Hearers and Doers

²⁴ “Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.^(A)

⁴⁷ I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.^{(A) 48} That one is like a man building a house who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built.^{[a] 49} But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it quickly collapsed, and great was the ruin of that house.”

¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Let each builder choose with care how to build on it.^{(A) 11} For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.^(B)

²⁸ But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”^(A)

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

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.^{(A) 19} You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.^{(B) 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?^{(C) 22} You see that faith was active along with his works, and by works faith was brought to completion.^{(D) 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.^{(E) 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?^{(F) 26} For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

²² and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.^(A)

²³ And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.^{(B) 24} All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.^(C)