He answered them, "Because you have so little faith! For I solemnly say to you, if you have the faith that is living like a grain of mustard, you can say to this mountain, 'Move over from here to yonder,' and it will move over, and nothing will be impossible for you to do."

Jesus said to him, "If there is anything I can do! Everything is possible for him who has faith!"

I solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt at all in his heart, but has faith that what he says will take place, shall have it. So then I tell you, whenever you pray and ask for anything, have faith that it has been granted you, and you will get it.

He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned.

so that everyone who trusts in Him may have eternal life. "For God loved the world so much that He gave His Only Son, so that anyone who trusts in Him may never perish but have eternal life.

He continued listening to Paul as he spoke, and as Paul by looking straight at him observed that he had faith that he would be cured,

They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved."

First, through Jesus Christ I thank my God for you all, because the report of your faith is spreading all over the world.

But make it your habit to let worldly and old women's stories alone. Continue training yourself for the religious life. Physical training, indeed, is of some service, but religion is of service for everything, for it contains a promise for the present life as well as the future.

He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned.

"For God loved the world so much that He gave His Only Son, so that anyone who trusts in Him may never perish but have eternal life. For God sent His Son into the world, not to pass sentence on it, but that the world through Him might be saved. read more. Whoever trusts in Him is never to come up for judgment, but whoever does not trust in Him has already received his sentence, because he has not trusted in the name of God's only Son. And the ground for the sentence is this, that the light has come into the world, and yet, because their actions were evil, men have loved darkness more than the light. For anyone who is in the habit of doing wrong hates the light, and to keep his actions from being reproved, he does not come out into the daylight. But whoever is in the habit of living the truth will come out in the daylight, that his actions may be shown to be performed with God's help." After this, Jesus and His disciples went into Judea, and for some time He stayed there with them and kept baptizing people. But John too was baptizing people at Aenon, near Salim, for there was plenty of water there, and so the people were coming and being baptized. (For John had not yet been put in prison.) Then a discussion came up between John's disciples and a Jew about purification. And they went to John and said to him, "Teacher, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, to whom you bore testimony yourself, is baptizing people and everybody is going to Him." John answered, "A man cannot get anything, unless it is given to him from heaven. You can bear testimony to me yourselves that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent as His announcer.' It is the bridegroom who has the bride, but the bridegroom's friend, who stands outside and listens to him, is very happy to hear the bridegroom's voice. So this happiness of mine is running over. He must grow greater and greater, but I less and less." He who comes from above is far above all others. He who springs from earth belongs to the earth and speaks of earth. He who comes from heaven is far above all others. He continues to bear testimony to what He has actually seen and heard, and yet no one accepts His testimony. Whoever does accept His testimony has certified with a seal that God is true. For He whom God has sent continues to speak the words of God, for God continues to give Him the Spirit without measure. The Father loves His Son and has put everything in His hands. Whoever trusts in the Son possesses eternal life, but whoever refuses to trust in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God continues to remain on him.

All that my Father gives to me will come to me, and I will never, no, never reject anyone who comes to me,

For it is my Father's will that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him to life on the last day."

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him to me; then I myself will raise him to life on the last day.

Whoever continues to believe in me will have, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water continuously flowing from within him."

My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them and they follow me, and I give to them eternal life, and they shall never get lost, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

But if I am doing so, even if you will not believe me, believe the deeds, that you may come to know and continue to know that the Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father."

In just a little while the world will not see me any more, but you will be seeing me. Because I am to live on, you too will live on.

So God's message continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem continued to grow rapidly; a large number, even of priests, continued to surrender to the faith.

To this very One all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him is to receive the forgiveness of sins through His name."

The heathen kept on listening and rejoicing and giving the glory to God's message, and all who had been destined to eternal life believed,

and in this way He put no difference between us and them, because He cleansed their hearts by faith.

They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved."

They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved."

to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.'

through whom we have received God's favor and a commission as an apostle in His name to urge upon all the heathen obedience inspired by faith,

God's own way of giving men right standing with Himself is through faith in Jesus Christ. It is for everybody who has faith, for no distinction at all is made.

For God once publicly offered Him in His death as a sacrifice of reconciliation through faith, to demonstrate His own justice (for in His forbearance God had passed over men's former sins);

Since we have been given right standing with God through faith, then let us continue enjoying peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

So through baptism we have been buried with Him in death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glorious power, so we too should live an entirely new life. For if we have grown into fellowship with Him by sharing a death like His, surely we shall share a resurrection life like His, read more. for we know that our former self was crucified with Him, to make our body that is liable to sin inactive, so that we might not a moment longer continue to be slaves to sin. For when a man is dead, he is freed from the claims of sin. So if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, for we know that Christ, who once was raised from the dead, will never die again; death has no more power over Him. For by the death He died He once for all ended His relation to sin, and by the life He now is living He lives in unbroken relation to God.

So then there is no condemnation at all for those who are in union with Christ Jesus.

But how can people call upon One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in One about whom they have not heard? And how can people hear without someone to preach to them? And how can men preach unless they are sent to do so? As the Scripture says, "How beautiful are the feet of men who bring the glad news of His good things!" read more. However, they have not all given heed to the good news, for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has put faith in what we told?" So faith comes from hearing what is told, and hearing through the message about Christ.

An unspiritual man does not accept the things that the Spirit of God teaches, for they are nonsense to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are appreciated by spiritual insight.

only they kept hearing people say, "Our former persecutor is now preaching as good news the faith which once he tried to destroy,"

because we know that a man does not come into right standing with God by doing what the law commands, but by simple trust in Christ, we too have trusted in Christ Jesus, in order to come into right standing with God by simple trust in Christ and not by doing what the law commands, because by doing what the law commands no man can come into right standing with God.

For in union with Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor lack of it counts for anything; but only faith that is spurred on to action by love.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may grant you the Spirit to give wisdom and revelation which come through a growing knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, so that you may know what the hope is to which He calls you, how glorious rich God's portion in His people is,

But, on the other hand, we shall go on holding to the truth and in love growing up into perfect union with Him, that is, Christ Himself who is the Head. For it is under His direction that the whole body is perfectly adjusted and united by every joint that furnishes its supplies; and by the proper functioning of each particular part there is brought about the growing of the body for its building up in love.

Only you must practice living lives that are worthy of the good news, so that whether I come and see you or stay away, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, and that with one purpose you are continuing to cooperate in the fight for faith in the good news.

and be actually in union with Him, not having a supposed right standing with God which depends on my doing what the law commands, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the real right standing with God which originates from Him and rests on faith.

in order to make it evident why I have to tell it.

Always let your conversation be seasoned with salt, that is, with winsomeness, so that you may know how to make a fitting answer to everyone.

But hold yourself aloof from foolish controversies, pedigrees, strife, and wrangles about the law, for these are fruitless and futile.

Dearly beloved, while I was doing my best to begin writing you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write and urge you to carry on a vigorous defense of the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's people.

Jesus said to him, "Is it because you have seen me, Thomas, that you believe? Blessed be those who believe, even though they have not seen me!"

So God's message continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem continued to grow rapidly; a large number, even of priests, continued to surrender to the faith.

through whom we have received God's favor and a commission as an apostle in His name to urge upon all the heathen obedience inspired by faith,

God's own way of giving men right standing with Himself is through faith in Jesus Christ. It is for everybody who has faith, for no distinction at all is made.

For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him as right standing with God."

So David, too, describes the happiness of the man to whom God credits right standing with Himself, without the things he does having anything to do with it:

Since we have been given right standing with God through faith, then let us continue enjoying peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

For just as by that man's disobedience the whole race of men were constituted sinners, so by this One's obedience the whole race of men may be brought into right standing with God.

Who can bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who declared them in right standing;

For Christ has put an end to law as a way to right standing for everyone who puts his trust in Him.

but now has been fully brought to light by means of the prophetic Scriptures, and in accordance with the command of the eternal God has been made known to all the heathen, to win them to obedience inspired by faith --

So I want to inform you that no one speaking under the power of the Spirit of God can say, "Jesus is accursed!" and no one except one under the power of the Holy Spirit can really say, "Jesus is Lord!"

If I should have the gift of prophecy, And know all secret truths, and knowledge in its every form, and have such perfect faith that I could move mountains, but have no love, I am nothing.

For it was through Christ that God was reconciling the world to Himself instead of debiting men's offenses against them, and He has committed to me the message of this reconciliation.

He made Him who personally knew nothing of sin to be a sin-offering for us, so that through union with Him we might come into right standing with God.

just as "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him as right standing with God"?

Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for, the proof of the reality of the things we cannot see.

but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that there is a God and that He gives rewards to all who earnestly try to find Him.

My brothers, what good is there in a man's saying that he has faith, if he has no good deeds to prove it? Such faith cannot save him, can it? If some brother or sister is thinly clad and has no food for the day, read more. and one of you says to him, "Blessings on you, keep warm, eat until you have aplenty," without giving him the things that are needed for the body, what good does it do? So faith by itself, if it has no deeds to back it up, is dead. But someone may say, "You have faith, and I have good deeds. Show me your faith without any good deeds, but I will show you mine by my good deeds." Do you believe in one God? Very well; the demons, too, believe that, and shudder. But, O senseless man, are you willing to learn that faith without good deeds is worthless? Was not our forefather Abraham shown to be upright by his good deeds, namely, by offering Isaac his son upon the altar? You see that faith cooperated with his good deeds, and by his good deeds faith was made complete; and so the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him for uprightness, and he was called God's friend." You see that a man is shown to be upright by his good deeds, and not merely by his faith. Was not even Rahab the prostitute shown to be upright by her good deeds, namely, by entertaining the scouts and sending them off by a different road? Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without good deeds is dead.

Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have obtained the same precious faith that we have:

His command is this, that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and practice loving one another, just as He commanded us to do.

If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is stronger still; because this is the testimony that God has borne to His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his own heart. Whoever does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has borne to His Son. read more. And this testimony is that God has given us eternal life, and this life is given through union with His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the person of the Son of God, so that you may know that you already have eternal life.

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will get into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who practice doing the will of my Father in heaven.

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for it is not man that made this known to you, but my Father in heaven. read more. And I, yes I, tell you, your name from now on is to be Peter, Rock, and on a massive rock like this I will build my church, and the powers of the underworld shall never overthrow it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you forbid on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven." Then He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ. It was just after that that Jesus Christ for the first time clearly taught His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem and submit to many forms of suffering at the hands of the elders, high priests, and scribes, and be killed, but be raised to life on the third day. And Peter took Him aside and began to chide Him, as he said, "Heaven shield you, my Lord! This must never be your lot!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get out of my way, you Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for this view of yours is not from God but from men." Then Jesus said to His disciples: "If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must say 'No' to self, put his cross on his shoulders, and keep on following me. For whoever wants to save his higher life will have to give up the lower life, and whoever gives up his lower life for my sake will find the higher life. For what benefit will it be to a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his higher life? What price would a man pay to buy back his life? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's splendor, with His angels, and then He will pay back to everyone in accordance with what he has done. I solemnly say to you, some of the people standing here will certainly live to see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

After that the disciples came to Jesus and privately asked, "Why is it we could not drive it out?"

But whoever leads one of these little ones, who believe in me, to do wrong, had better have a great millstone hung around his neck to sink him to the bottom of the sea.

just as the Son of Man has come, not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom price to set many free."

"A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you pay tithes on mint and dill and cummin, and yet leave out the more vital matters of the law, justice, love and fidelity. These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have left out the former.

for this is my blood which ratifies the covenant, the blood which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of their sins.

"The time is ripe and the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe in the good news."

And the following signs will attend those who believe: By using my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in foreign languages;

"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has come and brought His people deliverance; and He has made a mighty Saviour for us in the house of His servant David, read more. "as He promised by the lips of His ancient prophets, deliverance from our foes and from the hands of all who hate us, to show mercy to our forefathers, and carry out His sacred covenant, the oath which He swore to our forefather Abraham, to grant us deliverance from the dreaded hand of our foes, so that we could serve Him in holiness and uprightness In His own presence all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to make ready His ways, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because the heart of our God is merciful. And so the day will dawn upon us from on high, to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Just at that time she came up and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were expecting the deliverance of Jerusalem.

who appeared in splendor and were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am pressed with anguish till it is accomplished!

Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith."

and said to them, "The Scriptures said that the Christ should suffer as He has suffered, should rise from the dead on the third day, and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem read more. you are to continue as witnesses to these things.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, "Look! He is the Lamb of God who is to take away the world's sin.

Jesus performed this, the first of His wonder-works, at Cana in Galilee. By it He showed His glorious power, and so His disciples believed in Him.

Jesus performed this, the first of His wonder-works, at Cana in Galilee. By it He showed His glorious power, and so His disciples believed in Him.

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it in three days." Then the Jews retorted, "It took forty-six years to build this sanctuary, and you are going to raise it in three days!" read more. But He meant the sanctuary of His body. So after He had risen from the dead, His disciples recalled that He had said this, and so believed the Scripture and the statement that He had made. Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people, because they saw the wonder-works which He was performing, trusted in Him as the Christ.

Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people, because they saw the wonder-works which He was performing, trusted in Him as the Christ.

Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people, because they saw the wonder-works which He was performing, trusted in Him as the Christ.

He came to Jesus one night and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that you have come from God, for no one can perform the wonder-works that you are doing, unless God is with him."

And just as Moses in the desert lifted the serpent on the pole, the Son of Man must be lifted up,

Whoever trusts in Him is never to come up for judgment, but whoever does not trust in Him has already received his sentence, because he has not trusted in the name of God's only Son.

Whoever trusts in the Son possesses eternal life, but whoever refuses to trust in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God continues to remain on him.

Many of the Samaritans in that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, when she said, "He has told me everything I ever did."

Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will never believe."

When the people, therefore, saw the wonder-works that He performed, they began to say, "This is surely the prophet who was to come into the world."

Jesus answered them, "The work that God demands of you is this, to believe in the messenger whom He has sent."

for the bread that God gives is what comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world."

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread that gives life. Whoever comes to me will never get hungry, and whoever believes in me will never get thirsty.

But many of the crowd believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, He will not perform greater wonder-works than He did, will He?"

Whoever continues to believe in me will have, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water continuously flowing from within him."

Then Jesus again addressed them and said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever continues to follow me need never walk in darkness, but he will enjoy the light that means life."

Even while He was saying this, many believed in Him.

Jesus heard that they had turned the man out of the synagogue; so He found him and said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man yourself?"

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life myself. Whoever continues to believe in me will live right on even though he dies,

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life myself. Whoever continues to believe in me will live right on even though he dies,

Thus many of the Jews, who came to see Mary and who saw what Jesus had done, believed in Him;

for on account of him many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.

Jesus answered them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, I most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain. But if it does die, it yields a great harvest. read more. Whoever loves his lower life will lose the higher, but whoever hates his lower life in this world preserves the higher for eternal life.

While you have the light believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." On saying this Jesus went away and hid Himself.

so that the utterance of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the mighty arm of the Lord been shown?"

"Stop letting your hearts be troubled; keep on believing in God, and also in me.

Jesus answered him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you knew me, you would know my Father too. From now on you do know Him and you have seen Him."

You must believe me, that I am in union with the Father and that the Father is in union with me, or else you must do so because of the very things that I am doing. I most solemnly say to you, whoever perseveres in believing in me can himself do the things that I am doing; yes, he can do even greater things than I am doing, because I am going to the Father.

Yet it is nothing but the truth I now tell you, that it is better for you that I should go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come into close fellowship with you, but if I do go away, I will send Him to be in close fellowship with you.

"I make this petition, not for them only, but for all who ever come to believe in me through their message,

Jesus said to him, "Is it because you have seen me, Thomas, that you believe? Blessed be those who believe, even though they have not seen me!"

But these have been recorded, in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life, as bearers of His name.

"Fellow Israelites, listen to what I say. Jesus of Nazareth, as you yourselves well know, a man accredited to you by God through mighty deeds and wonders and wonder-works which God performed through Him right here among you,

"Fellow Israelites, listen to what I say. Jesus of Nazareth, as you yourselves well know, a man accredited to you by God through mighty deeds and wonders and wonder-works which God performed through Him right here among you, this very Jesus, I say, after He was betrayed, in accordance with the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you had wicked men kill by nailing Him to a cross; read more. but God raised Him up by loosing Him from the pangs of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by the power of death. For David says of Him: 'I always kept my eyes upon the Lord, for He is at my right hand, so that I may not be removed. So my heart is glad and my tongue exults, and my body still lives in hope. For you will not forsake my soul to Hades. Nor will you let your Holy One experience decay. You have made known to me the ways of life, and you will fill me with delight in your presence.' "Brothers, I may confidently say to you about the patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and that his grave is here among us to this very day. So, as he was a prophet and knew that God with an oath had promised to put one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw the resurrection of the Christ and told of it, for He was not forsaken to Hades, and His body did not undergo decay. I mean Jesus whom God raised from the dead, to which fact we are all witnesses, So He has been exalted to God's right hand and has received from His Father, as promised, and poured out upon us the Holy Spirit, as you see and hear. For David did not go up to heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."' "Therefore, let all the descendants of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ."

"Therefore, let all the descendants of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ." When they heard this, they were stabbed to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" read more. Peter said to them, "You must repent -- and, as an expression of it, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ -- that you may have your sins forgiven; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,

And all the believers lived together and held all they had as common goods to be shared by one another.

But in this way God fulfilled what He by the lips of all the prophets foretold, that the Christ should suffer.

you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well. He is the stone that was thrown away by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. read more. There is no salvation by anyone else, for no one else in all the wide world has been appointed among men as our only medium by which to be saved."

'Look, you scoffers! Then wonder and vanish away, for I am doing a work in your times which you will not at all believe though one may tell you in detail.'"

since He has set a day on which He will justly judge the world through a man whom He has appointed. He has made this credible to all by raising Him from the dead."

Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, so as to continue to be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.

Now it is for this reason that I invited you to come, namely, to see you and speak with you, for it is on account of Israel's hope that I am wearing this chain."

proved to be God's Son in power by the resurrection from the dead -- I mean, Jesus Christ, our Lord,

For in the good news God's Way of man's right standing with Him is uncovered, the Way of faith that leads to greater faith, just as the Scripture says, "The upright man must live by faith."

What then, if some of them have proved unfaithful? Can their unfaithfulness make null and void God's faithfulness?

Now does this happiness come to the Jews alone, or to the heathen peoples too? For we say, "Abraham's faith was credited to him as right standing."

Therefore, his faith was credited to him as right standing with God.

who was given up to death because of our shortcomings and was raised again to give us right standing with God.

But God proves His love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

and if children, then also heirs, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ if in reality we share His sufferings, so that we may share His glory too. For I consider all that we suffer in this present life is nothing to be compared with the glory which by-and-by is to be uncovered for us. read more. For all nature is expectantly waiting for the unveiling of the sons of God. For nature did not of its own accord give up to failure; it was for the sake of Him who let it thus be given up, in the hope that even nature itself might finally be set free from its bondage to decay, so as to share the glorious freedom of God's children. Yes, we know that all nature has gone on groaning in agony together till the present moment. Not only that but this too, we ourselves who enjoy the Spirit as a foretaste of the future, even we ourselves, keep up our inner groanings while we wait to enter upon our adoption as God's sons at the redemption of our bodies.

as the Scripture says: "See, I put on Zion a stone for causing people to stumble, a rock to trip them on, but no one who puts his faith in it will ever be put to shame."

For Christ has put an end to law as a way to right standing for everyone who puts his trust in Him.

But what does it say? "God's message is close to you, on your very lips and in your heart"; that is, the message about faith which we preach. For if with your lips you acknowledge the fact that Jesus is Lord, and in your hearts you believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. read more. For in their hearts people exercise the faith that leads to right standing, and with their lips they make the acknowledgment which means salvation.

However, they have not all given heed to the good news, for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has put faith in what we told?"

to another, through union with the same Spirit, faith; to another, by one and the same Spirit, power to cure the sick;

If I should have the gift of prophecy, And know all secret truths, and knowledge in its every form, and have such perfect faith that I could move mountains, but have no love, I am nothing.

Now if we preach that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you are saying that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, read more. and if Christ was not raised, the message which we preach has nothing in it; there is nothing in our faith either, and we are found guilty of lying about God, for we have testified that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if indeed the dead are never raised. For if the dead are never raised, Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is a mere delusion; you are still under the penalty of your sins. Yes, even those who have fallen asleep, though in union with Christ, have perished. If for this life only we Christians have set our hopes on Christ, we are the most pitiable people in the world. But in reality Christ has been raised from the dead, the first to be raised of those who have fallen asleep. For since it was through a man that death resulted, it was also through a man that the resurrection of the dead resulted. For just as all men die by virtue of their descent from Adam, so all such as are in union with Christ will be made to live again. But each in his proper order; Christ first, then at His coming those who belong to Christ. After that comes the end, when He will turn the kingdom over to God His Father, when He will put an end to all other government, authority, and power; for He must continue to be king until He puts all His enemies under His feet. Death is the last enemy to be stopped, for He has put everything in subjection under His feet. But when He says that everything has been put in subjection to Him, He Himself is evidently excepted who put it all in subjection to Him. And when everything has been put in subjection to Him, then the Son Himself will also become subject to Him who has put everything in subjection to Him, so that God may be everything to everybody.

Now since I have the same spirit of faith as he who said in the Scriptures, "I believed, and so I spoke," I too believe, and so I speak,

because I do not keep my eyes on things that are seen but things that are unseen. For things that are seen are temporary, but things that are unseen are eternal.

(for here I live by what I believe and not by what I see),

just as "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him as right standing with God"?

just as "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him as right standing with God"? So you see, it is the men of faith who are the real descendants of Abraham. read more. Because the Scripture foresaw that God would bring the heathen into right standing with Himself on condition of faith, He beforehand proclaimed the good news to Abraham in the promise, "It is through you that all the heathen will be blessed."

Now it is evident that through the law no man is brought into right standing with God, for "The man in right standing with God will live by faith,"

But before this faith came, we were kept locked up under the law, in preparation for the faith which was to be unveiled.

But the product of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may grant you the Spirit to give wisdom and revelation which come through a growing knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, so that you may know what the hope is to which He calls you, how glorious rich God's portion in His people is, read more. and how surpassingly great is His power for us who believe, measured by His tremendously mighty power when He raised Christ from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in heaven, far above every other government, authority, power, and dominion, yea, far above every other title that can be conferred, not only in this world but in the world to come. And so He has put all things under His feet and made Him the supreme Head of the church, which is His body, that is being filled by Him who fills everything everywhere.

Yes, He is the Head of the church as His body. For He is the beginning, the first-born among the dead, so that He alone should stand first in everything. It is so because it was the divine choice that all the divine fullness should dwell in Him, read more. and that through Him He might reconcile to Himself all things on earth or in heaven, making this peace through the blood He shed On His cross. So you, who were once estranged from Him, and hostile in disposition as shown by your wrongdoings, He has now reconciled by His death in His human body, so as to present you consecrated, faultless, and blameless in His presence, if indeed you continue well grounded and firm in faith and never shift from the hope inspired by the good news you heard, which has been preached all over the world, and of which I, Paul, have been made a minister. I am now glad to be suffering for you, and in my own person I am filling in what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for His body, that is, the church. In it I have been made a minister in accordance with the trusteeship God entrusted to me for you, that I might prove among you the universal message of God,

Always let your conversation be seasoned with salt, that is, with winsomeness, so that you may know how to make a fitting answer to everyone.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then through Jesus, God will bring back with Him those who have fallen asleep.

but we do see Jesus, who was made inferior to the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by God's favor He might experience death for every human being.

For we have had the good news told to us as well as they, but the message heard did them no good, because they were not by faith made one with those who heeded it.

Therefore, because He Himself lives always to intercede for them always, He is able to save completely any and all who come to God through Him.

But when Christ came as the High Priest of good things that have already taken place, He went by way of that greater and more perfect tent of worship, not made by human hands, that is, not belonging to this material creation, and not with blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He once for all went into the real sanctuary and secured our eternal redemption. read more. For if the blood of bulls and goats and a heifer's ashes sprinkling those who are ceremonially unclean purifies them with physical cleansing, how much more surely will the blood of Christ, who with an eternal Spirit gave Himself a spotless offering to God, purify your consciences from works that mean mere death, to serve the ever living God?

Since then, my brothers, we have free access to the real sanctuary through the blood of Jesus,

let us continue to draw near to God with sincere hearts and perfect faith; with our hearts cleansed from the sense of sin, and our bodies bathed in clean water;

Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for, the proof of the reality of the things we cannot see.

but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that there is a God and that He gives rewards to all who earnestly try to find Him.

By faith he left Egypt, because he was not afraid of the king's anger, for he persevered as though he were actually seeing Him who is unseen.

My brothers, what good is there in a man's saying that he has faith, if he has no good deeds to prove it? Such faith cannot save him, can it? If some brother or sister is thinly clad and has no food for the day, read more. and one of you says to him, "Blessings on you, keep warm, eat until you have aplenty," without giving him the things that are needed for the body, what good does it do? So faith by itself, if it has no deeds to back it up, is dead. But someone may say, "You have faith, and I have good deeds. Show me your faith without any good deeds, but I will show you mine by my good deeds." Do you believe in one God? Very well; the demons, too, believe that, and shudder. But, O senseless man, are you willing to learn that faith without good deeds is worthless? Was not our forefather Abraham shown to be upright by his good deeds, namely, by offering Isaac his son upon the altar? You see that faith cooperated with his good deeds, and by his good deeds faith was made complete; and so the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him for uprightness, and he was called God's friend."

and so the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him for uprightness, and he was called God's friend." You see that a man is shown to be upright by his good deeds, and not merely by his faith. read more. Was not even Rahab the prostitute shown to be upright by her good deeds, namely, by entertaining the scouts and sending them off by a different road? Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without good deeds is dead.

You must continue to love Him, although you have never seen Him, but because you do believe in Him, although you do not now see Him, you must continue to rejoice with an unutterable and triumphant joy,

It must be so, because the Scriptures say: "Here now I lay in Zion a chosen stone, a costly cornerstone, And not a single one who puts his trust in Him will ever be put to shame." So to you who put your trust in Him the honor belongs, but to those who fail to trust Him: "That stone which then the builders threw away Has now become the cornerstone," read more. and: "A stone for them to stumble over and a rock to trip them up." They keep on stumbling over the message, because they are disobedient to it, and this is their appointed doom.

for every child of God continues to conquer the world. Our faith is the victory that has conquered the world.

John to the seven churches in Asia: spiritual blessing and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ the trustworthy witness, the First-born of the dead, and the Sovereign of the kings of the earth. To Him who ever loves us and once for all released us from our sins by His blood,

and from Jesus Christ the trustworthy witness, the First-born of the dead, and the Sovereign of the kings of the earth. To Him who ever loves us and once for all released us from our sins by His blood, and has made us a kingdom of priests for His God and Father: to Him be glory forever. Amen.

So when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He laid His right hand upon me and said: "Do not be afraid any more. I am the First and the Last;

Whoever trusts in the Son possesses eternal life, but whoever refuses to trust in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God continues to remain on him.

For if with your lips you acknowledge the fact that Jesus is Lord, and in your hearts you believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

(for here I live by what I believe and not by what I see),

For it is by His unmerited favor through faith that you have been saved; it is not by anything that you have done, it is the gift of God.

My brothers, what good is there in a man's saying that he has faith, if he has no good deeds to prove it? Such faith cannot save him, can it? If some brother or sister is thinly clad and has no food for the day, read more. and one of you says to him, "Blessings on you, keep warm, eat until you have aplenty," without giving him the things that are needed for the body, what good does it do? So faith by itself, if it has no deeds to back it up, is dead. But someone may say, "You have faith, and I have good deeds. Show me your faith without any good deeds, but I will show you mine by my good deeds." Do you believe in one God? Very well; the demons, too, believe that, and shudder. But, O senseless man, are you willing to learn that faith without good deeds is worthless? Was not our forefather Abraham shown to be upright by his good deeds, namely, by offering Isaac his son upon the altar? You see that faith cooperated with his good deeds, and by his good deeds faith was made complete; and so the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him for uprightness, and he was called God's friend." You see that a man is shown to be upright by his good deeds, and not merely by his faith. Was not even Rahab the prostitute shown to be upright by her good deeds, namely, by entertaining the scouts and sending them off by a different road? Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without good deeds is dead.

Dearly beloved, while I was doing my best to begin writing you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write and urge you to carry on a vigorous defense of the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's people.

When Jesus heard it, He was astounded, and said to His followers, "I solemnly say to you, I have not found, in a single case among the Jews, so great faith as this.

Some days later, Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him talk about faith in Christ Jesus.

First, through Jesus Christ I thank my God for you all, because the report of your faith is spreading all over the world.

What then, if some of them have proved unfaithful? Can their unfaithfulness make null and void God's faithfulness?

On your part, you must exercise your faith by the standard of yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man who need not condemn himself for doing the thing that he approves. But the man who has misgivings about eating, if he then eats, has already condemned himself by so doing, because he did not follow his faith, and any action that does not follow one's faith is a sin.

Only you must practice living lives that are worthy of the good news, so that whether I come and see you or stay away, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, and that with one purpose you are continuing to cooperate in the fight for faith in the good news.

Dearly beloved, while I was doing my best to begin writing you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write and urge you to carry on a vigorous defense of the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's people.