Episode 355: James 2 Part 3 Dead Things Are Buried

James seems to contradict Paul in James 2 when Paul says in many places “We are saved by grace through faith and not of works...” I hear people say something like this all the time, “You don’t have to do anything to be saved...” and I believe they get that from what Paul says but this is not a true statement. Salvation is a gift from God, Right? When we receive a gift from someone, we have to do something...we have to receive that gift! James says if we aren’t doing something with our faith, if that faith isn’t producing actions in us and through us, then our faith is dead and useless. We throw away useless things. We bury dead things. The love Jesus has for us should be enough to allow good deeds to flow from us naturally. Do people see your good deeds? Or do you need to be buried?