Jam 2 | Comm | STEP | My brethren, show no favoritism as you hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

‏ James 2

1 My brethren, show no favoritism as you hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in shabby clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit by my feet," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme the honorable name by which you have been called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

14 What good is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has no works? Can such faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. 20 But are you willing to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and faith was completed by works, 23 and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness", and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.