Read James 2:18-19
My seven‐year‐old prayed every day for her grandparents to know Jesus for as long as she could remember. So on a family vacation to visit them, she asked Grandpa what he thought about God. "Oh," he began with a nervous chuckle, "I believe in God." And without any pretention, as only a child can do, she looked at Grandpa and asked, "But do you trust Him?"
The word "believe" is used by most people in the sense of cognition—as in understanding something or acquiring knowledge. You can believe that Armstrong’s walk on the moon was made in a Hollywood basement and, right or wrong, that belief doesn’t change your life. Similarly, many have described a loved one thus, "Oh, my husband doesn’t come to church, or read the Bible, or even want to discuss faith matters, but I know he believes in God." To this statement, today’s passage poses a retort that might feel like a slap in the face: "even demons believe—and shudder!" In other words, the devil believes in God, but what good does that do him?
Mental assent to the existence of God is not why Jesus came. He wants your heart as well as your head. God wants all of you. Jesus’ entrance into our world demonstrates that God wants a growing relationship with you. A growing relationship requires trust. To believe in God, as the Bible intends it, is to trust Him. And when you trust God, you respond to what He says to you in His Word. God’s desires for you will change how you live. You will begin to make life changes because you trust that God loves you—not so that He will love you. You want what God wants for your life. Do you know areas in your life God wants you to believe Him more—to trust Him more?
My seven‐year‐old prayed every day for her grandparents to know Jesus for as long as she could remember. So on a family vacation to visit them, she asked Grandpa what he thought about God. "Oh," he began with a nervous chuckle, "I believe in God." And without any pretention, as only a child can do, she looked at Grandpa and asked, "But do you trust Him?"
The word "believe" is used by most people in the sense of cognition—as in understanding something or acquiring knowledge. You can believe that Armstrong’s walk on the moon was made in a Hollywood basement and, right or wrong, that belief doesn’t change your life. Similarly, many have described a loved one thus, "Oh, my husband doesn’t come to church, or read the Bible, or even want to discuss faith matters, but I know he believes in God." To this statement, today’s passage poses a retort that might feel like a slap in the face: "even demons believe—and shudder!" In other words, the devil believes in God, but what good does that do him?
Mental assent to the existence of God is not why Jesus came. He wants your heart as well as your head. God wants all of you. Jesus’ entrance into our world demonstrates that God wants a growing relationship with you. A growing relationship requires trust. To believe in God, as the Bible intends it, is to trust Him. And when you trust God, you respond to what He says to you in His Word. God’s desires for you will change how you live. You will begin to make life changes because you trust that God loves you—not so that He will love you. You want what God wants for your life. Do you know areas in your life God wants you to believe Him more—to trust Him more?