⁵ If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right—

¹⁴ Again, though I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” yet if they turn from their sin and do what is lawful and right^(A)—

⁷ Little children,^[a] let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ³ For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,^{(A) 4} for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.^{(B) 5} Who is it who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?^(C)

Children of God

²⁹ If you perceive that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who does right has been born of him.^(A)

³ Now by this we know that we have come to know him, if we obey his commandments.

Faith without Works Is Dead

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it?^{(A) 15} If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food^{(B) 16} and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? ¹⁷ So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from works, and I by my works will show you faith.^{(C) 19} You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.^{(D) 20} Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is worthless?^{[a] 21} Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(E) 22} You see that faith was active along with his works, and by works faith was brought to completion.^{(F) 23} Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,”^[b] and he was called the friend of God.^{(G) 24} You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers^[c] and sent them out by another road?^{(H) 26} For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

²² But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.^{(A) 23} For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves^[a] in a mirror;^{(B) 24} for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵ But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.^(C)

⁷ to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life, ⁸ while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but injustice, there will be wrath and fury.^{(A) 9} There will be affliction and distress for everyone who does evil, both the Jew first and the Greek,^{(B) 10} but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, both the Jew first and the Greek.