What Does the Bible Say About Action?
Here are 9 Bible verses about action, ordered by how relevant readers found them, with the King James Version and the modern Berean Standard Bible side by side.
- #1James 2:14-26
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. …
BSBWhat good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. …
- #2James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
BSBBe doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
- #31 Peter 1:13
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
BSBTherefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- #4James 2:18
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
BSBBut someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
- #5Colossians 3:23-24
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
BSBWhatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
- #6James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
BSBAnyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
- #7James 1:23-25
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
BSBFor anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
- #8James 2:26
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
BSBAs the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
- #91 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
BSBLittle children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
Verse rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY). Scripture: KJV & BSB (public domain).