Commenting on James 2:18-19, William Barclay says this:
James is thinking of a possible objector who says, "Faith is a fine thing; and works are fine things. They are both perfectly genuine manifestations of real religion But the one man does not necessarily posses both. One man will have faith and another will have works. Well, then, you carry on with your works and I will carry on with my faith; and we are both being truly religious in our own way."
The objector's view is that faith and works are alternative expressions of the Christian religion. James will have none of it. It is not a case of either faith or works; it is necessarily a case of both faith and works.
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And the objector continues his thesis by pointing out that even the demons are truly religious in their own way, they believe in God and tremble.
Yes...but the demons are not saved....just like the people who posses a dead faith that James is talking about. True genuine saving faith is manifested in works throughout the Christian life. None of us are saying that works save. Works are simply produced by saving faith. "You will know them by their fruits"
Okay, Matthew, let's take your way here. This would mean that the objector is actually down playing the importance of works since demons believe and tremble. Would you agree with that or not?
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