Faith without works is dead.

Faith without works is dead. This is used to automatically shut down anything a non-Jehovah's Witness has to say about their faith. After all, they are not going door to door...

Our first response to this was to read the book of James to see what kind of works he was talking about. Caring for orphans and widows. Judging impartially. Feeding the hungry and clothing the naked when you see their plight. Not the works that the cults promote.

Here is another response:

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-5

Notice that it is after salvation, and after being justified (declared righteous), and after becoming heirs that this is said in verse 8: "The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people."

"We all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:3-9

Once again we notice that it is being saved by receiving the gift of God, that enables us to do good works in verse 10: "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."