EMTV - James - 2

2:1  My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

2:2  For if a man enters into your assembly with a gold ring, in fine clothes, and there should also come in a poor man in dirty clothes,

2:3  and you have respect for him that wears the fine clothes and you say to him, "You sit here in a good seat," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here under my footstool,"

2:4  and so did you not differentiate among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

2:5  Listen, my beloved brothers. Did God not choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

2:6  But you have dishonored the poor. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into court?

2:7  Do they not blaspheme the noble name by which you are called?

2:8  If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you do well;

2:9  but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

2:10  For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

2:11  For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "YOU SHALL NOT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but yet you murder, then you have become a transgressor of the law.

2:12  So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

2:13  For judgment is without mercy to the one who does not show mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

2:14  What does it profit, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Is that kind of faith able to save him?

2:15  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

2:16  and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the necessary things of the body, what is the benefit?

2:17  Thus also that faith, if it does not have works, is dead, being by itself.

2:18  But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by means of my works.

2:19  You believe God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe—and they shudder!

2:20  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

2:22  Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by means of his works faith was made perfect?

2:23  And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." And he was called a friend of God.

2:24  You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.

2:25  Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by means of works, when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.