The primary tenant of the gospel is that salvation is through the grace of God alone, and personally received by faith. We emphasize that salvation is not by our own good works but is simply an act of God’s grace through Christ to forgive our sins and redeem our fallen condition. So what does James mean when in 2:17 he says “ . . . faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James is not contradicting the Gospel, but instead is clarifying what true and saving faith is like. Genuine, gospel faith is one that will be accompanied by the ongoing transformation of the individual to become more and more like Christ. Spiritual transformation occurs when, by faith, the individual takes action to be better aligned with God. Join me this Sunday as we look at the equation of spiritual growth: Faith + Works = Growth.