James Chapter 2, Verse 26
From BibleWiki
26: ωσπερ γαρ το σωμα χωρις πνευματος νεκρον εστιν ουτως και η πιστις χωρις των εργων νεκρα εστιν
26: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also.
26: For even as the body without the spirit is dead: so also faith
without works is dead.
For as the body without the spirit is dead. Marg., breath. The Greek word pneuma is commonly used to denote spirit or soul, as referring to the intelligent nature. The meaning here is the obvious one, that the body is animated or kept alive by the presence of the soul, and that when that is withdrawn, hope departs. The body has no life independent of the presence of the soul.
So faith without works is dead also. There is as much necessity that faith and works should be united to constitute true religion, as there is that the body and soul should be united to constitute a living man. If good works do not follow, it is clear that there is no true and proper faith; none that justifies and saves. If faith produces no fruit of good living, that fact proves that it is dead, that it has no power, and that it is of no value. This shows that James was not arguing against real and genuine faith, nor against its importance in justification, but against the supposition that mere faith was all that was necessary to save a man, whether it was accompanied by good works or not. He maintains that if there is genuine faith it will always be accompanied by good works, and that it is only that faith which can justify and save. If it leads to no practical holiness of life, it is like the body without the soul, and is of no value whatever. James and Paul both agree in the necessity of true faith in order to salvation; they both agree that the tendency of true faith is to produce a holy life; they both agree that where there is not a holy life there is no true religion, and that a man cannot be saved. We may learn, then, from the whole doctrine of the New Testament on the subject, that unless we believe in the Lord Jesus we cannot be justified before God; and that unless our faith is of that kind which will produce holy living, it has no more of the characteristics of true religion than a dead body has of a living man.
Romans 10:9 states that "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" but man cannot force faith into his heart. Grace must put faith into the heart. Seeking God for saving faith by the right use of means (attendance to preaching, bible reading, earnest prayer, etc.) is right and good. There is an intellectual, non-saving faith that can reside in the head. Saving faith resides in the heart and expresses itself in works and love.
"The fool hath said in his heart that there is no god". He didn't say it merely in his intellect. Therefore,the fool has unbelief in his heart. Only by the influence of the Spirit of God can unbelief be replaced by genuine, saving faith in the heart.
- "the spirit" or, "breath"
