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?

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.”

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)

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.^{(A) 23} Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,^(B) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.^(C)

⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

¹⁶ They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.^(A) They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.^(B)

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;^(A)

²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.^(A)

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(A) He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,

⁹ Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.^(A) It is good for our hearts to be strengthened^(B) by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods,^(C) which is of no benefit to those who do so.^(D)