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Harlots in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 21:31)

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How can tax collectors and prostitutes be closer to the kingdom of God than religious leaders? We discuss this question in today’s study of Matthew 21:31.

Before that, however, we look briefly at a current event and a letter from a reader.

Election Fraud Cases Before the Supreme Court

Joe Biden is in the Whitehouse, but tomorrow, February 19, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States is scheduled to consider five pending election fraud cases. This doesn’t mean they are going to hear the cases. It means they are going to decide tomorrow whether or not to hear the cases.

My hunch is that they will decline to hear the cases based on some technicality as they have done before, such as a lack of standing or the fact that the election is already over.

However, this would be a mistake. Even though the results of the election probably cannot be overturned at this point, the 2020 election was not the last election this country will ever have. There were significant and widespread problems with the 2020 election, and we can only exist as a country if there we have safe and secure elections. So regardless of what whether or not the 2020 election can be overturned, the Supreme Court has the obligation to make sure that future elections follow the constitution.

I hope they take up all the cases. But we’ll see…

Here, by the way, is a chart showing just some of the potentially fraudulent votes that were cast in the 2020 Presidential Election:

Whether you voted for Trump or Biden, I think we can all agree that fraudulent votes should not be allowed in any election, ever.

Question: Have I believed if I Agree to the Facts of the Gospel?

Hi. I am 33 years old. I grew up in a Christian home. My dad was a pastor. I am not a Christian. I have had a handful of false conversions in my life. Ever since the coronavirus I have been on this journey of trying to figure out how to get saved. It is all I think about. I have not been eating as much as I should be and have lost a lot of weight. I am barely making it through each day right now. I believe there is a really good chance things are setting up for the end times. I am so scared of going to hell!! I have had so much confusion about repentance and faith.

Since the beginning of this journey I have been praying to God to help me understand repentance and faith. I believe He is helping me understand repentance!! My dad found a book called, Turn and Live: The Power of Repentance by Robert N. Wilkin. I now understand that repenting of sins has nothing to do with how we get saved!!

I am still confused about faith though. My dad has told me that it is not just believing the facts. That is part of it but it is hearing the gospel, being fully persuaded the facts of the gospel are true, and making a decision to put your trust in Jesus Christ as your payment for your sins. That is the decision I want to make.

I have extreme OCD. It effects every area of my life. I am not even able to work because of it. I am not sure how to make the decision to put my trust in Jesus Christ as the payment for my sins. I am so scared of thinking I am making the decision and really just be agreeing the facts are true. I am not sure what to do or how to work through this. Also, if you could be praying for me I would really appreciate it!!

I will definitely be praying for you. I have never been fond of the “make a decision for Christ” terminology, mostly for the very reasons you are having problems with it. How can any one know if they have made the decision? It is confusing.

I hate to disagree with your dad on this, but in my book on faith (What is Faith?) I argue that faith is simply agreeing to the facts. It truly is mental assent. So if you agree that there is no way to receive eternal life than through Jesus, this is the same thing as believing in Jesus. You have agreed (or believed) that Jesus gives you eternal life because there is no other way to receive it.

Anyway, don’t get in an argument about this with your dad. I understand where he is coming from, in that he doesn’t want Christians to just have mental assent, but we should also live our lives for Jesus. I agree with this desire, but the way to accomplish this is not to say that people who have mental assent haven’t actually believed. Instead, the best way to proceed is to say that people who have mental assent have indeed believed, and that discipleship is accomplished separately through following Jesus.

By the way, based on what you have written to me … I think you are a Christian. I’m not sure why you think you have had false conversions, but don’t allow moral failure to make you think you are not actually a Christian. Eternal life is not based on our own good works, but is based entirely on the promises of Jesus. And He promises that if you have believed in Him, then you have eternal life.

Why Tax Collectors and Prostitutes Enter the Kingdom of God Before Religious Leaders (Matthew 21:31)

In my Gospel Dictionary Online course, I have a lesson on the Kingdom of God. In this lesson, one of the passages I discuss is Matthew 21:31. Here is what this verse says:

… Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.”

In some ways, it is better to be a thief or a prostitute than it is to be a spiritual leader or Bible teacher. At least, that is what Jesus says in Matthew 21:31. In the context, Jesus is speaking to the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:23), and after they question Him about His authority, He tells them the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-30). In this story, a father asks his two sons to work in his vineyard. The first son says he will not obey, but then he does. The second son says he will obey, but he doesn’t. Jesus asks the religious leaders which of the two sons actually did what the father asked, to which they correct answered “the first son.”

As stated in the discussion of Matthew 13:24-30, when it comes to following Jesus and living as a disciple within the kingdom of God, what a person actually does is more important than what they say. Jesus then draws a conclusion from this point that when it comes to living within the kingdom of God, the tax collectors and prostitutes are better off than the priests and religious leaders of the community.

Several elements of this passage help draw out the significance of Jesus’ words. We must consider the initial question from the religious leaders, the nature of the kingdom of God, and why tax collectors and harlots are entering the kingdom ahead of the spiritual leaders.

What was wrong with the Spiritual Leaders?

First, let us go back and briefly address the question from the spiritual leaders that led Jesus to tell this parable.

Back in Matthew 21:23, the religious teachers ask Jesus where His authority comes from for His teachings and His actions. They say, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave you this authority?” In the days of Jesus, Rabbis, priests, and elders based their authority on which Rabbis they had studied under, or which Rabbinical school they belonged to.

If a particular teacher had not learned from any reputable or famous Rabbis, or if they were not in good standing with either of the top two Rabbinical schools of thought, then it was assumed that such a teacher had nothing good to say and should not be listened to.

This is very much like Christianity today. It is not uncommon at Pastor Conferences for pastors to ask each other similar questions: “What school did you attend? How many advanced degrees do you have? How many followers do you have on social media? How big is your church? How many books have you sold?”

In other words, “By what authority are you teaching these things?” If you refuse to listen to certain teachers because they do not have a Ph.D. from your favorite seminary, or because they are not on staff with a mega-church, or have not sold a millions books, then you have fallen into the same trap that Jesus is speaking about here. Be careful about that mindset, for it can cause you to miss out on entering into or experiencing the kingdom of God.

The Nature of the Kingdom of God

This brings up the second issue, namely, the nature of the kingdom of God. Once again, if someone confuses “entering the kingdom” with “receiving eternal life” or “going to heaven,” then this text will create all sorts of problems. When misread this way, Jesus seems to be saying that tax-collectors and prostitutes have a better chance of receiving eternal life than spiritual leaders do. If that’s the case, then everyone should become a tax cheat and a prostitute! But of course, that is not what Jesus is saying.

The kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God in our lives on this earth. When we enter into the kingdom of God, we enter into an experience of the life God wants for us here and now, during our lives, on this earth. Yes, our experience of the kingdom of God will continue on through eternity, but it can begin now, and it is based almost entirely on how we follow the teachings and example of Jesus in our daily lives. So entering the kingdom of heaven is not the same thing as going to heaven when we die.

Therefore, in this text, Jesus is not saying anything one way or another about how tax collectors and prostitutes are more likely than religious leaders to receive eternal life. All people, regardless of birth, background, or behavior, have the same guarantee from God about how to receive eternal life. God gives eternal life to anyone who simply believes in Jesus Christ for it. The offer is the same to all people, whether they are pastors or prostitutes, drug dealers or divinity students.

So why are Tax Collectors and Prostitutes Closer to the Kingdom of God?

So why then are tax collectors and harlots closer to entering the kingdom of God than religious leaders? The answer lies in what tax collectors and prostitutes value versus what religious leaders value, and how both sets of values line up in comparison to the values of the kingdom.

In general, religious leaders and spiritual teachers tend to live hypocritical lives, saying one thing while doing the opposite. They teach generosity, but then hoard up money and possessions for themselves. They call for grace, mercy, and forgiveness, but extend little of such things to other people. They often see themselves as more superior in intellect and righteousness than the uneducated sinners of society, and only listen to or have time for the people of their own religious clubs.

This is demonstrated by the fact that the religious leaders in Matthew 21:23-27 had no interest in listening to Jesus unless He could prove that He was part of their group.

Photo Credits: Sandi Hester

Tax collectors and prostitutes, on the other hand, while they are blatant sinners, do not suffer from the deep sin of spiritual pride and self-righteousness, and therefore, tend to be more humble, welcoming, joyful, and relational than the spiritual elites. They know they are sinners, and so are more ready to admit their sin to God, and to accept others as friends, regardless of how sinful those others might be.

Tax collectors and prostitutes might be “big time” sinners, but they are not hypocritical about it. They know who they are, and they do not try to hide it. While tax collectors may abuse the law to steal and rob from others, even from their own countrymen, they do not try to justify such behavior by saying they do such things in God’s name. Religious leaders, however, often steal from widows and the poor, all while claiming that such activity is God’s will. If two people are engaging in the exact same behavior, but one is blaming their behavior on God, that second person’s behavior is far more evil.

Similarly, prostitutes often value freedom, liberty, honor, loyalty, and friendship above almost everything else. In the days of Jesus (as now), they often do what they do in order to provide for themselves and for their children because they live in a world where men have abused and neglected them. It is for these sorts of reasons that Jesus says the tax collectors and prostitutes are closer to entering the kingdom of God than are hypocritical religious leaders.

The comparison between these two groups of people and the two sons in the parable is now obvious. The tax collectors and harlots are equivalent to the first son. Though they claim to not follow God, the truth is that many of their values and behaviors do in fact line up with the values of the kingdom of God. So although they (and many others) think that they are far from the experience of God in their lives, they are actually much closer than anyone imagines.

The opposite is true for spiritual leaders. Though religious teachers claim that they do God’s will, and even teach others to do the same, their pride and self-righteousness keeps them from experiencing the true rule and reign of God in their lives.

The lesson of Jesus from this account is simple. Regardless of your station, position, training, education, background, or occupation in life, if you want to experience the rule and reign of God in your life, do not depend on your own righteousness or abilities, but instead live as Jesus lived, with generosity, kindness, patience, grace, mercy, love, and liberty extended to all people, whether or not they are part of your group, club, organization, or church.

The kingdom of God is experienced by those who open their arms wide to embrace all others. It is based on relationships of love rather than the regulations of law.

Taking Up the Shield of Faith (Ephesians 6:16)

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This study looks at the shield of faith in Ephesians 6:16, which is another part of the armor of God.

As with all the other pieces of spiritual armor, we will first consider how the shield worked for the Roman soldier, then how the shield works for the Christian, and finally, how we can take up and use the shield of faith in our daily lives.

The Shield for the Soldier

The Greek word Paul uses for shield in Ephesians 6:16 is thureon, which is the generic word for shield, but there were two kinds of shields used by soldiers in Paul’s day.

The first, called a parma shield, was smaller and round and could be used by moving the arm to defend a certain part of the body which was being threatened. It was about 3 feet in diameter, and was the lighter of the two shields. However, while this is generally the type of shield we think about when we imagine a soldier carrying a shield, it was not the shield of choice for the Roman legions.

The shield of choice was the scutum shield. It was somewhat larger in size, nearly four feet tall and about 2.5 feet wide, and weighed over 20 pounds. The shield was made by gluing several layers of wood together, similar to how plywood is made today, and was then covered with leather for extra protection and durability.

It was not a flat shield, but was somewhat curved so that the soldier could hide behind it if needed. This curve also allowed for rocks and arrows to be deflected from the shield, rather than hitting it directly. If the shield was flat, a rock or sword hitting the shield would cause more blunt force, requiring the soldier to expend more energy in absorbing the blow. But the curve of the shield allowed a large percentage of that power to be deflected off to the side, thereby conserving the soldier’s strength.

Due to its size and weight, the soldier was not able to move this shield around very well, and so once a soldier was in position, he would typically plant it on the ground and crouch behind it for protection while darting out with his right hand to attack enemies with his sword.

Remember, the strength and genius of the Roman military was their ability to stand firm and stay in once place on the field of battle, defending their small piece of land from any and all attackers. The shield served a significant role in this strategy.

Due to the nature of this shield, it was sometimes referred to as a “door.” To would a Roman soldier, the enemy first had to get past the door, that is, past the shield. These shields could also be interlocked by a line of soldiers to create a nearly impenetrable wall against attacking forces. Sometimes the front line of soldiers would create this shield wall, allowing a second line of soldiers to thrust with their spears over the top of the shields at the enemies on the other side. The shields could also be raised overhead to create a barrier against arrows and rocks from above.

Often, when seeking to advance on the field of battle, a number of soldiers would create a formation called a testudo, or “tortoise,” in which the soldiers would gather close together in a tight, square group, with the soldiers on all four sides creating a wall of shields, and the soldiers on the inside raising their shields above to protect from arrows and rocks.

In this way, they could advance onto almost any area of the battlefield with minimal damage, or even up to the gates of a city to set it on fire or to start tearing them down with a battering ram.

In this way, the shield also helped the Roman soldiers work together as a unit. The shields not only protected the soldier himself, but also the soldier on either side of them. The soldiers, remember worked as a band of brothers, as a unified whole, and the shields were one of the primary methods of defense for the soldiers on the shield of battle.

When a soldier fell, the two soldiers on either side would close ranks, protecting their fallen comrade from further damage, while the soldiers behind would drag the fallen soldier backward into safety and protection. So the shields were extremely effective in helping maintain unity and mutual protection among the soldiers.

Finally, the center of these shields often had a raised mound of bronze or iron that could be used as a weapon. The shield could be raised and bashed into the chest or face of an enemy soldier, causing blunt force trauma, possibly disabling the other soldier.

In light of all this, Paul’s choice of words in Ephesians 6:16 is interesting. He introduces the shield in a way that is unique from the other pieces of armor. He says, above all, taking the shield of faith. Some Bible translation say, “in addition,” which loses some of the force of what Paul appears to be saying. When Paul talks about the shield, he is not just writing about another piece of armor we are to take up and put on. He wants this one to be above all.

This doesn’t mean the shield is the most important piece of armor, for all of the pieces are critically important. Instead, Paul means that the shield is above all, over all, before all, or in front of all. The shield is the first line of defense for the Roman soldier. It was “the door.” You can’t get to the soldier unless you first all get past the door.

To get to any other piece of the armor, or to get to the soldier himself, the enemy had to get past the shield first. The shield not only protected the body of the soldier, but the other pieces of armor as well. Since the shield was over all, in front of all, and above all, the shield protected everything.

Specifically, Paul says in Ephesians 6:16 that the shield is the primary form of defense against the fiery darts of the wicked one. These fiery darts Paul writes about were the most advanced weapons in Paul’s day.

Archaeologists have discovered that some arrows and spears had tips made of a combustible material which was then lit on fire and shot or thrown into the enemy forces where it would ignite or even explode. Military forces also used some arrows and spears with hollow tips which were then packed with this combustible material. When it struck a soldier or a shield, it would splatter and burn.

This was before the days of gunpowder, so these weapons were ingenious and effective at decimating enemy forces. These fiery darts came in quickly so they were hard to see, and when they hit, they would burn or explode.

But Paul says that the shield is effective at quenching the most dreaded and cunning weapons of his day. They come in too quickly to react, but if the soldier has his shield in place, then he doesn’t need to see the flaming darts, for the shield will stop them.

In this way, the shield protected the Roman soldier from all sorts of attacks; the swords and spear attacks he could see, the rock and arrow attacks from above, and the flaming dart attacks that came in too quickly to see. The shield was above all and over all, protecting the soldier himself as well as the soldiers on either side.

So that how the shield worked and functioned for the Roman soldier in Paul’s day. Let us now consider what the shield is for the Christian.

The Shield for the Christian

What is faithPaul states in Ephesians 6:16 that the shield is faith. He instructs us to take up the shield of faith. So what is faith? How do we get faith? And how do we know that we have faith? For example, since Scripture tells you to believe in Jesus for eternal life, how do you know that you have really believed? I have written a book on the topic of faith, which answers these sorts of questions in much more detail, but let me summarize the content of that book for you here.

Many people are confused about what faith is, how faith works, and how to know if they have really believed something. Part of this confusion is because there are numerous popular illustrations used to describe faith which really only just obscure the reality of faith.

There is the illustration of the man pushing a wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls, saying that unless people get into the wheelbarrow with him, they don’t really believe he can do it. There is the illustration of faith as a deck of cards so that if you pull one out, the entire deck comes tumbling down. There is an illustration about faith being one wing on an airplane, with good works being the other wing, so that you need both to properly fly. All of these illustrations mislead and confuse people about the true nature of faith.

Then there are adjectives used to describe faith, such as head faith, heart faith, temporary faith, spurious faith, false faith, small faith, great faith, and numerous others which usually only create confusion about the nature and character of faith. Curiously, only two of those—small faith and great faith—are biblical and even these two are widely misunderstood and misapplied.

So what is faith?

faith is certaintyFaith, as taught in the Bible, can be defined as a reasonable certainty about any truth claim or statement of fact.

In other words, if you know that something is true, then you believe it. We believe, or have faith, when we agree or give assent to a factual statement.

If you know that the earth is round, then you believe the earth is round. If you know that 2+2=4, then you believe that 2+2=4. If you know that the sky is blue, then you believe that the sky is blue.

So we have faith about something when we know it to be true. I know this explanation might raise more questions than it answers, and if so, I direct you to my book, What is Faith? Let us turn now to see how to get faith, grow our faith, and know that we have faith so that, as Paul writes, we can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

And what are these fiery darts of the wicked one? While looking at how the shield worked for the Roman solider we also briefly considered how the fiery darts and flaming arrows functioned on the field of battle, so what are these fiery darts for Christians in spiritual warfare?

Since the wicked one is a reference to Satan and the wicked forces that Paul mentioned in Ephesians 6:12, the fiery darts are the weapons that Satan uses to trick and deceive us.

We previously discussed the one tactic and the three types of temptations the devil uses in sending these temptations. The wicked forces arrayed against us always questions the promises of God in an attempt to get us to fall prey to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

Yet even though we know what sort of weapons these wicked forces use, it doesn’t mean that we are always ready for them when they come. They are fiery darts that come in quickly and without warning.

Sometimes they come one at a time, like sniper fire from afar, while other times they fall in a heavy barrage, as a storm of arrows falling from the sky. When the hit, they are painful and destructive, causing great devastation in our lives.

Thankfully, the shield of faith causes the flaming darts to lose their fire and their force. The shield is able to protect us from each and every one of the trick, traps, and temptations that the devil sends our way. Not just some of them, but all of them.

And the shield doesn’t just stop the arrows; it is able to quench them. It snuffs out the flame of the fiery darts so that when they strike the shield, the shield does not burn, but remains intact and able to defend us on the field of battle.

But, just as with all the other pieces of armor, this protection is not automatic. Just as we have to put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the sandals of the gospel, so also we have to take up the shield of faith.

Taking up the Shield

Before we look at how to take up the shield of faith, it is important to be reminded that, just like all the other pieces of armor, this piece also is from God’s armory. The image of faith as a shield is everywhere in Scripture, but with a small twist.

For example, when we read that Abram believes God and his faith was credited to him as righteousness, we are told in Genesis 15:1 that God Himself will be Abram’s shield. God will protect Abram as Abram places faith in God.

We find this same idea throughout the entire Old Testament. The concept of God being our shield when we place faith in Him is found at least twenty times in the book of Psalms alone. Over and over again, God is described as our shield and fortress, the One who protects us from the enemy. In Psalm 91:4, God’s faithfulness itself is described as a shield, and in Psalm 76:3 we read that God breaks the arrows of our enemies. In Proverbs 30:5, we read that God is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

So the little twist or surprise in Ephesians 6:16 is that when Paul tells us to take up the shield of faith, we learn from the Old Testament that the shield is actually God Himself. When we believe in Him and His promises, it is He Himself that protects us.

Think about what this means.

Remember that the shield Paul has in mind was like a wall, or a door, behind which the Roman soldier hid. The shield was considered to be the first line of defense. For an enemy to get to the soldier, the enemy first had to get past the shield.

But with God as our shield, what have we to fear? Nothing! There is nothing that is large enough, powerful enough, or strong enough to get past God when He has set Himself to protect us from harm.

Therefore, as Christians, we have nothing to fear from Satan, or wicked men, or future events. God is on our side. To get through to the other pieces of armor, the enemy has to get past God first.

As Paul writes in Romans 8:38-39, nothing in death or life, among the angels, principalities, or powers, in the present or the future, in heaven above or the depths below, nor any created thing, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. He shields us and protects us from all such things.

Like the shepherd protecting the sheep in the pen by laying himself down as the door so wolves have to go through the shepherd to get to the sheep (cf. John 10:11-18), so also any fiery dart of temptation that comes our way has to first go through God, because He is our shield; He is our door.

dead in sins Ephesians 2:1When temptations do get through, and when we get wounded by the fiery darts of the devil, it is because we have dropped our shield. The only way the fiery darts of temptation get past the protective shield of God is when we have not properly taken up the shield of faith, as Paul instructions in Ephesians 6:16. When the shield drops, when we let down our guard, it is then that the fiery darts are able to get through and wound us.

So how do we take up the shield, and how do we keep it up? Since this is the shield of faith, we take it up by believing in what God has said. The more we believe, the more effective our shield becomes at protecting us from the fiery darts of the wicked one.

As we believe in God’s Word, God’s promises, and the truth revealed by God in Scripture, we are taking up the shield of faith and gaining the protection God provides.

But this is where the problem begins, because some people think that faith has to be “all or nothing.” I have talked with numerous people throughout the years who want to believe the Bible and what God has said, but there are some things in the Bible that they just cannot believe, such as the idea in Genesis 5:27 that Methuselah lived to be 969 years old, or that the world was created in six days (Gen 1), or that an ax head could actually float on water (2 Kings 6:1-7).

Some people don’t believe in God or some of the various truths of Scripture because they cannot believe that God would allow bad things happen in this world, or that God wants blood sacrifice and commanded the genocide of the Canaanites (I don’t believe God wanted the genocide of the Canaanites either … but I do believe God wanted the historical record of Canaanite genocide in the Bible… I will explain why in a future book).

And since they cannot believe some of these more difficult truth claims of Scripture, they decide they cannot believe any of it. They stop believing in God, in Scripture, and in what Jesus has showed us through His life, death, and resurrection. As a result, they drop their shield of faith entirely, and leave themselves open to the attacks of the devil.

But thankfully, faith does not work like this.

Biblical faith is not an “all or nothing” house of cards. It is completely possible to believe some, or many, of the things taught in the Bible, while being unsure about, or even not believing, many other ideas and concepts of the Bible.

Nobody becomes a Christian by knowing and believing everything in the Bible.

We become a Christian by knowing and believing a few simple facts about God, ourselves, and Jesus. We become a Christian by believing in Jesus for eternal life. Our shield of faith strengthens as we build upon these facts over time and as we come to learn and believe more truths from Scripture.

In other words, our set of beliefs grow over time as we follow Jesus on the path of discipleship and as believe more of what God has revealed in the Bible.

faith in GodSo to grow our faith, to walk by faith, to live by faith, and to take up the shield of faith, we must begin with the facts and truths we know to be true, and then build upon these ideas with more truths and ideas from Scripture.

Building our faith in this way allows our faith to act as a shield against the tricks, traps, and fiery darts of the devil. Our enemy tries to get us to doubt God’s promises and fall into the pitfalls of sin.

When we begin to think that God cannot love us because of what we have done, we can remember the promise of God in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God.

When we are tempted to think that God cannot forgive some sort of sin we have committed, we can remember the truth of Scripture that God has already forgiven us for all sins we have committed, past, present, and future (Col 2:13).

If you ever begin to wonder if you matter to God, all you need to do is believe the promises that God knows your name (Isa 43:1), knows every detail about you, even to the point of numbering the hairs on your head (Luke 12:7), has specifically gifted you with special talents and abilities so that you can serve a significant role in His plan for the world (1 Cor 12; Rom 12; Eph 4; 1 Pet 4), and wants nothing but the best for you and your life and He works nonstop to bring these good plans to fruition in your life (Prov 3:5-6; Heb 13:20-21; Jas 1:5).

When temptations to sin come our way, we can believe the promises of God that sin only leads to destruction (Matt 7:13-14; Rom 6:23; Jas 1:15).

When we face doubts about whether or not we have eternal life, we can remember the numerous promises of Jesus that anyone who believes in Him has everlasting life (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47).

Do you see? As we come to learn and believe these promises of God, they become a shield and a barrier protecting us from all the lies of the devil.

Faith in the promises of God keeps us bold and strong in the face of sin, temptation, and doubt. This is why faith is so important to our life as a Christian.

Believing what God has said is the shield that protects us from the darts of the devil which question and challenge what God has said.

So where are you at with your faith? What is it that you believe? Start with the basics, and then go from there.

For example, do you believe that God exists? This is a basic biblical belief, but many people are not sure that there is a God. But a person cannot move on to believe much of anything in the Bible until they first believe that God exists. Thankfully, there are ways to learn that God does indeed exist, such as books on apologetics and various evidences for the existence of God.

And once you come to believe that God exists, you can move on from that belief and add further beliefs to your system of beliefs. You will come to believe that God wants to communicate with humans, as He has done in various ways, such as through Jesus and the revelation of Scripture.

You will come to believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that Jesus explains how to receive eternal life and live this present life in the best way possible. You will learn how to treat other people with love, grace, and forgiveness.

As you learn all these things, you come to believe them, because you see that they are true. And as you develop this ever-widening system of beliefs that are based on the truth reveled in Scripture and through Jesus Christ, your shield of faith becomes ever-more effective at protecting you from the fiery darts of the wicked one.

The temptations and doubts he shoots at you are quenched before they can reach your mind and heart.

God, as our shield, protects us from all harm. Living by faith in the promises of God eventually allows you to walk by faith in what God has said He will do, for you know that God is on your side and God will do what He has said.

So take up the shield of faith. Believe in what God has said. Then go forth with the certain knowledge that victory is at hand.

Do you want to learn about spiritual warfare and how to put on the full armor of God? If you want to defeat sin and gain victory in your life over temptation so you can better follow Jesus, take my course on the Armor of God as it is explained in Ephesians 6:10-20. This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

Even the Demons Believe (James 2:19)

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Almost every single time I write a post on my blog or on Facebook about how we receive eternal life from God by faith ALONE, someone  brings up James 2:19 and says “But even the demons believe!”

In this current series of posts on faith, I have previously taught about James 2:14-26 with a focus on the concept of “dead faith.” But in this final post on faith, I wanted to focus in on this famous verse of James 2:19, and show why people who quote it do not understand what James is saying.

(Note: ALL of these posts on faith are drawn from my book, What is Faith? So if you want them all in one place, along with an extended discussion about the nature of faith and how to know you believe, just get the book.)

Let me give you an example from Twitter… By the way, I dislike Twitter Debates. It is impossible to discuss anything tangible on Twitter.

demons believe James 2:19
This picture is ironic in so many ways. It misquotes the text in several ways to reinforce a misapplication of the text itself. But this is what often happens with James 2:19.

Here is some of what we said on Twitter:

Note that I didn’t tweet the same thing to him over and over and over… he responded multiple times to one of my tweets, and I don’t know how to get rid of that when embedding a Tweet into WordPress… if anybody knows how, let me know!

So what does James 2:19 mean?

Here is what I was trying to say on Twitter, which didn’t get stated very clearly at all:

People believe millions of things. I believe that this chair I am sitting in will hold me up. I believe that the earth orbits around the sun. I believe that my children love me. I believe that coffee is a delicious beverage which helps me wake up in the morning.

But none of these beliefs, even though they are correct, will give me eternal life by believing them.

The same holds true when it comes to beliefs about God and Jesus Christ. I can believe a lot of things about God and Jesus. I believe that God exists. I believe that God consists of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that God created all things, that He is holy, righteous,  loving, and good. Regarding Jesus, I believe that Jesus was God in the flesh, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead. I could go on and on.

But guess what? Just as believing that the earth orbits around the sun does not give me eternal life, so also, none of the beliefs I have just stated in the previous paragraph will give me eternal life by believing them. 

The Bible is pretty clear that to receive eternal life, you don’t just need to believe. You have to believe in the right person for the right thing, namely, you have to believe in Jesus for eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47).

Eternal life is not given if I believe in Moses for eternal life. Nor is it given if I believe in Jesus for infinite wealth.

If I believe in Moses for eternal life, I am believing the wrong person for the right thing, but if I believe in Jesus for infinite wealth, I am believing the right person for the wrong thing.

According to Scripture, we must believe in Jesus for everlasting life.

So, what do demons believe?

Believe it or not (ha ha!), demons are probably more correct in their theology than most humans. Though I cannot be certain, I assume that demons believe that God exists as the Trinity, and that God is holy, righteous, and good, and that Jesus was God incarnate, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead.

believe in GodIn fact, demons probably know more about God than we do. Demons probably have better theology than many Christians. That is, demons probably believe more accurate truths about God than many Christians do.

The problem with demons, however, isn’t in what they know about God, or in what they believe. Their problem is that they don’t like what they know about God and believe that they can rebel against God and win (this is where their beliefs are wrong).

When it comes to the book of James, and James 2 specifically, lots of people quote James 2:19 out of context. They hear a pastor, professor, teacher, blogger, or evangelist say that to receive eternal life, all you need to do is believe in Jesus for it, and the objector says, “That’s not true! Even the demons believe!”

Right.

Of course demons believe. Humans believe things. Demons believe things. Even  animals believe things. We have three cats. When I get up in the morning, one or two of them is always there in the kitchen, looking at me, expecting me to either feed them, or let them outside to do their business. They believe that I am the one who can make these things happen for them.

But so what? Do cats have eternal life because they believe in me for food and that I can open the door? Of course not! So also, demons believe many things, but they don’t get eternal life simply because they believe.

When it comes to receiving eternal life, it is not simple belief that matters, but believing in the right person for the right thing.

So yes, demons believe. But the real question is “What do demons believe?”

More specifically, what is James 2:19 talking about? What is the argument? What is the point?

James 2, Faith, Works, Demons, and Abraham

Below is a super brief synopsis of how to understand James 2:14-26.

James is writing to believers. 

First, James is not writing an evangelist pamphlet telling people how to receive eternal life. He is writing to believers about how to live as followers of Jesus and function within the church. 

Many scholars and pastors have noted the numerous parallels between the book of James and the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Just as the Sermon on the Mount is the discipleship manual of Jesus, so also the book of James is a reworking of the discipleship manual for Christians under the pastoral care of James.

He is not telling these believers how to receive eternal life, but is writing to them based on the assumption that they already have eternal life, but need some advice on how to look and live like Jesus in the world.

James 2:14-26 deals with living a profitable Christian life.

The issue in James 2:14-26 is not about gaining or proving that one has eternal life, but rather, living as a profitable servant of Jesus Christ. James mentions profit several times (cf. James 2:14, 16) and the opposite of profit–being dead or useless (James 2:17, 20, 26).

The “profit” he is talking about, of course, is not monetary gain, but living as an energized, successful, fully-committed, faithful, generous, loving, caring follower of Jesus Christ. None of us want to live useless lives, but profitable lives that are useful to God and His rule and reign on earth.

In James 2:14-26 we are told how.

Don’t just pray and believe God; Do Something!

The main point of James 2:14-26 is that believing God can do something is good, but if we really believe God can do something, we will personally seek to be part of the solution.

Specifically, if you see someone who is hungry or without clothes, it is okay if you tell them you are going to pray for them, or if you believe that God can provide for them. But more than just pray for them, and more than just believe that God will give them food and clothes, why don’t you actually be an answer to your own prayers and your own faith, and give them food and clothes!?

That is what James is saying: “Don’t just believe; Do something!”

This is why people get so upset at Christians when we are faced with a troubling situation, or a dire need, and our only response is, “I’ll pray for you!” or “My thoughts and prayers are with you!”

When people are homeless, jobless, hungry, sick, dying, struggling, they don’t need thoughts and prayers. They need Christians do actually do something. This is exactly the point that James is making as well.

James is saying, “When someone is in need … don’t just believe that God can provide for them … YOU provide for them. Don’t just tell them you’ll pray for them …. Instead, you provide for them.”

Do you see? The “believing” (or faith) of James 2:14-26 has nothing whatsoever to do with eternal life. The person is believing that God can give food and clothing to the hungry and the naked. There is nothing here about believing in Jesus for eternal life, and you do not get eternal life by believing that God can clothe and feed someone. Nor do you get eternal life by giving people clothes and food.

Again, eternal life is given to those who believe in Jesus for it.

Now, if James had stopped writing at James 2:16, there never would have been the misunderstanding about the relationship between faith and works in this passage. Everybody would have immediately recognized that James wants us to do more than just pray for people and state our belief that God can help them. We should actually do something for those in need. This point of James is pretty clear in James 2:14-16.

But he goes on to write James 2:17-26, and this is where all the problems with this passage enter. In the rest of this passage, I am not going to work though the entire passage in detail, but just provide a few of the highlights, and point you to the text of a sermon I preached on James 2 several years ago, and I also have a shorter version in Podcast episode 124 when I discussed James 2:14-26.

But here is the main argument of James 2:17-26.

1. Faith Without Works is Dead

The word “dead” does not mean nonexistent, but useless, unproductive, unprofitable. Someone may still have faith, but if that faith is not put into action, it is not doing anybody any good. It does not help those who are hungry and without clothes, and it does not help the person who has the faith. Since the context of this passage is about profitable faith, then “dead” faith is unprofitable faith.

So we must never say “Dead faith is no faith” for that is absolutely not true. Dead faith exists, it is just unproductive and unprofitable.

2. The Objector States His Opinion in James 2:18-19

Someone does not agree with what James is saying, and begins to state an objection in James 2:18. On this, every Bible translation agrees. Where Bible translations do not agree is where the objection ends. If you compare Bible translations on where they put the second set of quotation marks, you will see that they are all over the place.

However, Greek did not have quotation marks, and so authors used other methods to show where the objection ends and the refutation begins. They indicated this by calling the objection foolish (cf. 1 Cor 15:35-36; Rom 9:19-20). In this way, the objector in James 2 is saying everything in James 2:18-19. (See my article on “Epistolary Diatribe.”)

Therefore, the statement “even the demons believe, and tremble” is NOT from James, and is NOT in support of his argument, but is from someone who does not like what James is saying, and is objecting to the point James is making.

In other words, when we quote James 2:19, “even the demons believe” we are siding not with James, but taking the side of someone who disagrees with James.

The basic point of the objector is that he believes there is no connection between faith and works. James says that if we have faith, we should do something with it to live profitable and useful lives. The objector says,

That’s rubbish. The two are not connected at all. Take the cardinal theological belief of Judaism as an example: the belief that God is One. The demons believe this, but  it doesn’t affect their behavior. All they do is shudder, but beyond this, this still rebel against God.” So their faith does nothing for them.

Note, by the way, that faith in Jesus for eternal life is NOT what demons believe.

Sure, we can assume that demons believe that if people believe in Jesus for eternal life then those people will receive eternal life, but the demons themselves cannot believe in Jesus for eternal life, because eternal life has not been offered to them by Jesus.

But this is not the belief of demons that James is writing about. The only thing demons believe in this context is that God is One, which is the central and most important belief in Judaism.

The Masterful Refutation by James

In the rest of the passage (James 2:20-26), James refutes what this objector said.

He notes that the objector used the most important belief in Judaism, so James says “Oh yeah? Two can play that game,” and to prove his point he uses the most important figure in Judaism: Abraham, the father of faith.

Faith of AbrahamAnd he uses a particular event in the life of Abraham to prove that Abraham’s faith led him to obey God and perform certain actions, which in turn, allowed people to recognize that Abraham was truly God’s friend.

It is important to note that the event James is referring to takes place in Genesis 22, many years after the initial faith of Abraham in Genesis 15.

Whenever Paul refers to the faith of Abraham, he is referring to Genesis 15, when Abram was declared righteous by God. But James is referring to the events in Genesis 22, when Abraham was declared righteous by men, that is, they saw what Abraham did, and said, “Wow. He truly does believe in the God he claims to serve, and look what happened as a result! He truly is the friend of God!”

James then goes on with the knock-out punch. He has proven his point with the Forefather of Faith, Abraham, so he now takes the opposite extreme and shows how his point applies to the foreign, sinful, prostitute Rahab.

Rahab also believed something about God, and when the spies came to her, she acted on what she believed to deliver and rescue them. If she had just believed in God and done nothing, she still would have had the faith, but it would have done nothing to deliver her, her family, or the two spies. But because she acted on her faith, her faith became profitable.

James has proved his case and proved the objector wrong. If all you do with faith is believe, that is well and good, and it is still faith, but to truly be profitable, effective, energizing, and helpful in your own life and in the lives of others around us, you must act on what you believe (James 2:26).

This is the meaning of James 2.

Eternal Life IS received by Faith ALONE in Jesus Christ ALONE

So don’t let anyone tell you that faith is not enough when it comes to receiving eternal life. Of course it is! Jesus Himself promises it! 

But when it comes to helping others, and getting rid of sin in our lives, and clothing the naked, feeding the hungry (James 2:14-26), taking care of orphans and widows (James 1:27), controlling our tongue (James 3:1-12), etc., etc., etc., just believing that God can take care of these situations is not enough.

Faith is the beginning, but in all these areas where God calls us to get involved, we must do more than just pray; we must do more than just believe. We must do something!

What do you think of this explanation of James 2:14-26, and especially the statement in James 2:19 about the faith of demons? Does it help this passage make more sense to you?

Does it help it fit better with what we read in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Paul? Has it cleared up in your own mind some of the confusion around the role of faith and works?

Let me know in the comments below, and if you want more clarification, get my book, What is Faith?

The Gospel DictionaryUnderstanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

Bob Dutko Interviews J. D. Myers about Faith

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Bob Dutko Jeremy MyersThe Bob Dutko Show (noon – 4pm, Mon-Fri) is Detroit’s number one talk Christian radio show. He is heard on radio stations across the country, making him one of the most listened to Christian talk show hosts in the United States. Go here to learn more about Bob Dutko.

Today he interviewed me about my book, What is Faith?

Here is a replay of this interview.

 

Faith is Like an Excel Spreadsheet

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I originally went to college to be a Mechanical Engineer. I have always enjoyed tinkering with things, trying to learn how they work so that I can understand what is happening, and either fix or improve whatever I am working on.

As a result of my engineering background, I often approach my study of Scripture and theology in the same way. I try to understand things and how they work, so that I can attempt to explain them more clearly to others.

This is also true when it comes to the inner workings of faith. For me, as a theologian and Bible scholar who has an engineering background, it is not enough for the Bible to call me to believe … I want to know how belief works … how faith works … so that I can not only believe, but also know why I believe, and how to help others believe as well.

So the following article might be a bit technical for some people as I try to explain how faith works, but I do provide an illustration for how faith works to help it make sense.

The reason I want to explain faith this way is because there is so much misinformation out there about faith. People write emails to me all the time, and when I teach in live settings, I get questions and objections all the time, about how a person can know if they have really believed, or if they have believed enough.

In seeking to answer these questions, I first had to figure out what faith is and how faith works.

In a previous study, we learned that Faith is defined as a certainty or conviction that something is true.

house of cardsSome do not like the idea of faith as certainty. For example, author and pastor Greg Boyd once criticized the idea that faith is certainty by comparing faith to a house of cards.

Greg Boyd argued that if we believe that our faith must be certain, then any time a challenge or question comes along which threatens this certainty, our entire belief system comes tumbling down like a house of cards.

I agree with Greg Boyd that we cannot have a “house of cards” faith in which all of our beliefs stand or fall together. But how can we avoid this if faith truly is defined as certainty?

The solution is to use a better analogy.

Rather than thinking about faith as a house of cards, a better analogy is to think about our network of beliefs as a giant Excel spreadsheet (I first heard this analogy from Dr. Dave Anderson, pastor in The Woodlands, TX).

Faith as an Excel Spreadsheet

If you are not familiar with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, it is an accounting tool which contains a series of rows and columns. At the intersection of each row and column, there is a “cell.” This cell can contain a bit of data.

Excel Spreadsheet faith

For example, a cell could contain a number or some sort of mathematical calculation. Spreadsheets are usually set up so that as you enter data into the cells, it automatically makes calculations in other cells.

Advanced Excel spreadsheets might contain thousands of cells set in a way so that a change in one single cell might affect the numbers or calculations in thousands of other cells. Each little change can have a ripple or cascading effect throughout the rest of the spreadsheet.

It is helpful to think about our network of beliefs in a similar way. We can think of our belief system as a giant Excel spreadsheet.

But rather than numbers and math calculations, each cell contains an individual fact. Since there are a nearly infinite number of facts, this giant spreadsheet has a nearly infinite number of cells.

“The sky is blue” is in one cell, “I exist” is in another, and “There is a God” is in third.

Furthermore, just like on any complex Excel spreadsheet, nearly all the cells are interconnected by functions, so that when one cell changes, it causes a cascading, rippling effect throughout the rest of the spreadsheet.

If we think about our beliefs in this way, we can see that when it comes to each individual statement, we can either believe it or disbelieve it. We can either know it to be true, or we can doubt that it is true. We can either assent and agree with the statement in the cell, or dissent and disagree.

While we will be reasonably certain about several statements on this spreadsheet, we will be either ignorant or uncertain about the vast majority of statements. And as we change what we think about any particular fact, this change will have a cascading, ripple effect through the related and connected cells on the spreadsheet of beliefs.

What this means is that as we come to believe new ideas, some of the beliefs which have not changed for decades might need to be reconsidered in light of new evidence. Therefore, while we can have reasonable conviction or confidence about the accuracy of any single cell (or belief), we nevertheless know that the content of that cell is based upon the ideas of other related cells, about which we are less confident.

To put it another way, the complete confidence of one belief in one “cell” can be based upon less confident beliefs of other “cells.”

This way of thinking about faith provides adequate responses to many of the objections that some pastors and theologians have to the concept of faith as certainty. Many who criticize the idea of “faith as certainty” seem to think that the entire system stands or falls together.

But this is not the true nature of faith. When we think about our system of beliefs as a giant Excel Spreadsheet, we see that it is impossible for the entire system of faith to collapse.

Instead, our beliefs constantly shift and change as additional information is presented to us, so that new beliefs are turned “On” in the spreadsheet while other beliefs are corrected and turned “Off.”

Best of all, with each cell that changes you gain a spreadsheet that is more accurate than it was before. One of these truths you discover quite soon (if you allow God to teach it to you), is that God does not require a spreadsheet of beliefs that is free of error.

faithQuite to the contrary, He desires a spreadsheet of beliefs that is constantly shifting and changing as we bring our life and thoughts into conformity with Jesus Christ and the revelation of Scripture. But this is a process, a journey, or an adventure that will last a lifetime (I suspect this adventure will last into eternity as well, as we forever unravel the infinite mysteries of glorious vistas of God), and so God is patient with us as we fill out our spreadsheet of beliefs with Him by our side.

Viewing faith in this way helps you see that although one changed belief often does cause a change in many other related beliefs, your entire belief system never collapses like a house of cards. It may initially feel like this has happened, but by taking a deep breath and examining the new evidence you have been given, you will discover that most of your beliefs remain intact.

You will also discover that you now have a better and more accurate belief system through which to view God, Scripture, yourself, others, and life in general.

The Spreadsheet at Work

Let us briefly see how this works with the truth claim that “Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe in Him for it.”

I believe this truth with absolute certainty. I have many reasons for this belief, all of which reside in their own individual cells.

For example:

  • I believe that there is a God, and that only He gets to decide who has eternal life with Him and how they get it.
  • I furthermore believe that Jesus is God, and so He knew what He was talking about when He offered eternal life.
  • I also believe that the Bible can be trusted as an authoritative revelation from God.
  • I believe that I have properly understood the simple promises of Jesus to give eternal life to those who believe in Him (cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47).
  • I believe that Jesus does not lie.
  • I believe that I am not able to earn or work for my eternal life on my own, because I can never be good enough to qualify for God’s perfect standard of complete righteousness.

If all these things are true, as I believe they are, then it is completely logical to be convinced and persuaded that Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe in Him for it. And since I believe in Jesus, I know that I have eternal life.

But if any of these beliefs were to change, then this would likely cause me to stop believing that Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe in Him for it.

If I stopped believing that God existed, or that the Bible accurately records the teachings of Jesus, I might stop believing in Jesus for eternal life.

However, the more I study and learn, the more evidence I find that supports all these beliefs. I now know too much to turn back on any of these truths and cannot imagine a situation that would cause me to reject them.

The more I study and learn, the more beliefs I gain, each of which further supports the belief that Jesus gives me eternal life.

Is it possible that the authors of the Gospels failed to accurately record what Jesus said? It’s possible, but not likely, so I don’t believe this.

Is it possible that those who copied the Bible and passed it down through the generations made a mistake? It’s possible, but manuscript evidence proves that this is unlikely, and so I don’t believe it.

Is it possible that I have incorrectly understood what Jesus said and meant? Well, this is the most likely factor that could cause me to stop believing in Jesus. But since the teachings from Jesus about how to receive eternal life are some of the simplest teachings He gave (even a child can understand and believe these promises), I do not think this is likely, and therefore, I believe I have properly understood His promises.

Since my belief in Jesus for eternal life is based on a large number of other reasonable beliefs, if any one of these other beliefs were to change, there would indeed be a cascading effect of changing beliefs. As numerous beliefs changed, it might indeed feel like Greg Boyd’s house of cards, as if everything I thought I knew was tumbling down around me.

However, note that there are many beliefs that can safely change without affecting my belief in Jesus whatsoever.

faith is certaintyMy belief in Jesus is not affected at all by belief (or lack thereof) that Methuselah lived to be 969, that the universe was created in seven 24-hour days, or that Jesus is going to return in the future to slaughter all His enemies with a reign of terror and blood (I actually don’t believe this).

These beliefs can change back and forth numerous times (as they have over the years), but such changes will not cause my entire belief system to come tumbling down like a house of cards.

Now the same sort of belief changes can be observed even with beliefs that are not “theological.” The “network of belief” concept applies to any individual belief.

For example, I believe the sky is blue because I believe I know what “blue” is, and because I believe my eyes are not deceiving me. I furthermore believe that I truly exist in this world rather than in a dream world or computer simulation as in “The Matrix.” Since all of these are reasonable beliefs, I can confidently believe (know) that the sky is blue.

However, if someone could persuade me that I did not exist, or that this world was a computer simulation, or that I have color-blindness and so do not accurately understand “blue,” then I might realize that I am wrong about the blueness of the sky.

But until these other beliefs change (which is extremely unlikely), I am fully confident that the sky is blue. (As a side note, I now actually believe that the sky is violet. I explain why in my book on faith.)

Let us consider an example from Scripture where we see this concept of spreadsheet faith being played out in real time.

An Example from Scripture

In John 11, Lazarus has died, and Jesus goes to Bethany to grieve with Mary and Martha. When Jesus arrives, Martha comes out to meet Him on the road and says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).

Jesus responded by saying, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23).

So Mary says, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24).

Martha Jesus Lazarus John 11

Do you see what is going on here? Each of these statements is a factual statement that exists on Martha’s spreadsheet of beliefs. She believes that if Jesus had been present, Lazarus would not have died. Remember, they sent word to Jesus when Lazarus was sick, but he delayed in going to them until after Lazarus had died. So Martha is chiding Jesus a bit. She believes that Lazarus died because Jesus didn’t show up when she wanted Him to.

But then Jesus makes another factual statement. He says, “Your brother will rise again.” Now, does Martha believe this? She does. For she goes on to say, “Yes, I know, believe, agree that he will rise again … but on the future day of resurrection.”

Based on these beliefs, Jesus goes on to teach her some new ideas about Himself. He is going to make some factual statements to see if they are turned “On” or “Off” in her spreadsheet of beliefs.

So Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Jesus makes three factual statements here. Each one is a truth claim about Jesus, and each one is dependent upon the others, and dependent upon what Martha has already stated about the resurrection. Jesus is inviting her to build upon her previous beliefs and add some new beliefs to them.

Jesus claims that (1) Resurrection and life resides in Him, (2) that those who die in Him will also live in Him, and (3) that who live and believe in Him will never die.

After Jesus makes these three factual statements, He says, “Do you believe this?”

Notice how Martha responds. She doesn’t say, “Yes, Lord, I believe these three things. I believe that (1) Resurrection and life resides in You, (2) that those who die in You will also live in You, and (3) that who live and believe in You will never die.”

She does not restate the beliefs and affirm her agreement with them.

Instead, she says something that has confused a lot of people over the years. She says, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Lots of people read these words and get confused. They see Martha state her agreement with Jesus, but then she seems to say something back to Him that is not a restatement of what Jesus just said. She doesn’t state her agreement by summarizing what Jesus just said; instead, she states her agreement by stating her belief in something else entirely.

So people get confused by this and say, “Well, maybe to believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life is the exact same as believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”

And while we could say that the two concepts are related, the two concepts are not identical beliefs. That is, to say that Jesus is the Christ is not the same thing as saying that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. We know this for a variety of reasons. There are lots of people in the days of Jesus who believed that He was the Christ, but did not believe that He could raise people from the dead, or even that He Himself would be raised from the dead.

Furthermore, there were many people throughout biblical history who were thought of as “Messiahs” or “Christs” (that is, deliverers, saviors), but nobody ever thought that these people could raise others from death.

So since believe that Jesus is the Christ is not the same thing as believing that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, why does Martha answer the way she does?

She answers the way she does because she is saying that because Jesus is the Christ, then she trusts and accepts whatever else Jesus says, including these recent three statements about the resurrection.

To put it another way, Jesus makes three truth claims about Himself, and then asks Martha if she believes what He has said. These are new ideas to her, and she has never been told these ideas before.

So she can either accept, acknowledge, and agree with what Jesus has just said, thereby believing His words, or she can disagree with Him, thereby not believing.

But since Martha already knows and believes something else on her spreadsheet of faith, namely, that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the son of God, this therefore causes Martha to realize that everything Jesus says can be trusted and accepted.

Therefore, because of her belief in Jesus as the Christ, Martha also believes these new statements about Jesus, that He is the resurrection and the life, that those who die in Him will live again, and that those who live in Him will never die.

Do you see? A cell on her spreadsheet of faith which said “Jesus is the Christ” was turned “On.” As a result of this cell, another cell on her spreadsheet of faith which said, “Everything Jesus says is true” was also turned on.

So when Jesus comes along and says something she has never heard or thought of before, and then Jesus asks her if she believes these new ideas, it does not take her long to turn these cells on as well. She didn’t fully understand the ramifications of what Jesus was saying, but she did know that Jesus was saying it, and that because He was the Christ, His words could always be trusted and believed.

So she believed Him.

Then, of course, to provide further support and proof that her believe in Him was well-founded, Jesus went and raised Lazarus from death.

believe in Jesus

This is just one example of how the network of beliefs that exists on our spreadsheet of faith works together to consider new ideas and incorporate new beliefs. We see it work very quickly with Martha, but it doesn’t always move this fast. Sometimes the process is much slower.

But regardless, I hope that with this illustration of faith, it can help you understand how faith works, and how you can come to consider and accept the various truth claims that bombard you each and every day.

No one is asking you to take a leap of faith. Each belief is built upon others that you might or might not have. Also, your faith is not a house of cards that can be knocked down by a passing wind of doubt or a troublesome question. Instead, your faith is a vast network of individual beliefs that are constantly moving, shifting, changing, and developing over time. It is not something to be afraid of, but can be enjoyed and anticipated as we continue to follow Jesus wherever He leads.

Now, I imagine that this illustration of faith might raise some further questions. For example, if this is how to think about faith, then what does the Scripture mean when it refers to great faith or little faith? How do these terms fit in with this concept of faith as a network of beliefs?

We will consider this question in the next study.

The Gospel DictionaryUnderstanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

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