This verse laid to rest the argument that faith is incomplete without corresponding work. Before this conclusion, two examples were cited of people who showed how faith works. The first person was Abraham. When God asked him to offer his son, Isaac as a sacrifice, he obeyed. That action was reckoned for him as faith. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” (James 2:21-22 NKJV). By the way, it is good to observe that the offering made by Abraham was regarded as “works”. I wish people would realise that when they give offerings in church they are not helping the pastor or the ministry meet their financial obligations. That is secondary. What we give is a work of faith! Every such work attracts due reward at the fullness if time.

If you remove the spirit, what is left is a dead body. This is analogous to how faith works. If you do not take steps agreeable to what you believe for, then your faith is dead.

We come to the second example. James brought up Rahab as an example of someone who perfected her faith by her works. She believed that God had given the land to Israel. She went ahead to hide the spies and send them back safely through another route. Her work became the means that saved her and the family. The Bible provides for two witnesses to give a legal bite to any issue. We have two examples already – Abraham and Rahab. Man’s existence is a function of the body and the spirit. If you remove the spirit, what is left is a dead body. This is analogous to how faith works. If you do not take steps agreeable to what you believe for, then your faith is dead.