We've been looking at “explaining loss”. That is, why do some people appear to be in the faith, and in church, and then they disappear, fall totally off the map? We don't see them around any longer. Did they have something, and then they lost it? Or did they never have it all? Now the apostle John's conclusion on the matter is that they never had it all. He put it this way, “they went out from among us but they were not of us, for if they had been of us they would have continued with us but they went out that they may be manifest that none of them were of us.” His idea that they “are not of us” demonstrates that they were never of us. The point of this study, and as well as the previous study about “dead faith”, is that we know that in order to be sure that someone is of the faith, they must have the Holy Spirit. If you have the Holy Spirit you going to produce good works.
Lets continue with James, looking at what we're going to call “demonic faith”, which has an intellectual component and also an emotional component. James 2:19 states the demons believed (intellectual) and trembled (emotional):
But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! James 2:18-19
Now, notice that the demons obviously understand that God exists. They've seen Him in His glory. They have a glorious picture in their mind and they even shudder! There's an intellectual and an emotional response, which can happen during a genuine encounter with the Lord. I might also add, that an emotional response also can happen with something that is not of the Lord. For example, think about people at a rock concert or at a sporting event. We need to realize that an emotional response does not complete a genuine faith. It is a component, but in itself cannot be relied upon. The demons are missing a vital component of a trust that causes obedience.
Jesus illustrated a similar phenomena in his parable of the sower. Look at Matthew chapter 13 verse 20 and 21. The story is that the sower goes out, casts seed, which is the word of God. The first lands by the wayside, which the devil snatches up. The second seed is the one we're going to examine. It says, “He who received the seed on the stony places this is the one hears the word and immediately receives it with joy yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises, because of the Word, immediately stumbles.” So here is an intellectual response and an emotional response. There is a great joy they when the Gospel is heard, however, it does not take root. It does not take root in the heart. It will not bear fruit and the plant shrivels up, once severe testing comes. This is illustrative of demonic faith.
Let's re-examine James verse 19 – “you believe that there is one God you do well even the demons believe and tremble.” We already made the observation that the demons have seen God . Demonic faith, therefore relies on sight. It could rely on signs, or could rely on experiences, or could rely on feelings. However, what we are called to do? According to 2 Corinthians 5:7 “We walk by faith and not by sight.” Getting this backwards is very dangerous. There is great danger in relying solely on our senses, a phenomenon, or an experience, and that's not where we want to put our trust (Study John 2:23-25 as proof of the danger).
We need to rely on the truth found in the Word of God. Otherwise, if we have a bad day, we must have a bad God, and on a good day, a good God. However, the Lord is always good, the same, yesterday, today, and forever. His character is immune to economic downturns or flighty, fickle behavior. His character is stable. If we are to have the stability we need, it will come from a trust in God and His Word. Otherwise our our senses will deceive us, as things aren't always what they seem.
In contrast to demonic faith, dynamic faith is relying on the Word of God. This is the Word of God, that James says in Chapter 1, we are to receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. In fact, salvation has two agents working together, which we will develop further when we look at dynamic faith. But I will leave you with this from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, were Paul was rejoicing at their salvation. Notice the two agents that are work in verse 13. It says a “We are bound to give thanks to God always for you brethren, beloved of the Lord because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” So these are the two agents that come to bear in saving faith: believing the gospel truth and the work of the Holy Spirit. We'll look at that in more detail next time as we examine how the Holy Spirit is vital to a saving, genuine, dynamic faith.
But for now the question is: Where is your trust? Is it in what God has said, or is it on your experiences? Does this trust in God produce obedience?