The World:—James, were you commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ to preach His Gospel?
James:—I was.
The World:—Did you not teach the people that all that was necessary in order to attain to salvation was belief in the Lord Jesus Christ?
James:—How dare I teach such doctrine when the Lord had instructed us to teach them to observe all things whatsoever He had commanded us?
The World:—Then, you believe that in order for a man to procure salvation he must have works with his faith?
James:—I do most assuredly. I taught the people that faith without works is dead. Surely you have read my epistle, wherein I said: "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. * * * But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? * * * For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2: 14-18, 20, 26.)
The World:—This is certainly strange doctrine to us. We have been taught from childhood that all we had to do to be saved was to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
James:—You say that that is what the preachers have taught you?
The World:—It is. The only gospel that we have been taught is the gospel of Belief Alone. We have never been taught that we had to do anything towards our salvation.
James:—You have been deceived by false teachers, whom Paul prophesied would rise up in the last days. Here is the prophecy: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned into fables." (II Timothy 4: 3, 4.)