James 2:23-26

James 2:23 - Abraham was a man who lived his life as best as he could as he knew God wanted him to.  Where he failed, he went to God and let Him fill in for his own weaknesses and mistakes.  His willingness to live his live as best as he could with his actions was counted in his favor by God.  So much so that he was called the friend of God.  Think about how you treat your friends.  If you treat them badly, then you must not actually care about them or even like them.  How then can they be important people to you?  God is the same way.  If you love Him, then you will live your life in a way that would not hurt Him. 

James 2:24 - With these examples that we have been looking at, you can see that it was the actions of a person that showed which way he truly believed in his heart.  Either you are for God or against Him.  Either you love Him or you don't.  Living a life of faith should transform your actions and thus prove whose side you are on.

James 2:25 - Another example would be Rahab.  She took in the two spies from God's people and hid them, then helped them escape.  She could have said she believed in their God and then let them die.  However she said she believed in their God and helped them to live.  That proved her true loyalty and to Whom her loyalty belonged to.

James 2:26 - The conclusion to this is very simple.  Faith without works is dead.  Just like a body without a spirit is dead.