⁸ For ^(A)by grace you have been saved ^(B)through faith; and ^[a]this is not of yourselves, it is ^(C)the gift of God; ^9 (D)not a result of works, so that ^(E)no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, ^(F)created in ^(G)Christ Jesus for ^(H)good works, which God ^(I)prepared beforehand so that we would ^(J)walk in them.

Faith and Works

^14 (A)What use is it, ^(B)my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can ^[a]that faith save him? ^15 (C)If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “^(D)Go in peace, ^[b]be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? ¹⁷ In the same way, ^(E)faith also, if it has no works, is ^[c]dead, being by itself.

^18 (F)But someone ^[d]may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your ^(G)faith without the works, and I will ^(H)show you my faith ^(I)by my works.” ¹⁹ You believe that ^[e](J)God is one. ^(K)You do well; ^(L)the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ But are you willing to acknowledge, ^(M)you foolish person, that ^(N)faith without works is useless? ^21 (O)Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that ^(P)faith was working with his works, and ^[f]as a result of the ^(Q)works, faith was ^[g]perfected; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “^(R)And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a ^(S)friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, was ^(T)Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also ^(U)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also ^(V)faith without works is dead.

¹³ But now in ^(A)Christ Jesus you who ^(B)previously were ^(C)far away ^[a]have ^(D)been brought near ^[b](E)by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is ^(F)our peace, ^(G)who made both groups into one and broke down the ^[c]barrier of the dividing wall, ^15 [d]by ^(H)abolishing ^[e]in His flesh the hostility, which is ^(I)the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might ^[f](J)make the two ^(K)one new person, in this way establishing ^(L)peace;

¹⁴ having canceled ^(A)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and ^(B)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

⁶ But now we have been ^(A)released from the Law, having ^(B)died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in ^(C)newness of ^(D)the ^[a]Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.