Be Sure You Have The Right Kind Of Faith

·        Be Sure You Have The Right Kind of Faith – James 2:14-26

In this passage, James 2:14-26, James shows the relationship between faith and works. In my last message we began looking at the 3 Kinds of Faith, the first 2 which are bogus and the last which is true saving faith.

I pointed out to you in that message was that there are two different aspects of justification. First, there is the justification that the Apostle Paul presents -- JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. In the book of Romans he writes – “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:28. Paul is addressing how a man is justified before God and how to obtain salvation.

That brings me to the second aspect of justification which James is addressing -- JUSTIFICATION BEFORE MEN. James, in the second chapter of his letter is addressing justification before man. James was not addressing how to be saved. That is clear because he starts out his letter by saying “my brethren…” (James 1:2). He is explaining that true believers live the Christian life. They demonstrate that they ARE saved by their works. He says this in James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”

Then we explained the first kind of faith --

1.      Dead Faith (James 2:14-17)

While it is FAITH ALONE that justifies, the FAITH THAT JUSTIFIES IS NEVER ALONE! True saving faith always brings life, and life produces good works! Workless faith is worthless faith. Saving faith produces works. As James says, “…faith, if it hath not works, is dead.” (v. 17). Dead faith is counterfeit faith.

Today’s Focus

2.      Demonic Faith (James 2:18-19)

James 2:18-19 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”

In today’s study we come to Demonic Faith.  

We will look at verse 19 before we look at verse 18. It may come as a real shock to you, but demons have faith! So, let’s look at…

What Do The Demons Believe?

üThe Demons are Monotheists: They Believe In God

Demons are neither atheists nor agnostics. They have faith. They believe in the existence of God! In fact, they are monotheistic. They believe in ONE GOD! And the one God they believe in is the Biblical God! We read the daily Jewish affirmation of faith in Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” To believe in one God is good, as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough! Intellectual belief in almighty God does NOT save a man! The devils go that far and even one step further, they tremble. 

ü The Demons Believe In The Diety of Christ

Whenever the demons met Christ, they acknowledged that He was the Son of God. Mark 3:11 says, “And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.”  

ü The Demons Believe In

A Place

of Eternal Punishment

In Luke 8:31 we read, “And they [the demons] besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.” The Greek word translated deep is the word ἄβυσσον abusson (ab'-us-son), meaning the abyss. In Revelation it is translated as “the bottomless pit” which is the abode of the demons (see Revelation 9:1-2 & 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1 & 3).

The Scriptures make it clear that Hell was prepared for the Devil and his angels [demons]. We read this in Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

In fact, the demons KNOW their end!

ü The Demons Recognize Jesus Christ As The Judge & They Submit To The Power of His Word!

Mark 5:1-13 “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”

In a parallel passage, Mattew 8:29 we read – “And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

They know that Jesus is all powerful and they know that He will one day judge them and they even obey them. BUT, they are damned to Hell!

Here is the point of all this: The Devils (Demons) believe in God and even tremble! While the man with dead faith is touched in his intellect, the demons believe and even tremble. They are touched in their emotions. But neither faith save them. Dead faith will not save. Demonic faith will not save. A person can be enlightened in the mind and even stirred in their heart and yet be LOST! Why? Because true faith involves something more. It involves a changed life that can be seen and recognized by others. As verse 18 says -- “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”

The Bible is clear. Works do NOT Save you, BUT Saved people DO good works -
Ephesians 2:8-10 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."