1My brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So treat everyone the same.2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes. And suppose a poor man in dirty old clothes also comes in.3Would you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes? Would you say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you’? Would you say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’? Or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet’?4If you would, aren’t you treating some people better than others? Aren’t you like judges who have evil thoughts?5My dear brothers and sisters, listen to me. Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor in the world’s eyes to be rich in faith? Hasn’t he chosen them to receive the kingdom? Hasn’t he promised it to those who love him?6But you have disrespected poor people. Aren’t rich people taking advantage of you? Aren’t they dragging you into court?7Aren’t they speaking evil things against the worthy name of Jesus? Remember, you belong to him.8The royal law is found in Scripture. It says, ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ If you really keep this law, you are doing what is right. (Le 19:18)9But you sin if you don’t treat everyone the same. The law judges you because you have broken it.10Suppose you keep the whole law but trip over just one part of it. Then you are guilty of breaking all of it.11God said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ He also said, ‘Do not commit murder.’ Suppose you don’t commit adultery but do commit murder. Then you have broken the law. (Ex 20:13; Ex 20:14; De 5:17; De 5:18)12Speak and act like people who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.13Those who have not shown mercy will not receive mercy when they are judged. To show mercy is better than to judge.
Show your faith by what you do
14Suppose a person claims to have faith but doesn’t act on their faith. My brothers and sisters, can this kind of faith save them?15Suppose a brother or a sister has no clothes or food.16Suppose one of you says to them, ‘Go. I hope everything turns out fine for you. Keep warm. Eat well.’ And suppose you do nothing about what they really need. Then what good have you done?17It is the same with faith. If it doesn’t cause us to do something, it’s dead.18But someone will say, ‘You have faith. I do good deeds.’ Show me your faith that doesn’t cause you to do good deeds. And I will show you my faith by the goods deeds I do.19You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that. And they tremble!20You foolish person! Do you want proof that faith without good deeds is useless?21Our father Abraham offered his son Isaac on the altar. Wasn’t he considered to be right with God because of what he did?22So you see that what he believed and what he did were working together. What he did made his faith complete.23That is what Scripture means where it says, ‘Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.’ And that’s not all. God called Abraham his friend. (Ge 15:6)24So you see that a person is considered right with God by what they do. It doesn’t happen only because they believe.25Didn’t God consider even Rahab the prostitute to be right with him? That’s because of what she did for the spies. She gave them a place to stay. Then she sent them off in a different direction.26A person’s body without their spirit is dead. In the same way, faith without good deeds is dead.
1My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism.2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old 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 and sisters: 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 dishonoured 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 blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself,’ you are doing right. (Le 19:18)9But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as law-breakers.10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.11For he who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’[1] also said, ‘You shall not murder.’[2] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a law-breaker. (Ex 20:13; Ex 20:14; De 5:17; De 5:18)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 and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.16If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their 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 my deeds.19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[3]?21Was not our father 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. (Ge 15:6)24You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do 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.