Demonic Faith
James 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well.
Even the demons believe--and shudder!
Even the demons believe--and shudder!
Even the demons recognize who Jesus is! Even the demons will call him the king. How many times in the Gospels did the demons cower before Jesus, recognizing and fearing him? If we went to a Christian bookstore or seminary today and read a book on theology written by a demon, it would be pretty accurate. Their theology is amazing, they know the truth. That’s not the issue. Their knowledge is informational only, it is not transformational. If your life, heart, mind, body, eyes, ears, hands, and feet are not being transformed, you may have a demonic theology and demonic faith. You may know exactly who he is and have a ton of verses memorized and be able to walk somebody else through this, but you have not accepted it for yourself.
If you are still in rebellion, you are not repenting. The demons still rebel, they don’t repent. Hell was meant for them! Then we jacked it up and we get to go there too – if. Everyone who says, Jesus is love and I just want to show up and listen to him and feel the love – probably wouldn’t have liked to hear from Jesus. He talked more about hell than he did about heaven, more about the gnashing of teeth and the fire that isn’t quenched than he did about how much he loves us. He had to show the reality before he could show that he was doing this for us. He needed to explain how bad “there” is. But you don’t have to go there. You see, demons have a knowledge that doesn’t transform, it only informs.
Demons also have absolutely zero love for Jesus. They recognize him as king and will call them that, but they are rebellious and unrepentant and do not love him. Some of us know the answers that lead to Jesus, but don’t know Jesus himself. That’s where we get back to Matthew 7 – “many”, Jesus said “many”! A lot of people will stand before him and hear him say that he never knew them! He will tell them that they may have done all these things for his name, but not in his name or through his name.
If you are still in rebellion, you are not repenting. The demons still rebel, they don’t repent. Hell was meant for them! Then we jacked it up and we get to go there too – if. Everyone who says, Jesus is love and I just want to show up and listen to him and feel the love – probably wouldn’t have liked to hear from Jesus. He talked more about hell than he did about heaven, more about the gnashing of teeth and the fire that isn’t quenched than he did about how much he loves us. He had to show the reality before he could show that he was doing this for us. He needed to explain how bad “there” is. But you don’t have to go there. You see, demons have a knowledge that doesn’t transform, it only informs.
Demons also have absolutely zero love for Jesus. They recognize him as king and will call them that, but they are rebellious and unrepentant and do not love him. Some of us know the answers that lead to Jesus, but don’t know Jesus himself. That’s where we get back to Matthew 7 – “many”, Jesus said “many”! A lot of people will stand before him and hear him say that he never knew them! He will tell them that they may have done all these things for his name, but not in his name or through his name.
James 2:20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
James is calling these people morons, and now he’s lawyering up. He’s already offended everyone in the room and now he’s just piling on the evidence. They have already checked out and aren’t listening, and are thinking about how to prove him wrong by saying no, I’ve done this and this, I do all these things really, really well. They’ve already shut him out, just like some of you are saying, “No, I’m good”. Are you sure?
James 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
"Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"
--and he was called a friend of God.
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
"Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"
--and he was called a friend of God.
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
“WHAT?! Are you flipping kidding me? I’ve been reading Romans and Ephesians, and that’s not right! Contradiction in the Bible, I’m done.” <That’s what a lot of people will do with this passage. If they’re trying to prove the Bible wrong, that’s what they’ll do. Apologetics is all about knowing, understanding, and defending the Bible to those who don’t know, don’t believe, or don’t accept. This is a little apologetic study here.
There are some of us who need to drop a few pounds. So if I went to the doctor and said, “What’s wrong with me?” He’d say, “Drop some weight! Stop sitting around, start exercising. Lose a few pounds.” Now we have someone in our church who had surgery a few weeks ago on his back – the same doctor would tell him, “REST!” The doctor just told him to rest, and told me not to rest! That doctor’s crazy! No, he’s talking to different people in different situations.
James is saying you’re justified by works and not faith alone – who was he talking to? Christians! Roughly 220 million people in this nation claim to be Christian. Are we sure?
There are some of us who need to drop a few pounds. So if I went to the doctor and said, “What’s wrong with me?” He’d say, “Drop some weight! Stop sitting around, start exercising. Lose a few pounds.” Now we have someone in our church who had surgery a few weeks ago on his back – the same doctor would tell him, “REST!” The doctor just told him to rest, and told me not to rest! That doctor’s crazy! No, he’s talking to different people in different situations.
James is saying you’re justified by works and not faith alone – who was he talking to? Christians! Roughly 220 million people in this nation claim to be Christian. Are we sure?
Romans 3:28 8 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Who was Paul writing to? Gentiles who are nowhere near Christian. They are just converting to Christianity from all kinds of pagan religions. Why does he say the complete opposite of James?
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
|
Paul is saying, “faith alone!” James appears to be saying, “works alone!” What do we do? Recognize their audience, and start digging deeper. We realize that James is talking to Christians who need a swift kick in the pants, and Paul is talking to brand-new Christians who are trying every way in the world to make sure they’re saved. “Do I need to sacrifice? Get baptized? What do I do?” Paul is saying, calm down, your faith is complete in Jesus, and you don’t need to do anything to add to it.
|
“The fact is that no one can be saved by works, but equally no one can be saved without producing works.” William Barclay |
Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
James and Paul do not disagree at all! Why would they? James was Paul’s mentor. Every pastor should have a pastor. James was Paul’s pastor (Acts 15, Galatians 1 and 2) When Paul had questions and needed to get recharged, he wrote down all his questions and went to Jerusalem to talk to James.
James 2:22 22 You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by his works;
and faith was completed by his works;
If your works are competing with your faith, you’re trying to earn your way into God’s love. Welcome to being a Pharisee. Lots of churches are overrun with Pharisees. Instead, rest in his completed works and allow your works to complete your faith. Stop focusing on you! You’re trying to grow your faith because you want your faith grown. Your faith will naturally grow when you start reaching out, loving Jesus – 1 Corinthians 13, loving who Jesus loves – EVERYBODY, and serving who Jesus serves – EVERYBODY. How do I do that? Walk out your front door and just go with it.
Abraham’s works completed his faith, but some of our works are competing with our faith. You can have complete confidence in Jesus’ completed work on the cross. He has prepared all this stuff that you get to go do in service to him for his glory and your good. We get that backwards a lot of time, we want to do if for our glory and his good. We want people to see us and be impressed. Do it for HIS glory, and you will grow and benefit from it. It hurts to grow sometimes, just so you know.
James is reaching to the pinnacle when he brings up Abraham. He was the superhero of the Jewish people. Then he says, “Just like Abraham, let’s look at a whore!”
Abraham’s works completed his faith, but some of our works are competing with our faith. You can have complete confidence in Jesus’ completed work on the cross. He has prepared all this stuff that you get to go do in service to him for his glory and your good. We get that backwards a lot of time, we want to do if for our glory and his good. We want people to see us and be impressed. Do it for HIS glory, and you will grow and benefit from it. It hurts to grow sometimes, just so you know.
James is reaching to the pinnacle when he brings up Abraham. He was the superhero of the Jewish people. Then he says, “Just like Abraham, let’s look at a whore!”
25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works
when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
|
Don’t think God isn’t going to use you because you’ve done something bad! God reaches into the red light district, too.
|
You can find Rahab's story in Joshua 2 |