The Code Book

James 2:19, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”

Are you a Christian? When you say you are a Christian, what are you saying? Maybe that you believe in Jesus. What does it mean to believe? Does being a Christian mean just believing? The Bible tells us that even the demons believe in Jesus.

My husband and his family are electricians. They have gone to many jobs fixing many mistakes that others have made and keeping electricity going in the buildings. On a particular job, my brother-in-law had quite a mess to clean up. There was another electrical company that had come in and done the “job”, yet when my brother-in-law came in, he saw something quite different. There were wires sticking up through the floor, panels messed up, wires tangled and jumbled, and things not marked. It truly was a mess to fix.

So, this other company called themselves electricians. They had all the right tools to do the job correctly. They probably even knew the codebook (a book all electricians should know). So, why was the job done wrong? It could be they were lazy. Or maybe they didn’t really know how to use the tools effectively or follow the codebook by the letter. No matter the reason, it was not enough to say they were electricians, their work needed to match their words.

So, I ask you again. Does calling yourself a Christian simply mean you believe in Jesus? I hope we all can say no. Everyone who chooses to has access to God’s codebook. We even have been given the proper tools we need to be a Christian. And we have our own personal guide living inside us to help us. But if we simply say I’m a Christian because I believe, it will get us as far as the one electrical company, and we’ll end up making a mess.

I can say I’m an electrician. After all, I grew up with my dad and his family as electricians. Then I married into a family of electricians. I’ve heard them talking about all kinds of electrical stuff. I should be able to do their job, right? I can tell you right now, I’d probably go in and get electrocuted. Just because I’ve spent my life around electricians doesn’t mean I know how to be one. My knowledge will not help me unless I put the work into it and have my actions and words match.

To believe is not simply to say Jesus exists. To be a Christian means you believe, and your actions match your heart. Praying to Jesus, studying the Bible, worshiping, and telling others about Jesus. I am a Christian and I want the world to know that I follow an awesome God who not only created the universe, and who created us, but who loves us unconditionally and will lead us and protect us in all we do and what life throws at us.

James is trying to teach us this distinction, that simply believing in Jesus will not bring salvation. The demons (once heavenly angels who walked with God) believe. They know scripture better than any of us could. They know how the story will end. Yet, they tremble. Why? Because their belief is not accompanied by the will of God or surrender to God. Their actions do not support their belief. Their acknowledgment of God does not equal a saving faith.

     Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works”  James 2:18.

Any electrician worth their salt knows the code book. They’ve learned the way to correctly wire buildings, assemble panels, and so forth. They have learned to properly use their tools for the best results.

As Christians, we should have God’s Word so hidden in our hearts that anyone who knows us knows God lives in us. The Bible will help us maneuver through all circumstances helping us get through life correctly. The Bible will also show us how to use our tools for God’s will, one that will bring about the best results. To believe means your works also match your faith in Jesus- James 1:22.

You say you are a Christian because you believe in Jesus, you have faith. Faith that stands is faith put into practice and is lived out in a way that follows God’s Word and results in loving God and loving one’s neighbor- James 2:8.

Don’t just be hearers of the Word, go out and be doers of the Word. Know and live God’s code book and allow God to equip you with all the right tools. Because God has promised once He calls you, He will equip you.      

One of the deepest joys of the Christian life is beginning to understand how much we are loved by God and that He knows us intimately. He longs to reveal Himself to us as we get to know Him through His word, spend time with Him in prayer, learn to listen to His voice and enter into times of worship. 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on ConnectWithGodDaily

Featured Image by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

About the Author

Delaina Cischke's desire is to share the love of Jesus and hopefully inspire her readers. She likes to see people smile and try to accomplish good feelings with her work. Hopefully, all her readers will get a blessing when they read anything she has put pen to as it is the Lord who leads in everything she does.

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