Hi Kenny,
I was thinking about your question and is what you are asking, is belief/faith enough to be a Christian - follower of Christ, as John 3:16 says " that everyone who
is believing in Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian." I think what you are also saying is since Satan and the demons believe, so wouldn't they be followers of Christ?
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!
Well where does belief/faith come from? It is the gift of God.
Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Now does being a follower of Christ require 'faith alone?' Ray had a Bible study on 'Do James and Paul contradict' on this subject. Here is an excerpt from that transcript.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,9742.0.html -------
From Eph. 2:8-10, it’s grace and faith from GOD, a gift from GOD... not of yourself, from GOD, that saves you. Not your works, this gift is from GOD, for we are HIS workmanship…
What kind of workmanship?
v. 10 …created in Christ Jesus unto good works…
Now are good works absolutely essential to this thing called salvation? Absolutely, you just have to get it straight in your mind. It’s not your faith, it’s Christ’s faith, it’s God’s faith. It’s not your grace, it’s God’s grace. It’s not your works, it’s GOD’S works in you. Do you see it? It’s God’s works in you.
v. 10 …which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
This is ordained, it’s got to be. This is not like, ‘well it’s nice if you have some, but it’s okay if you don’t, because you’re saved by faith alone.’ No, this is essential. Do you see how he brings faith and works together? They are both essential, they just come from God.
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So what Ray was showing in that Bible study is that Babylon teaches it is "by faith alone" that we are saved. But this is not what the Scriptures teach. You must have Christ "working"
in you to product good works -fruits of the spirit. These "good works" come from Christ indwelling and not of yourself. We know that Satan and the demons do not have Christ indwelling, nor do they have 'good' works.
I hope this was what you were asking and I did not fly off in the wrong direction with this.
mercy, peace and love
Kat