James Chapter 2

2:1 My brothers, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.
2:2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.
2:3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, "Have this best seat here," but say to the poor man, "Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,"
2:4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.
2:5 Listen, my dear brothers! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.
2:6 But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!
2:7 They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.
2:8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
2:9 But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.
2:10 Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all.
2:11 For the same one who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder.
2:12 Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.
2:13 For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.
2:14 My brothers, what good is it for someone to say that he has faith if his actions do not prove it? Can that faith save him?
2:15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat.
2:16 What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!"--if you don't give them the necessities of life?
2:17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
2:18 But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions."
2:19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe--and tremble with fear.
2:20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?
2:21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.
2:22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.
2:23 And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend.
2:24 You see, then, that it is by his actions that a person is put right with God, and not by his faith alone.
2:25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.
2:26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.