 Listen to that again, please. Faith by itself, if it doesn't have works, is dead. Really. It kind of sounds like James is mixing faith and works together for salvation. It sounds like James is contradicting Luther. It sounds even worse that he's contradicting Paul, who says, For by grace you've been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It's the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.