It's quite strange that many go by proverbial slogan of salvation(justification) by faith ALONE or sola fide.
Yet James says....even devils have faith!
17 Even so faith,
if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and
I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well:
the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that
faith without works is dead?
21
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how
faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.Luther had a hard time with the above. For simple reason. He did not understand what a Jew meant by faith (AMAN)
Hebrew faith is not a mental discourse. Unfortunately, the Greek word for faith(pistis) does not describe the Hebrew understanding of faith.
For Greeks, its more of a mental ascension.
Here we see James describing the real Jewish understanding of faith.
Jewish faith contains both pistis and ergon works.
Faith demands works of obedience.
Therefore, we see the faith works in many of the examples in scriptures
eg Abraham, who was 100 years young performing sexual intercourse with Sarah to fulfil the promise that God gave him
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief;
but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised,
he was able also to perform.22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Therefore,
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and
not by faith onlyIt depends on how they define faith. Some is seems to define it as mere intellectual acknowledgement of Jesus as saviour WITHOUT repentance and regeneration
True faith 100% will produce good work. As Paul said Christian is reborn being created for good work