James 2

2:1 My Christian brothers and sisters, you trust the Lord Jesus Christ who is full of glory. So, do not value one person more than another. 2:2 Suppose that a rich man who is wearing gold rings and good clothes comes to your meeting place. A poor man who is wearing old clothes also comes in. 2:3 You show more respect for the man who is wearing good clothes than to the poor man. You say to the rich man, ‘Please sit in this good seat’. But to the poor man you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit on the floor by my feet’. 2:4 If you do this, you are making a wrong distinction between them. You are judging them based on your own evil thinking. 2:5 My dear brothers and sisters, listen to me. God chose the poor people of this world to be rich because of their trust in him. They will possess the kingdom that he promised to those who love him. 2:6 But you have insulted the poor man and made him feel ashamed. It is the rich who persecute you. The rich drag you in front of the judges in the courts. 2:7 The rich speak evil of the good name of the one who called you to be his.

2:8 The royal law, found in the Bible, says, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39). If you really obey this, you do well. 2:9 But if you show respect to one person and not to another, that is sin. God’s law says that you are guilty of doing wrong. 2:10 We must obey every rule that the law tells us. If we fail to obey one small rule, we have failed to obey the whole law. 2:11 God has said in his law, ‘You must not have sex with another person who is not your husband or wife’ (Exodus 20:14). He has also said, ‘Do not kill another person’ (Exodus 20:13). If you do not have wrong sex, but you do murder, you have not obeyed the law of God. 2:12 God will judge you by the law that can make you free. Speak and live as those who know that. 2:13 God will not have mercy on those who have not shown mercy to other people. God will have mercy on those who show mercy. And God’s mercy overcomes the law when it says that a person like that is guilty.

2:14 My Christian brothers and sisters, you say that you believe in God. If you do not show this by doing good things, what you say is no use at all. If you believe like that, God will not save you. 2:15 Suppose a brother or sister needs clothes and does not have enough to eat. 2:16 You may say, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled.’ It is no good unless you give what the brother or sister needs. 2:17 It is the same with your faith. You may say that you believe. But you do not do good things. That is no use at all. People show that they really believe in God by the good things that they do. 2:18 Someone will say, ‘You believe in God but I help people.’ Show me that you believe in God without doing good things. And I will show you that I believe in God by what I do. 2:19 You say that you believe that there is one God. Good! The demons believe that, and it makes them tremble with fear. 2:20 You foolish people, you should not need me to show you these facts. You may say that you believe. But you do not do good things. That is no use at all. 2:21 Our father Abraham offered up his son Isaac on the altar. God called him a righteous man because of what he did. 2:22 You can see that Abraham believed God. You can see it because he did what God told him to do. When he obeyed, Abraham showed that he really believed in God. 2:23 This is just what the Scriptures said would happen. ‘Abraham believed God, so God called him a righteous man’ (Genesis 15:6). God also called him his friend. 2:24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that God makes us righteous. It is not by our faith alone. 2:25 It was the same with Rahab. She was a woman who lived by sex. But when some men of Israel came to her, she let them stay in her house. And she kept them safe. Then she sent them away by a different route. 2:26 The body with no spirit is dead. Similarly, you may say that you believe in God. But you do not do good things. Then what you say is no use at all.