James 2 / 5
- 1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.
- 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
- 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"
- 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
- 5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
- 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
- 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
- 8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
- 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
- 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
- 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
- 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
- 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (Faith and Deeds )
- 14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
- 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
- 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
- 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
- 18But someone will say, You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
- 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe thatand shudder.
- 20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ?
- 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
- 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
- 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
- 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
- 25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
- 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.