What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can that faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled;” and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder. But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? Wasn’t Abraham, our father, justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness;” and he was called the friend of God. You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith. >[!quote] James, the brother of the Lord, James 2:14-26 In like manner wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. James' argument is a powerful one.  The two most important takeaways are: "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself...  For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead (James 2:17, 26)." While we are saved by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), it is through our works that we demonstrate and strengthen our faith.  We justify our faith as Father Abraham and Rahab did before us (James 2:18).  Jesus himself said that we will be judged by our works (Matthew 25:31-46), because they are the proof of what it truly in our hearts. Simply believing something helps no one.  True faith brings action, and those actions bear out that persons faith (Matthew 7:15-20).  How can you tell the true from the false?  Like a tree, you judge it by its fruit.  ## The Fruit of the Spirit >[!quote] Paul, Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. When a true faith is put into action it brings about: * Love, agape, compassion, benevolence * Joy, gladness * Peace, tranquillity, harmony, concord * Patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance * Kindness, integrity * Goodness, uprightness of heart and life, kindness * Faithfulness, conviction, fervor * Gentleness, mildness of disposition, meekness * Self-control These nine traits make it easy to see if our actions and in turn our faith is true.  If our actions are angry, judgmental, impatient; then our faith and our effort are flawed.  If we are not kind and compassionate, we have strayed from the truth.   When we apply these eyes of faith to so many religious movements, doctrines, and activities; we see them for what they are.  Once we see the flaw, we then take action and change ourselves.  In so doing, we change our community and our world for the better. >[!quote] Paul, Philippians 2:12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. # Effort > “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God — Hebrews 12:1-2 (New American Standard) > “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. — Matthew 12:33-35 (New American Standard) > “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. — Proverbs 4:20-23 (New American Standard) > “The four practices usually associated with Right Diligence are: (1) preventing unwholesome seeds in our store consciousness that have not yet arisen from arising, (2) helping the unwholesome seeds that have already arisen to return to our store consciousness, (3) finding ways to water the wholesome seeds in our store consciousness that have not yet arisen and asking our friends to do the same, and (4) nourishing the wholesome seeds that have arisen so they will stay present in our mind consciousness and grow stronger. — [Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, p 100](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767903692/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0767903692&linkCode=as2&tag=wisdoms_cry-20&linkId=Y7R444EBWV65J7XM) > “The first is that when negative emotions haven’t manifested in your mind, you don’t give them a chance to manifest. — [Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Power, p 17](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UZNR0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000UZNR0K&linkCode=as2&tag=wisdoms_cry-20&linkId=BIOG2HX372BYKX46) > “The second aspect of diligence is calming and replacing negative seeds that do manifest in your conscious mind. — [Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Power, p 19](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UZNR0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000UZNR0K&linkCode=as2&tag=wisdoms_cry-20&linkId=BIOG2HX372BYKX46) > “The third aspect of diligence is to always invite good seeds to manifest. — [Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Power, p 20](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UZNR0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000UZNR0K&linkCode=as2&tag=wisdoms_cry-20&linkId=BIOG2HX372BYKX46) > “The fourth aspect of diligence is trying to keep a good mental formation in the living room as long as possible. — [Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Power, p 21](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UZNR0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000UZNR0K&linkCode=as2&tag=wisdoms_cry-20&linkId=BIOG2HX372BYKX46)