But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith from my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe─and they shudder.
The above passage from Scripture is absolutely fascinating to me. So many Biblical truths can be found in these words from the second chapter of this letter from James. I would like to dwell here for my next few posts in order to explore many of these truths…
My first observation as I read this passage is that the demons believe in God. I repeat this statement over and over again in my head and it sounds more and more ridiculous each time. The demons also believe.
Christians talk a lot about believing. “Believe in Jesus and you will be saved!” There seems to be a lot of confusion, however, over the meaning of the word believe. I know this from my own experience. You see, before I became a Christian, I believed in God. Not only that, but I also believed in Jesus, that he was crucified, and finally, that he rose again on the third day. When I began to read the Bible, however, I was deeply upset by this verse. THE DEMONS ALSO BELIEVE! I struggled to separate my belief from the belief of the demons. The conclusion at which I arrived was troubling: there wasn’t a difference.
‘Believe’ can take on two very different meanings. First, it can refer to a head knowledge. The demons know that God exists. They know that there is but one God. They believe. It was in this same way that I once believed in God. I knew that he existed, that he had a Son, that his Son died for my sins and rose again. This, however, was the extent of my belief.
‘Believe’ can also refer to a trust that results in action. For example, as I sit in a chair, I believe that it will bear my weight. This belief isn’t merely head knowledge. I actually sit in the chair. Further, when I sit in the chair I put in it my full body weight. Belief in the chair plays out in my actions. The knowledge that the chair will hold me up is secondary to the placement of trust in the chair as I lower all of my weight onto it.
The demons subscribe to the first definition of belief. They know that there is one God─and they shudder. They do not place their trust in God. Appropriate action does not follow their belief. In order that I might be rescued from my sins and have eternal life, I must first believe and place my trust in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. That is, I must place my life in the hands of my Savior. Practically speaking, this takes the form of repentance, or the asking for forgiveness and turning away from my sins, as well as trusting that Jesus’ death on the cross has paid completely for all my sins. A legal transaction has taken place and because of His crucifixion I will be found innocent on the Day of Judgment and avoid an eternal sentence of destruction.
I beg you to ponder this passage of Scripture and consider whether or not you truly believe in Jesus. Trust in Him like you trust the chair in which you sit.
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