Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(A) who has blessed us in the heavenly realms^(B) with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us^(C) in him before the creation of the world^(D) to be holy and blameless^(E) in his sight. In love^{(F) 5} he^[a] predestined^(G) us for adoption to sonship^[b](H) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure^(I) and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace,^(J) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.^{(K) 7} In him we have redemption^(L) through his blood,^(M) the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches^(N) of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[c] made known to us the mystery^(O) of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed^(P) in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment^(Q)—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.^(R)

True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’^(A) will enter the kingdom of heaven,^(B) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.^{(C) 22} Many will say to me on that day,^(D) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’^{(E) 23} Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’^(F)

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? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.^{(B) 16} If 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?^{(C) 17} In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.^(D)

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

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

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[a]?^{(J) 21} Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(K) 22} You see that his faith and his actions were working together,^(L) and his faith was made complete by what he did.^{(M) 23} And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[b](N) and he was called God’s friend.^{(O) 24} You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In 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?^{(P) 26} As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.^(Q)