But here’s the rub. What is meant by “works”? Certainly not Tithing. That is a Jewish thing. Not going to church. It takes no faith to go to church regularly. Not giving to the poor since many people give to the poor for very selfish reasons. And none of the above necessarily has anything whatsoever to do with faith, yet faith and works are joined at the hip.
Look at the examples in James: Almost killing your son. A prostitute risking her life to help spies. How many Christians do you know that take REAL risks in the name of faith?
I am amazed how often people talk of works without really explaining what works they are talking about.
We could take this line of reasoning further and still miss the gospel.
One can qualify faith as being inadequate if it lacks works,..then one could qualify works if they are not Divinely guided works,..even many good works are classified as fruit of iniquity in Matt 7:21-23.
The only work God recognizes for righteousness is Christ’s work on the Cross, in payment for all sin.
Our faith is the same as His, which then is counted for righteousness.
Rom 3:21-24
(21) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: