³ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.^(A) And his commands are not burdensome,^{(B) 4} for everyone born of God^(C) overcomes^(D) the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.^(E)

The Wise and Foolish Builders^(A)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice^(B) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.^(A)

³ If I give all I possess to the poor^(A) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[a](B) but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁷ Do not be deceived:^(A) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.^{(B) 8} Whoever sows to please their flesh,^(C) from the flesh will reap destruction;^(D) whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.^(E)

³ We remember before our God and Father^(A) your work produced by faith,^(B) your labor prompted by love,^(C) and your endurance inspired by hope^(D) in our Lord Jesus Christ.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.^(A)

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?^(A) Can such faith save them?

¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.^(A)

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds,^(B) and I will show you my faith^(C) by my deeds.^{(D) 19} You believe that there is one God.^(E) Good! Even the demons believe that^(F)—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[a]?^{(G) 21} Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(H) 22} You see that his faith and his actions were working together,^(I) and his faith was made complete by what he did.^(J)