James 2 in context.
14] What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?
15] If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food,
16] and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit?
17] So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
18] But some one will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder.
20] Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren?
21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works,
23] and the scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God.
24] You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25] And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
Can dead faith save someone?
Also, there is
Matthew 25:31-46 which further teaches that without works no one is saved.
31] “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32] Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33] and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
34] Then the King will say to those at his right hand,
Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; **35**] for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, **36**] I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' **37**] Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?
38] And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?
39] And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’
40] And the King will answer them,
Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' **41**] Then he will say to those at his left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
42] for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44] Then they also will answer,
Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' **45**] Then he will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’
46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
