This is the Bible verse that changed my life.
It didn’t change my heart. But it made me change my actions, and my heart followed slowly behind.
You believe there is one God. Many of us say this.
Good!
We know that many Americans believe in a literal God, but not many believe in a literal devil. However, every single Gospel addresses the reality of demons. We also know that just because someone says that they ‘believe in God,’ there life may not reflect it.
That’s where this verse really hit me hard. I ‘believed’ in God. But my life was no reflection of that. What then separated me from the demons? Attending church on Sundays was no remedy for the rest of the week. Those Sunday services were about making me feel good, but what happened in church stayed in church. My identity was not as a Christian in my everyday actions, words, and thoughts.
What good is it my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? ..Faith without works is dead. James 2:14
For many excuses, our ‘faith’ never seems to take action. It stays just a belief, a religion, an answer to the question, ’So do you believe in God?’ or maybe even just a great topic to debate.
In America we have been overcome by our intellect. We have become smarter than the idea of God. We bounce from theory to theory, never allowing our ‘open mind’ to close on anything. What then is the purpose of an open mind? To be blown whichever way the wind blows? CS Lewis writes in the The Great Divorce:
“Ah, but when I became a man I put away childish things.”
“You have gone far wrong. Thirst was made for water; inquiry for truth.”
Do we think that there are no sins of intellect? That we could be above the knowledge of God or the acceptance of His teachings? Settling your mind on faith does not make you closed-minded. For a while this was my fear, that I would be considered close-minded, or even simple minded for completely accepting Christianity.
Even for those who acknowledge themselves as Christians, we may become so theologically wrapped up in our faith that we exchange knowing Christ in our heart for knowledge of Him in our mind. I constantly have to check myself on this one. My analytical mind immediately dives into research and logic before prayer. Where did child like faith go? Remember that ‘love surpasses knowledge’ Eph 3:19 The importance of being rooted in scripture and Christ’s wisdom is huge, but only if that knowledge affects the posture of our heart and therefore our actions.
When faith becomes more than just a set of beliefs and is actually ‘lived out’, complacency becomes the biggest enemy. And this is where I used to stand before James 2:19. My belief had no response.
Complacency allows for comparison to creep in.
Looking around and saying, ‘well at least I’m not doing this or that.’
It allows for bitterness to creep in, harboring unforgiveness in our hearts.
It allows us to justify our actions drenched in selfishness.
It leaves our hearts unevaluated.
No, we don’t think we are AGAINST God, but are we FOR Him?
