Bible verses about "independence" | LEB

³⁵ Now it happened that as he drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting on the side of the road begging. ³⁶ And when he* heard a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ And they told him, "Jesus the Nazarene is passing by." ³⁸ And he called out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" ³⁹ And those who were in front rebuked him, that he should be silent, but he cried out _⌊even more loudly_⌋,* "Son of David, have mercy on me!" ⁴⁰ So Jesus stopped and* ordered him to be brought to him. And when* he approached, he asked him, ⁴¹ "What do you want me to do for you?" And he said, "Lord, that I may regain my sight. ⁴² And Jesus said to him, "Regain your sight! Your faith has saved you." ⁴³ And immediately he regained his sight and began to follow* him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they* saw it,* gave praise to God.

¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has found? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ³ For what does the scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness."* ⁴ Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited according to grace, but according to his due. ⁵ But to the one who does not work, but who believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness, ⁶ just as David also speaks about the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ⁷ "Blessed are they whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins are covered over. ⁸ Blessed is the person against whom the Lord will never count sin."* ⁹ Therefore, is this blessing for _⌊those who are circumcised_⌋*, or also for _⌊those who are uncircumcised_⌋*? For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness."* ¹⁰ How then was it credited? While he* was _⌊circumcised_⌋* or _⌊uncircumcised_⌋*? Not _⌊while circumcised_⌋* but _⌊while uncircumcised_⌋*! ¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal* of the righteousness by faith which he had _⌊while uncircumcised_⌋*, so that he could be the father of all who believe _⌊although they are uncircumcised_⌋*, so that righteousness could be credited to them,* ¹² and the father _⌊of those who are circumcised_⌋* to those who are not only from the circumcision, but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham _⌊which he had while uncircumcised_⌋*. ¹³ For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants, that he would be heir of the world, was not through the law, but through the righteousness by faith. ¹⁴ For if those of the law are heirs, faith is rendered void and the promise is nullified. ¹⁵ For the law produces wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. ¹⁶ Because of this, it is by faith, in order that it may be according to grace, so that the promise may be secure to all the descendants, not only to those of the law, but also to those of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷ (just as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")* before God, in whom he believed, the one who makes the dead alive and who calls the things that are not as though they are, ¹⁸ who against hope believed in hope, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was said, "so will your descendants be."* ¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, he considered his own body as good as dead, * because he* was approximately a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ And he did not waver in unbelief at the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God ²¹ and being fully convinced that what he had promised, he was also able to do. ²² Therefore* it was credited to him for righteousness. ²³ But it was not written for the sake of him alone that it was credited to him, ²⁴ but also for the sake of us to whom it is going to be credited, to those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was handed over on account of our trespasses, and was raised up in the interest of our justification.*

⁸ But if someone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

¹² Not that I have already received this,* or have already been made perfect, but I press on if indeed I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ.*

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

¹ For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

¹⁶ Live as free persons, and not using your* freedom as a covering for evil, but as slaves of God.