2My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.G3450G80G2192G3361G4102G2257G2962G2424G5547G1391G1722G43822Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.G1063G1437G1525G1519G5216G4864G435G5554G1722G2986G2066G1161G1525G2532G4434G1722G4508G20663If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, "Have this best seat here," but say to the poor man, "Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,"G2532G1914G1909G5409G2986G2066G2532G2036G846G2521G4771G5602G2573G2532G2036G4434G2476G4771G1563G2228G2521G5602G5259G3450G52864then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.G1252G3756G2532G1252G1722G1438G2532G1096G2923G4190G12615Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.G191G3450G27G80G1586G3756G2316G1586G4434G5127G2889G4145G1722G4102G2532G2818G932G3739G1861G25G8466But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!G1161G5210G818G4434G2616G3756G4145G2616G5216G2532G846G1670G5209G1519G29227They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.G987G3756G846G987G2570G3686G1909G5209G19418You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."G1487G3305G5055G937G3551G2596G1124G25G4675G4139G5613G4572G4160G25739But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.G1161G1487G4380G2038G266G1651G5259G3551G5613G384810Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all.G1063G3748G5083G3650G3551G1161G4417G1722G1520G1096G1777G395611For the same one who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder.G1063G2036G3431G3361G3431G2036G2532G5407G3361G5407G1161G1487G3431G3756G3431G1161G5407G1096G3848G355112Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.G3779G2980G2532G3779G4160G5613G3195G2919G1223G3551G165713For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.G1063G2920G448G4160G3361G1656G2532G1656G2620G2920
Faith and Actions
14My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?G5101G3786G3450G80G1437G5100G3004G2192G4102G1161G2192G3361G2041G1410G3361G4102G4982G84615Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat.G1437G1161G80G2228G79G5225G1131G2532G3007G5600G2184G516016What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!" - if you don't give them the necessities of life?G1161G5100G1537G5216G2036G846G5217G1722G1515G2328G2532G5526G1161G1325G846G3361G2006G4983G5101G378617So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.G2532G3779G4102G3362G2192G3362G2041G2076G3498G2596G143818But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions."G235G5100G2046G4771G2192G4102G2504G2192G2041G1166G3427G4675G4102G1537G4675G2041G2504G1166G4671G3450G4102G1537G3450G204119Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe - and tremble with fear.G4771G4100G3754G2076G1520G2316G4160G2573G1140G2532G4100G2532G542520You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?G1161G2309G1097G5599G2756G444G3754G4102G5565G2041G2076G349821How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.G1344G3756G11G2257G3962G1344G1537G2041G399G2464G846G5207G1909G237922Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.G991G3754G4102G4903G846G2041G2532G1537G2041G5048G4102G504823And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend.G2532G1124G4137G3004G1161G11G4100G2316G2532G3049G846G1519G1343G2532G2564G5384G231624You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.G3708G5106G3754G1537G2041G444G1344G2532G3756G1537G4102G344025It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.G3668G1161G2532G1344G3756G4460G4204G1344G1537G2041G5264G32G2532G1544G2087G359826So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.G1063G5618G4983G5565G4151G2076G3498G3779G4102G5565G2041G2076G3498G2532