“¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, you have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

¹⁹  You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

²⁰ But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”  James 2:18-20.

Many believe that there is one God, including the devil. Man’s faith that there is one God produces dead works because his faith is dead.  When we put our faith in our religious ordinances for victory over the world, the flesh and the devil; we indeed believe there is one God…just as the demons in hell believe there is one God.  Because our faith is in our works and not in Jesus’ finished work for dominion over our sin nature, we believe just as satan himself believes – yet we do not even tremble.  Our works are dead because our faith in Jesus’ finished work is dead.  The signs do not follow.

“And He (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ” Luke 9:23.

Sinners are called to believe Jesus Christ came to earth to save the world and through His finished work on Calvary’s Cross did save whosoever will believe in Him.  Because of WHO Jesus is, the only begotten Son of God, those who believe have no doubt as to His Resurrection.  Jesus Christ IS God manifested in the flesh as the perfect Lamb of God, Whose death on Calvary’s Cross openly made a show of every demon in hell and paid the debt of sin (death) for whosoever will believe.  Jesus Christ was resurrected three days later and is now sitting at the Right Hand of God.  Again, knowing Who Jesus is and what He has done for whosoever will believe,  Believers have no doubt as to His Resurrection.  We don’t “make light” of His Resurrection…we have no doubt has to His Resurrection.  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a given in the heart of a born again Believer.

Once we believe in Jesus Christ and His finished work to save the sinner, we are called to follow Him.  The Believer is called to deny their self efforts (dead works), pick up their cross (the benefits afforded the Believer because of their faith in Jesus and His finished work) and FOLLOW Him.

When we, as Believers, finally deny our self efforts to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil through our dead works; we will overcome the world, the flesh and the devil through our faith in the One Who has freely given us the victory. We will hear His voice, He will know us and we will follow Him.  We will follow Jesus Christ, the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:” John 10:27.

-Donna Clark Warren