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Building on a Solid Foundation

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.

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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.

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47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

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47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice,(A) I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 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.”

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17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

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

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10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

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10 By the grace God has given me,(A) I laid a foundation(B) as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.(C)

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28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

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28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God(A) and obey it.”(B)

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And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.

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Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

We know(A) that we have come to know him(B) if we keep his commands.(C)

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17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[a] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[b] He was even called the friend of God.[c] 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath,[d] so also faith is dead without good works.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:19 Some manuscripts read that God is one; see Deut 6:4.
  2. 2:23a Gen 15:6.
  3. 2:23b See Isa 41:8.
  4. 2:26 Or without spirit.

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) 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b](K) and he was called God’s friend.(L) 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?(M) 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead
  2. James 2:23 Gen. 15:6

10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
    All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever!

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10 The fear of the Lord(A) is the beginning of wisdom;(B)
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.(C)
    To him belongs eternal praise.(D)

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22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

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22 and receive from him anything we ask,(A) because we keep his commands(B) and do what pleases him.(C) 23 And this is his command: to believe(D) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,(E) and to love one another as he commanded us.(F) 24 The one who keeps God’s commands(G) lives in him,(H) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.(I)

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21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

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21 Therefore, get rid of(A) all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you,(B) which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(C) 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,(D) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.(E)

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues(F) deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after(G) orphans and widows(H) in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.(I)

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The wise are glad to be instructed,
    but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

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The wise in heart accept commands,
    but a chattering fool comes to ruin.(A)

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Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, obey[a] my commandments.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:15 Other manuscripts read you will obey; still others read you should obey.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, keep my commands.(A)

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Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

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Do not be deceived:(A) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.(B) 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)

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