"Faith," wrote Luther, “is a living, restless thing. It cannot be inoperative. We are not saved by works; but if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith."

I get various questions throughout the week:

Hi James, Do you know where Luther said, "if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith"? It's quoted in Bainton's Here I Stand, but in the references section it just says, "VIII, 361." Do you have any idea what that refers to?

I also came across this same Luther / Bainton snippet here:

According to Roland Bainton's biography of Luther, Here I Stand, Luther wrote at one time: Faith is a living, restless thing. It cannot be inoperative. We are not saved by works; but if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith. Bainton's citation for this purported Luther quote is simply VIII, 361. I do not know what this refers to, so if anyone could comment below and let me know where it comes from, it would be much appreciated.

I went through Roland Bainton's use of Luther before: Did Luther Believe in Saving Faith? I also originally cited the quote from Roland Bainton many years ago in my review of Luther's famous "sin boldly" statement. I recall correctly, only one defender of Rome has ever challenged me for not quoting Luther directly (kudos to him for catching this!).

Roland Bainton cited WA 8:361. The equivalent English is LW 79:75-76. The quote is from  a 1521 sermon on Luke 17:11-19. In that context, Luther states the following:

This is what James means when he says: 2, 26: “Faith which does not work is dead. Just as the body without the soul is dead, so faith without works is also dead” (James 2[:17,26]).  This does not mean that faith is in a person and does not work, which is impossible, for faith is a living, restless thing. Rather, this means that people should not deceive themselves and think they have faith when they have none of it; rather, they should look at their works, that is, whether they also love their neighbors and do good to them. If they do this, it is a sign they have true faith. However, if they do not do this, then they only have the sound of faith. What happens to them is like the person who examines himself in the mirror. When he goes away, he no longer sees himself. Through looking at other things, he forgets the face he saw in the mirror, as also St. James says (James 1 [:23-24] (LW 79:75-76). 

German text: Sihe, das meynet S. Jacob. Jaco. ij. "Der glawbe, so er nit wirckt, ist er todt. Und wie der leyb on seel todt ist, so ist auch der glaub on werck todt". Nit das der glaube ym menschen sey und nit wircke, wilchs nitt muglich ist, denn der glawb ist ein lebendig unrugig ding, sondern das sich die menschen nitt selb betriegen und meynen, sie haben den glawbenn, so sie doch nichts davon haben, sondern sollen ansehen yhr werck, ob sie auch yhrn nehisten lieben und yhm woll thun. Thun sie das, so ists ein zeychen, das sie dissen rechten glauben haben. Thun sie aber nit, so haben sie nur das gehore vom glawben. Und geschicht yhn, wie dem, der sich ym spiegel besihet: wenn er davon geht, szo sihet er sich nymmer, und durch ansehen anderer ding vorgisset er des spiegels gesicht, alsz auch Jaco. i. geschrieben stet (WA 8:361-362).

Alternate English text: See, this is what James means when he says, 2, 26: "Faith apart from works is dead." For as the body without the soul is dead, so is faith without works. Not that faith is in man and does not work, which is impossible. For faith is a living, active thing. But in order that men may not deceive themselves and think they have faith when they have not, they are to examine their works, whether they also love their neighbors and do good to them. If they do this, it is a sign that they have the true faith. If they do not do this, they only have the sound of faith, and it is with them as the one who sees himself in the glass and when he leaves it and sees himself no more, but sees other things, forgets the face in the glass, as James says in his first chapter, verses 23-24.

The deceivers and blind masters have stretched this passage of James so far that they have destroyed faith and set up only works, as if righteousness and salvation consist not of faith but of works. To this great darkness they have added an even greater darkness and have taught only good works which are of no benefit to your neighbor, such as fasting; saying many prayers; observing festival days; not eating meat, butter, eggs, and milk; building churches, cloisters, chapels, and altars; instituting Masses, vigils, hours; wearing gray, white, or black clothes; becoming clergy; and innumerable similar things from which no one has any benefit or enjoyment, and all of which God condemns, and justly. St. James, however, says this intentionally, since a Christian life is nothing except faith and love. Love means nothing else than doing good and being useful to all people, enemies and friends. Where faith is correct, it certainly loves and acts toward others in love, just as Christ has acted in his faith. Thus each one should be on his guard so that he does not have a dream and fiction in his heart instead of faith, and thus deceive himself. He can recognize this in nothing better than in works of love. Christ Himself gives the sign of this when He says, ‘By this everyone can know that you are My disciples, if you love one another’ (John 13:35). Therefore, St. James means to say, ‘Be on your guard, lest your life not serve others, you live for yourself, and you take no interest in your neighbor, for then your faith is certainly nothing, since it does not do what Christ has done for it.’ Yes, he does not believe that Christ has done good for him; otherwise he would not omit also doing good for his neighbor (LW 79:76).

German text: Dissen spruch Jacobi haben die vorkurer und blinden meyster szo weyt gezogen, bysz das sie den glawben vortilget unnd nur die werck auff gericht haben, alsz stehe die gerechtickeyt und selickeyt nit ym glawben, szondern yn den wercken. Zu der grossen finsternisz haben sie darnach noch eyn gröszere thunn unnd nur die gutte werck geleret, die dem nehisten feyn nütz sind, alsz fasten, viel gepet sprechen, feyren, nit fleysch, putter, eyer, milch essen, kirchen, kloster, capeln, altar bawen, mesz, vigilien, horas stifften, graw, weisz, schwartz kleider tragen, geistlich werden, und der unzehlich gleichen, davon doch keyn mensch nütz noch geniesz hatt, wilch auch got alle vordampt, und billich. Aber S. Jacobus will das, sintemal eyn Christlich leben ist nichts denn glawbe unnd liebe. Liebe ist nichts denn eyttel woll thun und nuy seyn allen menschen, feynden und freunden. Unnd wo der glawb recht ist, szo liebt er auch gewiszlich und thut den andern ynn der liebe, wie yhm Christus than hatt ynn seynem glawben. Szo soll nu eyn iglicher sich fursehen, das er nit eynen trawm und geticht an stat des glaubens ym hertzen habe und sich selber betriege: das wirt er bey seynem ding alsz woll erkennen, alsz bey den wercken der liebe. Wie auch Christus dasselb zeychen gibt und spricht: "Da bey kan man wissen, das yhr meine iunger seyt, szo yhr euch untereinander liebt". Darumb will S. Jacob sagen: Sihe fur dich, steht dein leben nit also, das es andern diene, und du fur dich selbs lebist, nympst dich deynsz nehisten nit an, szo ist deyn glawbe gewiszlich nichts, denn er thut nit, wie yhm Christus than hatt.  Ja er glowbt nit, das yhm Christus woll than hat, sonst liesz er nitt, er thet seynem nehisten auch wol (WA 8:362).

Alternate English Text: This passage in James deceivers and blind masters have spun out so far, that they have demolished faith and established only works, as though righteousness and salvation did not rest on faith, but on our works. To this great darkness they afterwards added still more, and taught only good works which are no benefit to your neighbor, as fasting, repeating many prayers, observing festival days; not to eat meat, butter, eggs and milk; to build churches, cloisters, chapels, altars; to institute masses, vigils, hours; to wear gray, white and black clothes; to be spiritual; and innumerable things of the same kind, from which no man has any benefit or enjoyment; all which God condemns, and that justly. But St. James means that a Christian life is nothing but faith and love. Love is only being kind and useful to all men, to friends and enemies. And where faith is right, it also certainly loves, and does to another in love as Christ did to him in faith. Thus everyone should beware lest he has in his heart a dream and fancy instead of faith, and thus deceives himself. This he will not learn anywhere as well as in doing the works of love. As Christ also gives the same sign and says: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13, 35. Therefore St. James means to say: Beware, if your life is not in the service of others, and you live for yourself, and care nothing for your neighbor, then your faith is certainly nothing; for it does not do what Christ has done for him. Yea, he does not believe that Christ has done good to him, or he would not omit to do good to his neighbor. [The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther Vol. 3:1 (Michigan: Baker Books, 2000), pp. 71-72].

Similarly, In a 1522 sermon Luther states:

This is what St. James means in his Epistle when he writes: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2[:26]). That is, when works do not follow, it is a sure sign that there is no faith there, but a dead thought and dream, which they falsely call “faith.” This is how we understand these words of Christ: “Make friends for yourselves with the unrighteous mammon” [Luke 16:9]; that is, plainly demonstrate your faith with external giving, by which you gain friends, so that from your obvious works the poor can be witnesses that you have genuine faith. External giving of itself can never make friends, unless it happens from faith. Christ rejects the Pharisees’ alms (Matthew 6[:1–4]); they made no friends with their alms, because their hearts were false. Now no heart ever becomes right without faith, so that even nature is forced to confess that no works make anyone righteous, but the heart must first be righteous and good (1522 published sermon, LW 78:324).

German text: Das meynet S. Jacobus yn seyner Epistel, da er spricht "Der glawb on werck ist todt". Das ist, weyll die werck nicht folgen, ists eyn gewiß heychen, das keyn glaub da sey, sondern eyn todter gedancke und trawm, den sie falschlich glawben nennen. Also verstehen wyr nu diß wortt Christi "Machet euch freundt von dem unrechten Mammon", das ist: beweyset offenbar mit eußerlichem geben ewren glawben, damit yhr freundt ubirkomet, das die armen ewrs offinbarn wercks zeugen seyn kunden, das yhr rechtschaffen glauben habt, denn das eußerlich geben von yhm selber mochte nymmer mehr freundt machen, wo es nicht auß dem glawben geschech. Sintemal Christus Matt. 6. Der Phariseer almoßen verwirfft, das sie keyn freundt damit machten, weyll das herz falsch war. Nu wirt yhe keyn herz recht on den glawben, das also auch die natur zwingt zu bekennen, das keyn werck frum macht, sondern das herz zuvor frum und gutt seyn muß (WA 10.3:288).

Alternate English Text: This is what St. James means when his says in his Epistle, 2:26: ‘"Faith without works is dead." That is, as the works do not follow, it is a sure sign that there is no faith there; but only an empty thought and dream, which they falsely call faith. Now we understand the word of Christ: "Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness." That is, prove your faith publically by your outward gifts, by which you win friends, that the poor may be witnesses of your public work, that your faith is genuine. For mere external giving in itself can never make friends, unless it proceed from faith, as Christ rejects the alms of the Pharisees in Mat. 6:2, that they thereby make no friends because their heart is false. Thus no heart can ever be right without faith, so that even nature forces the confession that no work makes one good, but that the heart must first be good and upright.  [The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther Vol. 2:2 (Michigan: Baker Books, 2000), p. 308].

Revised March 2026