What Kind of Faith Do You Have? by Robyn Henning

 When I turn on the news, it’s hard not to conclude that our world is going crazy.

Our leaders can’t agree on anything, so we are heading toward another ‘fiscal cliff.’

North Korea is testing nuclear weapons and making threatening videos that rejoice in our destruction.

Israel is poised to strike Iran, who is said to be close to possessing enough nuclear materials to arm weapons.

More meteors have entered earth’s atmosphere over the past week.

Even as a Christian, it can be hard sometimes to stay faithful and hopeful instead of succumb to fear and anxiety.

I have been blessed by teaching a class on the book of James.

When I got to James 2:14-26, I remembered a sermon that has stuck with me about the three kinds of faith: dead faith, demonic faith and dynamic faith.

Dead Faith

“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”  (James 2:17)

James concludes that someone who professes to have faith in God but does not have actions that evidence faith actually has dead faith.

You see that in order for faith to be alive, it has to have corroborating works.

James uses the example of a fellow believer in physical need of food and clothing.  When professing believers respond with good wishes but no efforts to meet the physical needs, he calls their faith useless.

It takes faith to meet the physical needs of others.  After all, what if giving to others leaves me in want myself?  Do I trust the Lord to meet my needs after I act in faith to help others?  Or, do I fear not having enough?

James concludes chapter 2 with the analogy that just like the body is dead without the spirit, so also faith without works is dead.

This does not mean that a person has to be perfect in their performance to have real faith.  It simply means that they demonstrate in their actions that they believe in Christ as their life.

Demonic Faith

“You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” (James 2:19)

James is writing to religious Jews.  They frequently quote Deut. 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.”

He commends this belief, but then painfully points out that demons believe this too and shudder.

Demonic faith is simply an intellectual assent of a known fact.

I have had a few clients who acknowledge that they ‘believe in God,’ but they have no desire to follow Him.

Some of these folks even made professions of faith in Jesus as their Savior as children or teens.

I think the church is often guilty of preaching an easy believism.  “Pray this prayer, and you will be saved.”

Often for the person who responds to this invitation, there is no real conversion at all.  You see the object of their faith is a prayer and not Jesus.

Their faith is no different than the faith of demons.  It’s merely intellectual.

Dynamic Faith

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;  and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.”  (James 2:21-23)

Jesus calls people to repentance.  This means that living faith in Him will be evidenced by a changed life.

To truly follow Jesus is costly.  Jesus calls believers to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him.

Dynamic faith is alive and growing.  In fact, one of the primary reasons for trials is to grow our faith.

Faith, like muscles, needs exercise in order to grow and to be supple and firm.

Satan is constantly trying to undermine our faith in Jesus.

Through the power of sin, he introduces thoughts into our minds to accuse God and create doubt in His love and goodness.

If we fail to take these thoughts captive, they will lead to spiritual bondage and will undermine our faith and effectiveness as believers.

In the last year or so, I have been asking the Lord Jesus to release His faith through me.

I figure that because He dwells in me that I need His faith to flow through me as I endure this difficult leg of my journey with Him.

I need His faith:

• the faith that can sleep through storms and walk on water;
• the faith that never worried about personal or ministry finances;
• the faith that chose the cross when there was no other way to save mankind.

Beloved, we are moving closer to the Day of the Lord every day.

We need to examine ourselves and make sure we are ‘in the faith.’

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what lies you believe about God, yourself and others.

Ask Him to show you were you are giving into Satan’s doubt demons.

Ask the Spirit to release the faith of the Lord Jesus through you for His glory!