A friend of mine recently cited a MSNBC poll that reported that a majority of 51% of people in the world believe in God. His reaction was that even if they believe in God they may not believe in the right God. after hearing this I could not help but to think of James 2:19 where even the belief in the RIGHT God was not enough. “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”

In this book of scripture James actually becomes a critic of religious belief and questions what good just “believing” in God, even the RIGHT God (Deuteronomy 6:4), really accomplishes? James flips the script in a way that might even make some Christians shudder; which is exactly what James was trying to do as he confronted some in the church who reduced faith to just mental assent without it becoming an agent that shapes, transforms, and bears real fruit in the lives of people (and not just for us- but bears fruit for those around us too).

So let’s take a walk through the book of James…

Can there really be such a thing as resurrection? Can all that was good, loved and valued really be restored? Aren’t the dreams we hoped in for love, peace, and justice for everyone better left behind as childish and foolish ambitions? Haven’t we all witnessed that  embracing such a foolish Way will only leave us bruised, cursed, and destroyed? Oh so utterly destroyed.

Blessed are you who are rich, for you can give much without sacrificing much of your own comfort and are a witness of how God blesses the truly faithful.

Blessed are you who are satisfied, for you do not need to worry about going hungry and can focus on heavenly things.

Blessed are you who laugh, and do not get distracted from what is really important for eternity by the shortsighted weeping of those who futilely mourn because of, and for, a doomed world.