The Reality of Faith: Profitless Profession

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?” James 2:1414What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? (James 2:14).
Will either God or man be satisfied with a powerless and profitless profession? Surely not. God looks for reality, and honors it where He sees it; and as for man, he can understand nothing save the living and intelligible utterance of a faith that shows itself in acts.
We are surrounded by the profession of religion – the phraseology of faith is on every lip; but faith itself is as rare a gem as ever.