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A Warning against Favoritism
2Verse 1My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.Verse 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting+wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.Verse 3If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”Verse 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?Verse 5Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?Verse 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?Verse 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?+Verse 8If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”+you are doing well.Verse 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.Verse 10Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.Verse 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.Verse 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.Verse 13For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Works
Verse 14What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?Verse 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.Verse 16If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?Verse 17So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action,+is dead.Verse 18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.Verse 19You believe that God is one.+Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.Verse 20O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?+Verse 21Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?Verse 22You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.Verse 23And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”+and he was called a friend of God.+Verse 24As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.Verse 25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies+and sent them off on another route?Verse 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.