Right Doctrine, Wrong Faith

Today’s post continues a treatment of James 2:14-19 and focuses on James 2:19. For a study of the previous verses, see here.

Saving Faith is not Merely Intellectual. 

Not only is saving faith not merely confessional, but it also is not merely intellectual. James addresses those who may have their doctrine right but again fail to live out that faith in the doing of good deeds. Saving faith, then, is not merely a cerebral or intellectual experience.  

Specifically, James says, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!”

A person can believe orthodox statements about the Christian faith and still be lost. A person can accept true claims about God and still be destined for hell.  

The statement: “You believe that there is one God,” is an orthodox Christian statement. There is but one God! So James says, “You do well.” But then he warns: “Even the demons believe (this)—and tremble!”  

Even demons believe factual statements about God, but this does not mean that they are in a right relationship with God. Saving faith is not merely intellectual. We are not put into a position of favor with God simply by agreeing with true statements. 

True Christian faith, living faith, grips both the head and the heart. Genuine faith is both cerebral and cardiological. If faith is merely intellectual, then it is faith that resides only in our heads. If, however, we recognize the depth of our sin, throw ourselves upon the mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and surrender to Him as Lord, then something has happened on the inside. Something has happened in our hearts. We are different. We are changed. We are saved. And this saving faith leads to the doing of good deeds or works.

The great Puritan preacher and thinker Jonathan Edwards makes this point in a sermon on this verse. His sermon is entitled “True Grace Distinguished From The Experience Of Devils.” ¹  Isn’t that a great Puritan sermon title?!  Edwards points out that, just like demons, man can know God’s various attributes and remain lost. Here are a few excerpts from the sermon:

The devils know God’s almighty power. They saw a great manifestation of it when they saw God lay the foundation of the earth…and were much affected with it. They have seen innumerable other great demonstrations of his power, as in the universal deluge, the destruction of Sodom, the wonders in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, causing the sun to stand still in Joshua’s time, and many others…

So the devils have a great knowledge of the wisdom of God. They have had unspeakably more opportunity and occasion to observe it in the work of creation, and also in the works of providence, than any mortal man has ever had…

Devils and damned men know that God is eternal and unchangeable. And therefore they despair of there ever being an end to their misery. Therefore it is manifest, that merely persons having an affecting sense of some, or even of all God’s attributes, is no certain sign that they have the true grace of God in their hearts.

Jonathan edwards

This is James’s warning: one can believe factual statements about God and still be lost. A mere understanding of biblical truths is no guarantee of salvation. It is no guarantee that God’s saving grace is operative in the heart.

Saving faith is not merely confessional and not merely intellectual. But there is more:

Saving Faith is not Merely Emotional

Note the emotion indicated by the demons. James describes them this way: “Even the demons believe—and tremble!”

They shudder, they bristle. They move, they shake. They feel. One could say that when they are in the presence of God, they are very emotional. A lost person can feel awe in the presence of God.

Emotions are part of our being. We all “feel” specific ways in certain situations. Emotions themselves are not problematic. The problem is when we base the authenticity of our faith upon mere emotional experience.

It is dangerous to believe we are genuinely saved simply because we have (or don’t have) an emotional experience of some kind. No one is saved merely because he or she feels a certain way. The fact is there are many days when the true Christian does not necessarily feel very good or very spiritual. Emotions come and go.

A lost person can feel the warmth of a church building. A lost person can feel the care and concern of others. A lost person can feel good when listening to congregational music. He can feel excited, happy, and even good about his spiritual condition.

Saving faith, then, is not merely confessional, not merely intellectual, and not merely emotional.

So, what is a sign that the true grace of God is working in our hearts? We are saved by placing our faith in Jesus Christ alone as Savior. We believe that we are sinners who can do nothing to earn God’s favor. We repent, turning from our sins and turning to Jesus Christ, looking to Christ alone for acceptance with God—Christ’s redemptive work on our behalf. And this genuine faith and trust in Christ alone leads to a different way of living. We are new creations and live out our Christian faith through practical deeds and loving works.

Salvation is not “faith-plus-works,” nor is salvation found in “faith-minus-works,” but genuine living faith is a “faith that works.”  

What About You?

• Does your faith in Christ involve both “head” and “heart?” If not, or if you are unsure, read the brief appendix at the end of this book: “Becoming a Christian.”
• How can you use this passage to help someone come to faith in Christ?
• “Faith alone saves,” but “the faith that saves is never alone.” Do you agree with this statement? Explain and apply your answer.

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 87-90, available on Amazon.

1.  Available at http://www.biblebb.com/files/edwards/truegrace.htm accessed July 11, 2017