If we are justified by faith, then why does James say a person is justified by works and not by faith alone?

People often ask, “If we are justified by faith, then why does James say a person is justified by works and not by faith alone?”
That is a very good question, and if we do not understand it through the lens of the gospel, we will fall back into trying to earn what Jesus already finished.

James 2:24 says, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”
At first glance that sounds like it contradicts Paul, who said we are justified by faith apart from works in Romans 3:28. But it does not contradict. They are talking about two different kinds of justification.

Paul talks about being justified before God.
James talks about being justified before people.

God sees faith.
People see fruit.

That is exactly what Jesus meant when He said, “Let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Notice that He said, “before men.” God does not need to see your works to know your heart. But people cannot see faith. They only see action.

James gives an example. If someone is hungry or cold and you tell them, “Go in peace, be warm and filled,” but you do not actually help them, what good are your words? (James 2:15–17) People cannot see that you believe. They can only see if you love.

So when James says that faith without works is dead, he is not saying that faith does not save you. He is saying that faith that never shows up in love and action looks empty to people. But that does not mean God has not already justified you by faith.

The church gets this backward often. We try to make people produce fruit overnight. The moment someone gets saved, we expect them to instantly change every habit and behave perfectly. And when they struggle, we label them as not serious about God. No wonder so many end up condemned and burnt out.

Look at Abraham. Scripture says Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness in Genesis 15:6. That is when God justified him, long before he ever offered Isaac. By the time Abraham placed Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22, Isaac was already grown. That means many years passed between Abraham’s faith and the work that James mentioned. His good work did not make him righteous. It simply revealed the faith that already made him righteous.

Rahab’s story is the same. When she hid the spies in Joshua 2, she already believed in the Lord. She told them, “I know the Lord has given you this land. We have heard how He dried up the Red Sea for you and how He defeated the kings on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God is the supreme God of heaven above and earth below.”
Her faith came first. Her actions just revealed it.

So when James says Abraham and Rahab were justified by works, he is talking about their faith being seen, not earned.

And if you think about it, Abraham’s “good work” looked like offering his son, and Rahab’s “good work” looked like hiding spies and lying about it. Neither of those are law-keeping. Clearly James was not talking about being justified before God through perfect behavior. He was showing that real faith will eventually produce visible fruit.

That is why grace must always come first.
Grace is the root.
Good works are the fruit.

When you know how forgiven and loved you already are, that love begins to overflow. Jesus said, “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.” (Matthew 12:20) Even when your flame feels weak, God does not throw you away. He gently restores and breathes life back into you.

You do not have to force fruit to prove faith.
Just stay rooted in His love and rest in what Jesus already did.

Real works do not come from pressure.
They come from peace.

— Jimmy Belloso