Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Steve Garrett
James has an answer for this in his brief letter, addressed to the first-century church. That may be found just before the Revelation and Jude, & right next to Peter's two letters.
In part James writes that 'faith without works is dead', and when Paul (of Tarsus) is studied closely, he has no disagreement.
Danny Hickman
James wasn't referring to "saving" faith when he wrote, 'Faith without works is dead.' He was talking about having faith that someone's provisional needs would be met, and not working to get those needs met. He meant, 'telling a needy person to "have faith in God," and not doing anything to help that needy person would be FAITH WITHOUT WORKS, or faith without any action accompanying that profession of faith.' His alert had nothing to do with "saving faith."
Read it in context. James isn't writing to the world, he's writing to believers, saved people. He has no reason to tell saved people what to do to get saved or stay saved. There's nothing anyone can do to get saved or stay saved. We are saved by the shed blood of Jesus at the Cross and kept by the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power (authority) that raised Jesus from being dead. We were chosen by God for salvation before the world was formed.