James 2:15

If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?

If a brother or sister ... one of you ... These words tied in with "my beloved brethren" in James 2:14, make it impossible to suppose that James was addressing some external theory. No, the problem addressed was exactly the one that exists today, namely, Christians supposing that "faith only" saves them and that there is no need for works. "One cannot save himself, anyway; saving faith is all that matters, etc." So men say; but James shows how worthless faith is without works. This is so plainly the teaching of this place that it is admitted for solifidians, who then allow good works as being indeed necessary for a Christian's justification but affirm that this ultimate justification is totally dissociated from the primary and initial justification at the time of conversion. Although incorrect, this rationalism is, in fact, destructive of the "faith only" theory. Roberts pointed out that "It really makes little difference whether the passage is taken one way or the other."[29] To use James' words out of context, what could be the profit of an initial justification (at conversion) "by faith only," if the Christian's continued fellowship with Christ and his ultimate conversion, in the last analysis, still depended upon his being justified "by works"?

Since that ultimate justification surely depends upon works, as almost universally admitted, why should it be thought unreasonable that the initial justification (in conversion) also depended upon the convert's repenting of his sins, confessing Christ, and being baptized? Did not the Christ himself deny salvation to those who would not confess him, even though they "believed on" him? (John 12:42). Did he not also teach that those who will not repent cannot be saved? (Luke 13:3,5). Did he not also declare that unless one is baptized (born of the water and of the spirit) he cannot enter the kingdom of God? (John 3:5). But it is replied that "saving faith" always does these things anyway. This will be more thoroughly explored in the Excursus on Solifidianism at the end of this chapter; but here it should be noted that such things as confession, repentance and baptism are a "work of faith" only in the sense that "the faith" commands them. Subjective faith does not baptize sinners; they must themselves have this done. Subjective faith does not repent; the sinner must himself do the repenting.