James 2:24 (LSB)

Passage

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Nearby Context

James 2:22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected.

James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.

James 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 2:25 And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

James 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "justified", "faith", "works", and "alone". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "justified" and "faith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says..." into verse 25's "And in the same way was not...", so "justified" and "faith" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "justified" and "faith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.