Study Desk

It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up, refuse to be called the son of the king's daughter.

It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back.

It was faith that made him establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites.

It was faith that made the Israelites able to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.

It was faith that made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days.

It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.

Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions,

Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life. Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life.

What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised,

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne.

Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith.

for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.

Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?

So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.

But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions."

You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?

Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.

And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend.

You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.