What Kind of Faith Makes True Disciples?

James 2:14–26 gives crucial guidance into the faith that makes true disciples of Jesus.

Many people mistakenly assume they are true Christians on their way to heaven. That is the foundational truth we have been exploring in this series on True Disciples. We have seen numerous Scriptures in the New Testament clearly teach that we cannot assume we are a Christian simply because we say Jesus is Lord or because we grew up in church or because we regularly go to church, read our Bibles, and pray.

My purpose in this series of posts is to ensure you know what it takes to be a true disciple of Jesus who is forgiven of sin and assured of eternal life.

In this post I want to double down in establishing that there is a kind of faith in Jesus that falls short of saving one’s soul.

Inadequate faith

James 2:14 says, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?”

Notice James makes this a matter of salvation. He’s about to talk about the kind of faith that can successfully save a person’s soul. He implies there is a kind of faith that does not save someone’s soul—an inadequate faith. So, just because someone has faith in God or faith even in Jesus, that does not guarantee that such faith will save them.

Faith by itself

Verse 15 continues: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? ¹⁷ So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Verse 17 notes three characteristics of faith. Faith can be “by itself.” Secondly, faith can be without works. And thirdly, faith can be dead. Faith that is without works is faith that is by itself, and it is dead. Verse 16 asks, What good is that?

Demons have faith

Verse 18 continues: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

So, even demons believe true things about God. They believe he exists, and they correctly believe he is one. That is much more than atheists believe, but it is not a faith that will save the soul of any demon. They know it, because they’re already shuddering at what awaits them.

Useless

Verse 20 continues: “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?”

Here again is the statement that there is a kind of faith that is useless.

“²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’—and he was called a friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

Abraham’s faith was different. It was a living thing that resulted in works. His works did not produce his faith or his salvation. Rather, his faith produced works. And that was a kind of faith resulting in justification and salvation.

Dead faith

Verse 26 continues: “As the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

Dead faith cannot give us eternal life. That is the unambiguous message of James 2. No one who believes in God should assume that such belief is enough to give eternal life. Believing in God does not make you a true disciple. Believing in Jesus does not necessarily make you a true disciple. It might make you a true disciple if your belief is a living faith.

Come back next week as we continue to lay the groundwork for the marks of a true disciple of Jesus.