Believe to the Saving of the Soul

There are two very disctint kinds of belief.

1. Believing to the saving of the soul.

Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

2. The believing of devils.

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

If we examine what James wrote regarding the believing of devils as contrasted with the faith of Abraham we note that the faith of Abraham was inclusive of deeds...

Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

James understood correctly that FAITH was the WORKING DYNAMIC or ACTIVE PRINCIPLE by which the Logos of God is made effectual to the saving of the soul. The faith of Abraham was not the mere mental assent of the "faith of devils" which lacked a moving dynamic by which one aligns oneself with God. Hence the devils can believe in God and yet be enemies of God because their will is in opposition to God.

Jas 1:21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

HEARING AND DOING = Real Faith
HEARING AND NOT DOING = Faith of Devils

Hence REAL BELIEF is inclusive of REAL FAITH.

Faith - G4102- pistis
From G3982; persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

Believe - G4100 - pisteuo¯
From G4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one?s spiritual well being to Christ): - believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.

Carefully examine the above definitions and it is clearly see they are both of the same root, the same essence. "Believing in Jesus" is an operative dynamic of both trusting and doing. Paul laid it out like this...

Rom 4:10  How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Rom 4:11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
Rom 4:12  And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

In the above passage Paul connect...

FAITH, that is reckoned as righteousness Rom 4:5, with the STEPS OF FAITH. Paul understood that FAITH AND DEEDS are tied together and cannot be separated. Real faith will always DO. False faith will not DO.

So to "believe unto the saving of the soul" is to BELIEVE IN THE CONTEXT OF FAITHFULNESS. Faithfulness thus doing away with any conception that one can be in rebellion to God and be "believing unto the saving of the soul."

Dear reader, don't be deceived that you can still be in any form of rebellion to God whatsoever and be a "believer" at the same time. Such belief is the belief of devils.


Scott