Many people say they believe in God.
But is that enough?
James says something startling:
Even the demons believe—and tremble.
They know God exists.
They know who Jesus is.
They know He has authority over them.
And they know judgment is coming.
Yet none of that saves them.
So what kind of belief does save?
Is salvation about believing certain facts?
Being religious?
Trying to be a good person?
Or is there something far more personal and decisive involved?
And if the gospel really is the difference between life and death, what responsibility do we have toward people who have never truly believed it?
Ezekiel was appointed as a watchman and warned that silence had consequences.
What does that mean for us today?
Welcome to “God’s Word Day by Day,” where I blog through the Bible in a Year. I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here or subscribe and watch on YouTube.
Today’s Readings:
Ezekiel 33 & 34
Psalm 130.5-8
Proverbs 29.1
James 2.1-26
Is Believing in God Enough to Save You?
James 2.1-26:
Orthodox Demons?
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble (v. 19)!
John MacArthur says that demons, while they seek to deceive others about the truths of God and while they choose to follow Satan, are orthodox in their theology. They know who Christ is, they know they are under His authority, and they know that one day they will be cast into the lake of fire (Mk. 5.6-10).
Just believing in God isn’t enough. Neither is just having good theology.
Our Only Hope: Believe the Gospel
Many people have a general idea of God as some kind of benevolent Father. They believe that He will weigh the good and the bad things they have done. And since most of us think we’re really not that bad (Prov. 20.6), they hope the good will outweigh the bad.
The truth is, we are all sinners, dead in our trespasses and sins and unable to save ourselves. We cannot be saved by good works (Jn. 3.10, 3.23, 6.23; Eph. 2.8-9), nor through any amount of religious activity (going to church, being baptized, taking sacraments, etc.).
We are saved only when we believe in the gospel … that God sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins, that He died on the cross, and was buried and raised again. We are saved by His grace when we admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior and by putting our faith in Him and Him alone to save us. It’s Jesus who saves us, but we must “receive,” that is, choose to believe the gospel.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2.8-9).
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15.3-4).
Believing in God does not save us; that is, merely believing that He exists. We must believe the gospel message (Mk. 1.15; Rom. 1.16) and receive it personally as our only hope for salvation.
Today’s Other Readings:
Ezekiel 33 & 34:
Watching & Warning
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand” (ch. 33.1-6).
Ezekiel was called to be a “watchman” to the people of His day. He was to warn the people of their need to repent and turn from their sin and idolatry.
His Watchmen
We, too, are His “watchmen” called to share the gospel with those around us and warn them of the wrath to come. Matthew 28.19-20 says:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
We are not responsible for someone’s response, only to be obedient as God’s instrument in the lives of others. It is God who ultimately seeks and saves!
For thus says the Lord GOD. ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out’ (Ezek. 34.11).
Watching Out for Our Brothers & Sisters
We are also watchmen in another sense. Galatians 6.1 says:
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
There are times when we see a sister or brother in Christ who has been “overtaken in a trespass.” The idea here is of an animal caught in a trap, in this case, a trap of sinful behavior. As I’ve said before, this doesn’t mean we are to point out every sin in another believer’s life, but when we see those patterns of sin or things that are hurting others or damaging the testimony of Christ, we are to gently and lovingly minister the truth and help them be restored.
[Tweet “Is someone you know caught in a pattern of sin? #oneanothering #soulsurvival”]Psalm 130.5-8:
Wait & Hope
I love the two verbs used in this psalm to describe the psalmist’s response to God—“wait” and “hope.” We are to wait with patient expectation and put our confidence—hope—in Him.
Proverbs 29.1:
Stiff-Arming God
He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Is there someone in your life who has heard the gospel repeatedly and rejected it over and over? Perhaps you are the watchman called to warn them of the danger of rejecting God.
And is there some area of your life where God has dealt with you repeatedly, and you refuse to obey? Consider praying that God would unite your heart to fear His name (Ps.86.11) and ask for His help to surrender every area of your life to Him.
Your Thoughts:
How has God spoken to you today? Perhaps you saw a passage in a new light or an area where you need to grow and change. Did you find a truth to remember? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I consider every comment a gift. They are always a blessing to me.
Coming Up:
In the next few days, we’ll discuss the questions, “Are your words blessing or cursing?” and “Are you ‘profiting’ from your reading and study of the Bible?”
I hope you’ll join us.
Getting ready for Next Year:
The holidays are just around the corner, and the new year will be upon us before we know it. What will you do to make Bible reading an ongoing habit in the coming year? I want to encourage you to set a goal to read through the Bible again or for the first time. If you join me, I’ll take you through a plan that covers both the Old and New Testaments in about 30 minutes a day. You can read each day’s post or watch as I read through the passages on YouTube. Sign up so you don’t miss any of them. The emails can serve as a gentle reminder to stay on track, and I believe you’ll benefit from the additional information I share and grow as you learn to apply God’s Word to your own life.
You can check out our YouTube channel here.
If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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