The danger, if you will, of James 2 is that a godless person will think that their good deeds are evidence of their salvation. My dad was like that. I haven't known anyone who knew the Bible better and did less with it than he did. Yet he liked to point to James 2 as evidence that he was saved.

I got him the book "Experiencing God". At first he seemed like a new man. The anger was gone. He was much more patient with my grandma who he was taking care of at the time. Then he was back to the way he always was. I believe that he left the faith because he loved wickedness more than he loved good. He loved to torment his children. I would drive 150 miles to visit him. He would do his best to make me mad in the first 5 minutes I was there. He liked to find and discuss subjects he knew we disagreed on. Then he'd get mad if I disagreed with him. He was a rotten guy in so many ways.

I had a hard time sleeping the first month or two after he died because I knew he was in hell. I can only imagine who severe his punishment is there based on what he knew and what he did with it.