Many people struggle with the question, “How do I know for sure that I am truly saved?” It’s common to have doubts about our faith, especially when we fall short or face difficult seasons in life. Perhaps you have asked Jesus into your heart multiple times, because you’re afraid that you didn’t say it right the first time or mean it strongly enough. If that is you, be encouraged that the Bible gives us clear guidance on this topic, especially in the Book of James, which describes the difference between genuine, living faith and empty, dead faith. Understanding this distinction can give us greater assurance that the faith we profess is a faith that saves.
The best place to begin is knowing what a lifeless, dead faith looks like.
What Is Dead Faith?
James 2:14–26 speaks about a type of faith that is dead—faith that is all talk but no action. To help illustrate this concept, think about the exoskeleton of a cicada. After a cicada sheds its skin, it leaves behind a hollow shell. This shell might look like the insect, but it’s completely empty inside. It’s not the living creature; it’s just an empty form. James says that faith without works is like that—an empty shell that lacks the substance of real life.
James challenges us with the question, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14). The answer is implied: such a faith is useless, like the lifeless shell of the cicada. It may have the outward appearance of faith, but it’s missing the inner reality. True saving faith produces evidence, just as a living creature leaves signs of life behind.
A Dead Faith is a Disconnected Faith
James further illustrates this idea with an everyday example: If you see someone in need—hungry and cold—and you simply say, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without offering any help, what good have you done? (James 2:15-16). Your words, though they might be a nice sentiment, are utterly meaningless. This is what James calls “dead faith,” because there are no actions behind the words. It’s not just a faith that lives between one’s ears in the form of intellect or private prayer. If there are no legs to your sentiments, you have a faith which cannot save. It’s a warning to those who think that simply saying the right words or claiming to believe is enough.
Genuine faith is lived out in the form of works. A saving faith is not disconnected from the rest of the world but actively engages it. A saving faith is an active faith. It is moved by compassion. It takes action, like providing food and clothing to those in need. True faith is not just about believing certain things; it’s about allowing those beliefs to shape how we live and how we treat others. It’s a faith that moves beyond words and leads to real, tangible actions.
A Dead Faith Can Claim Intellectual Belief
James also warns us that merely believing in God is not enough. He says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19). This shows that intellectual belief, by itself, is insufficient. Even demons know who God is and can recite scriptures like the Shema (Deut. 6:4) that say: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” But that knowledge does not bring them into a right relationship with Him. Knowing and reciting biblical truth doesn’t change them or lead them to obedience.
Go back to the empty shell of a cicada. It might have the form and appearance of a living creature, but it is a lifeless, empty shell. Likewise, a person might have all the right beliefs about God but still lack the inner transformation that genuine faith brings. True saving faith changes our hearts and motivates us to act in ways that align with God’s will.
It is easy to say you are a Christian. It’s easy to say when you live in a county with Christian values, grow up in a Christian family with Christian parents, go to church on Sundays, believe that there is a God, and know about the life of Jesus. You may be able to recite loads of scripture, rattle off the historic creeds, and answer most Bible trivia questions and still be under God’s judgment with an eternal future in hell like the demons because you do not possess a living faith. If that knowledge is not accompanied by works, you have a dead faith. Simply saying that you know biblical truths is not proof of saving faith.
A Living Faith Is Demonstrated
To emphasize his point, James gives examples of people whose faith was proven by their actions: Abraham and Rahab. Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac showed his deep trust in God’s promise (James 2:21-24). His actions demonstrated that his faith wasn’t just a belief in God’s existence; it was a trust that led him to trust and obey, even when it was difficult.
Similarly, Rahab, a woman from Jericho, showed her faith by risking her life to protect the Israelite spies (James 2:25). Her actions were evidence that she trusted in the God of Israel. In both cases, their faith was not an empty claim; it was a living, active faith that moved them to act. This is the kind of faith that truly saves—a faith that is alive and working.
Faith and Works: One is Proof of the Other
Some might wonder if James contradicts Paul, who wrote that we are saved by faith alone, not by works (Romans 3:28). But James and Paul are addressing different aspects of faith. Paul speaks of how we are made right with God—through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from trying to earn God’s favor through obedience to to the Old Testament Laws like circumcision and the dietary regulations. James, on the other hand, investigates the faith you already have and determines whether it is a living or dead faith—faith that naturally produces good works as evidence of its authenticity.
Paul and James are not in opposition, but are standing shoulder-to-shoulder in defense of the same gospel. Paul emphasizes that faith alone saves, while James shows that saving faith is never alone—it always brings about a transformation that leads to good works. Just as an EKG reveals a heart is alive and working as it should (but doesn’t give life to the heart), good works indicate the presence of living faith and that it is working as it should.
How to Know If Your Faith Is Genuine
So, how can you know if your faith is real? Look for the evidence of a living faith in your life. Are you moved to go beyond a private prayer life and spoken sentiments to act with compassion? Do you find yourself serving others, even when it’s inconvenient? Are you striving to live in obedience to God, even when it’s difficult? A living faith produces growth, even if imperfectly. It’s not about achieving perfection but about seeing the fruit of God’s work in your heart. As Jesus said, a tree will be known by its fruit. What fruit are you producing?
Conclusion: Assurance Through Living Faith
If your faith is active and growing, you can have assurance that it is genuine. A faith that is truly alive is not like the empty shell of a cicada—it is vibrant and active, showing itself in how you love, serve, and obey God. James concludes with a powerful statement: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). But the opposite is also true—faith with works is proven to be alive and real. If your faith leads you to action, even in small ways, you can be confident that it is the kind of faith that saves.
