Apologetics

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And you're thinking, "If He did, then there's hope for you Tim." (insert my most evil laugh)

No...seriously...Did Christ die for demons?

Well according to some folks who don't like justification by faith alone...you know, that free grace stuff...they seem to like using the following verse in James..."You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder" against those of us who actually think we need that free grace stuff. I know it's messy and offensive to some, but there are some of us that are pigs.

The rant goes something like this, "Obviously faith is not enough to be saved because even them devils believe." Ergo...you need to throw in some works, probably baptism, and chips with bean dip.

But having studied this issue I came to this conclusion...

"Oh no...Paul has just convinced me to have the same belief system as a demon!" All this time, those of us who are of the "baptist" persuasion, are the spiritual equivalent of devils. Cryptically Paul is saying as much in Romans 4:4,5. "Y'all who don't work, but trust, are justified" which really means "Y'all just a bunch of lazy heathen devils. Instead of watching them there Cowboys lose y'all should be praying and fasting...AND I DON'T MEAN PRAYING AND FASTING FOR THE COWBOYS TO START WINNING."

Us "baptist" devils need our semi, and pro, pelagian, wheeties eating, spiritual body builders hoping they don't let they're spiritual six pack start slumping over they're bible belt, Christian brothers tell us about what awaits like-minded demons like us. Hellfire and an unrelenting criticism. At least we'll take it with our feet propped up.

Well before I get way too smarmy let me just say, to use such sophomoric apologetics to harangue those of us who are not so enlightened is...well...sophomoric. Now if we could just get a demon to get baptized. (I would like to see the missionary to the demons after he asks them the Acts 19 question, talk about an unsatisfying mission field)

What is really my point?

Simply?

James is from Missouri.

But seriously...

Is the faith which James credits demons with the kind of faith that say, even Simon the sorcerer had? No. Obviously James is using a rhetorical tool to make the point that fruits follow the faith that justifies (that is the whole intent of James 2), which demons could never have. Why? Because in reality, they don't have faith. They have "know". It's the "know" that makes them "shudder". If we "knew" then we would shudder also. But we don't "know" we "believe". So obviously James is not making a one to one comparison to the faith that a justified sinner has and the "faith" that a demon has. Even the nominal faith, which James criticizes and calls "dead" faith, is not the same type of faith that a demon has. A demon has a whole different set of experiences. Maybe the best way to say it is that a demon has a more empirical "data base" that informs his intellect. He is ontologically different than a human. He is in a different category altogether than a human being and that fact should be taken into account when this verse is used.

Christ didn't die for demons, a different category, therefore such a verse is an attempt by James, using rhetorical force, to cajole those who profess to actually live what they profess. That is the whole reason for James 2. It's an argument against static Christianity. It's James' Missouri roots coming to the surface. Show me! Not God, for He ain't from Missouri, but rather show James and by logical extension, other men.

But on our best day, James' comparison should not be forgotten, for a demon's profession is stronger than ours, and taking into consideration all of the interactions between God and demons...they're way more obedient.

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