Be Still And Know

James 2:19-20 James was clearly sick and tired of people who thought that having faith was all that mattered. Here he launches a full-scale attack on that point of view by pointing out that even the demons believe in God. Their belief is so strong it makes them terrified. We also see this illustrated by Jesus. Soon after his ministry began, he went to the synagogue in Capernaum. A man with an evil spirit cried out: “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are- the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24). Mere belief in God is absolutely no proof at all that a person is a follower of Christ. They might be the exact opposite. James believed that faith was crucial. But if didn’t lead to action, it was completely useless. He pointed to two very contrasting characters to make his point. Firstly, he reminded his readers of Abraham (vv20-24), the father of faith and of the Jewish nation. Abraham was called “God’s friend” and was clearly a man of faith. The pr