James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
When looking at this verse, we must first look at the word “justified.” The basic word dikaios means to be right or just. It can be understood in at least several ways. One is as a right standing legally. One is right before the law. This is related to another meaning which is ethical. The reason one is right before the law is that one does righteous things. A third meaning is in relationship to God as sinners. God forgives our sins and we are considered justified and righteous, not guilty for our sins. James is not so much dealing with issues of salvation, is a person saved or not. That is reading too much into this verse, in my opinion. James is more concerned with the right actions of those who believe already. I would probably translate this verse differently: “You see that a person is considered righteous by what he or she does and not simply by intellectual faith.” Abraham put his faith into action and this action confirmed his faith. This showed that he was a righteous man with deep trust in God. If we say we trust in God, then we will prove it by how we live in righteousness. If we do not live righteously, according to God’s commands, we invalidate the faith we profess to have. James’ argument is quite clear and persuasive. The simple question becomes, does my life demonstrate God’s grace at work because I am open and obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit?
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