James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
We all know that we are justified by faith and not works, but why does James 2:24 say Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
I believe when James speaks of "works" here, he is not referring to the works of the law, such as the ten commandments. To prove this, look at the work which he uses as an example.
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Now we know that this was the faith that justified Abraham, but since when was offering your son as a sacrifice part of fulfilling the works of the law? Especially, since the law had not been given. By this we know that James is not talking about the works of the law, but simply "action" as works. Faith without action, is dead.
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. We all know that there is a spiritual realm which we cannot see with our physical eyes, but only in the spirit.
When you enter into a worship or prayer setting, and there are people in the midst who have dead faith, don't expect the sacrifice to be a sweet smelling savor to God.
Eccl. 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
It doesn't take much dead faith in a body to send forth a stinking savour. People can't understand usually that a body moves as a body. One person with dead faith can destroy the entire sacrifice of that body. It doesn't mean that nobody will be blessed or edified, it just means that the fullness that could have been achieved won't be reached.
God desires the entire body to be of one mind and one accord in faith. If your faith doesn't even move you, how do you expect it to move God? This is dead faith, and it might be there, but it isn't alive and doesn't work!
