Psalm 57 and James 2:14–26

PSALM 57

¹   Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, 
          for in you my soul takes refuge; 
     in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, 
          until the destroying storms pass by. 
²   I cry to God Most High, 
          to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 
³   He will send from heaven and save me, 
          he will put to shame those who trample on me. Selah 
     God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

⁴   I lie down among lions 
          that greedily devour human prey; 
     their teeth are spears and arrows, 
          their tongues sharp swords.

⁵   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. 
          Let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶   They set a net for my steps; 
          my soul was bowed down. 
     They dug a pit in my path, 
          but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah 
⁷   My heart is steadfast, O God, 
          my heart is steadfast. 
     I will sing and make melody. 
⁸        Awake, my soul! 
     Awake, O harp and lyre! 
          I will awake the dawn. 
⁹   I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; 
          I will sing praises to you among the nations. 
¹⁰   For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; 
          your faithfulness extends to the clouds.

¹¹   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. 
     Let your glory be over all the earth.

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JAMES 2:14–26

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? ¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?¹⁷So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

 

¹⁸But someone 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. ¹⁹You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe - and shudder. ²⁰Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. ²³Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? ²⁶For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.