sent them forth by another way?

For just as the body apart from spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from works is dead.