Is believing in God actually enough?
I have asked myself that question more times than I can count, and I always feel unsure of the answer.
There are places in scripture that make me think that the answer is yes, believing in God IS enough.
…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9 ESV
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. – 1 John 4:15 ESV
When I think about the U.S., I see a lot of people who say Jesus is Lord and the Son of God.
So many Americans confess that, don’t they? How many people have told you that they believe God exists and call themselves Christians?
So, is that all it takes? The scripture above makes me think that it could be, but in my Spirit, it just doesn’t feel right. That can’t be all it takes.
There are places in scripture that also make me think it is so much more than just believing God exists.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7:21-23 ESV
This blows my mind and scares me at the same time. What’s astonishing about this verse is the type of person Jesus is describing. It’s the type of person that prophesied in His name. The type of person that cast out demons in His name. The type of person that did mighty works in His name.
I’m sorry, what?
This isn’t even the type of person that just claims that God exists. This isn’t even the type of person that goes on about their mediocre life and throws up a prayer every once in a while when things aren’t going their way.
Yet He stills says that He never knew them. Them who were capable of casting a demon out of someone in Jesus’ name.
So, what does that mean, then? What does it take?
The book of James, specifically chapter 2, talks all about this idea that faith apart from works is dead.
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 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 2:17-19 ESV
It’s a hard concept to wrap our minds around, because for most of us, we’ve probably heard that God doesn’t need us to do anything for Him to love us.
I believe that to true. He doesn’t need us for anything. But, I also believe that faith without works is indeed, dead.
I believe that if we truly have a relationship with the Lord, the works will overflow because of our love and obedience to God. Not so that we can earn His love.
I think the last verse in that section of scripture is the most interesting.
Even the demons believe in God.
So, do we still think that believing is enough?
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