Expert: Rev C.Brian Ross - 1/26/2012

Question
Hello Rev. Ross,

It's Tressa again with question #1,289,827... :)

There are many people who hold to the position that belief [in Jesus Christ] itself is not enough for salvation. They use James 2:19 as support of this:

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

However based on my own study I have the following two objects:

1. The verse does not say "Thou believest in Jesus Christ..." it says "Thou believest that there is one God...". That's an important distinction. If the verse did say Jesus Christ, then the people I mentioned might have credible evidence, but that is not the case. It is not even possible to manipulate the Greek words translated "one God" (heis which means strictly 'one' and theos which is a general term for God) into saying "Jesus Christ."  

2. If one looks at the surrounding verses (18 and 20), one will see the true context of verse 19. James is discussing how belief or faith without works is a dead faith. He is basically saying that living faith will produce good works! Dead faith yields no works. He is not saying that belief is not enough, he is rather giving a picture of that belief. He is qualifying that belief, that faith.

But it is always wise to get second council, lest one misinterpret and fall into error. So my question is this: are the people who use James 2:19 and say that believing in Jesus Christ alone for salvation is not enough - are they taking the verse out of context?

Thanks,
Tressa

Answer
Hi Tressa!

I haven't counted, but I'm certain that it's only question #1,289,814!!!!!

My apologies for having taken longer than usual to respond.  Your question arrived in my Inbox just before I went out to do some pastoral visitation (I am a Police Force Chaplain), so I 'marked' it, and left.  Unfortunately, by the time I logged online again, there were so many new e-mails awaiting my attention, that the notification of your question had slipped out of sight - and out of mind!!  However, better late than never (although my old Sunday School teacher would have retorted, "Yes, but better never late"!!!)  Please be assured that the delay is absolutely no reflection on the number of questions!!

The words from the Letter of James, to which you refer, are really just a continuation of his major premise that "faith without works is dead" (v.17).  He is, in a method that is neither uncommon, nor confined to Biblical writings, setting up a 'mock adversary' to argue from the opposite point of view.  This 'adversary' is assumed to be arguing that he 'believes in God'.  James responds by pointing out that the demons believe - and shudder (with fear).  

We are dealing, here, with two senses of the word 'believe'.  I believe that Julius Caesar was a great Roman general who evetually became Emperor.  However, that belief does not impact upon my life and living.  I also believe that my wife loves me.  That, of course, deeply impacts my life and living.

So, James is saying, the demons believe all that you (his 'adversary') believe about the Lord Jesus.  However, they only believe the facts about Him, and this - because they fully recognise Him as God, and the One Who will banish them, with the devil, to the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:10) - causes them to tremble with fear.  The true believer - who is recognised by his works as well as by his profession, believes in the sense of trusting implicitly in the Christ, and allowing that belief to deeply impact his life and his behaviour (works!).

So, to sum up, for my salvation I need nothing but the shed blood of the Lord Jesus.  He has done all - I need only confess my sin, receive His forgiveness, and submit to His authority in my life.  However - and it's a big 'However' - the evidence of that spiritual working in my innermost being, will be the doing of those "... good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:10; RSV).  It is not an "either - or", but a "both -and"!

I trust that this will have helped clarify the situation for you, and again apologise for the delay.

Blessings, and shalom,

C. Brian Ross (Rev)