Faith That Saves
by: Mary Lauren Hudson
January 8, 2025
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.”
The first time I read James 2:19, I felt very convicted. I believed that there was one God. I believed that Jesus Christ was (and is) Lord. I believed that one day, every knee would bow and every tongue would confess this reality to the glory of God the Father. This verse affected me greatly because it made me realize that I had been walking in spiritual immaturity. I realized that if I want to live out real, genuine faith, belief alone is/was not enough. It dawned on me that in addition to belief, God required real obedience of and from me.
Belief alone is a problem because the reality is, a lot of people believe that God exists. The verse says even the demons believe He exists and TREMBLE. James goes on to talk about Abraham and his sacrifice of his son Isaac on the altar. Verse 24 says “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” Works do not earn salvation, but they are evidence of it. Real faith should show itself. The fruit of the Spirit and daily obedience should be showing themselves in our lives.
So if belief alone were enough then what would distinguish us from demons? After all, they too believe! The difference between a disciple and a demon is inward and outward evidence of Christlike character. A believer must walk as a disciple of Christ. Belief is great, but it is not enough. If you call yourself a follower of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit and consistent obedience should be growing in your life. Demons believe that there is one God, but they do not willingly submit to Him or His Word. But one day, they will have to! My question for you is this: does your faith look more like a demon’s, or a disciple’s?
Abraham was already justified by faith before he offered Isaac (Genesis 15:6), but his obedience in offering Isaac demonstrated that he really did trust God. Rahab the prostitute was the other example James gave to demonstrate this living faith. She hid the spies and sought salvation from their God (Joshua 2:8-13). Her faith was proved to be living because it did something. This kind of action and obedience is what sets Abraham, Rahab and the other legends of the faith recorded in Hebrews 11 apart. Demons believe in God, but they give their lives to disobey Him and worship another. James is not saying belief isn’t faith. He's just distinguishing the difference between dead faith and the real, living faith that can actually save.
What is your faith producing? When was the last time you made a decision based on your faith in Jesus? James is clear, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). In the same way you can have a body that is dead, so you can have a faith that is completely lifeless. Faith without works is a dead faith, unable to save.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” If anyone claims to have real, saving faith, then there should be new life. Old habits, desires, and tendencies should be passing away. New life, new fruit, and new growth should come. If there is no evidence of new life in the Spirit, then there is no evidence of saving faith. In the same way an apple tree has to have roots that are living in order to produce the apples, your body must be filled with the Spirit in order to produce the kind of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22-23. The life is not in the apples, but if the tree is alive it will produce them. If you are alive in the Spirit, fruit will come.
Love is a great example. Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love Him. The second greatest is similar, to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). John 13:35 says “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” 1 John is very clear about the necessity of love in our lives. Verse 4:20 says “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”
Love is just one example of the fruits of the Spirit that accompany a disciple with real, genuine faith. Love distinguishes real faith from dead faith. Demons don’t have love. Love for God will show itself in the way you love other believers. Are you becoming more patient, kind, loving, peaceable, and self-controlled over time? Or are you becoming more angry, short-tempered, anxious, stressed, and critical?
A real disciple filled with real, saving faith is evidenced in outward obedience and inward transformation. All of this is only possible through the work of the Spirit of God. Have you been born again? Charles Spurgeon said “The grace that does not change my life will not save my soul.” If God’s grace hasn’t radically changed your life, what makes you think it will save your soul?
Right now, as you are reading this, ask the Lord what He wants you to do. Living faith responds. What has the Lord already put on your heart for you to do? What step of faith have you been trying to avoid?
Now is the time to say yes. Now is the time to obey.
Worship: Who Else
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for making a way for me to know You, the Resurrection and the Life! Thank You that this is only possible by Your grace, through faith. Thank You for convicting me. I invite You to come and move me to move Your heart with my faith. Wake up parts of my faith that I have put asleep through apathy and disobedience. There is nothing I desire more than to move Your heart, to follow You wherever You lead, to love You with all of my heart. You are the Prize. You are the Treasure. I know You say “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Lead me in investing in Your Kingdom. Help me to obey even when I don’t feel like it. Make Your Word come alive to me in a new way. Give me joy in obedience. You delight in obedience, so I will give it. Holy Spirit, I cannot do this without You. Give me faith to trust what You say. Produce in me every fruit of the Spirit recorded in Galatians 5. Make me every bit of the love talked about in 1 Corinthians 13. I wanna live for You and love people like You Jesus. I trade my dead faith for the real, living, and active kind that You desire. In Jesus’ name.
Further Study
James 2, Genesis 22, Hebrews 11, Galatians 5, Joshua 2
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Seeking the knowledge of the Lord (the ways, truth, and life) and aligning with His will is our calling as Christians. Reading, studying, partaking in the Word, hearing from fellow believers, dreams and visions, and personal encounters are all ways in which we can come to know the Lord.