How complicated can faith be? Just “believe,” and you have faith, right? Well, actually, yes! But not the way you think! Do you know exactly what it is that you must believe in, to have TRUE FAITH? Remember, your faith must have works! Just believing in God doesn’t do the trick!

James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

This man would say “he believed,” but that doesn’t cut it! Believing in God ISN’T ENOUGH, and that’s the SHOCKING TRUTH!

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

Even the demons believe in God! And does that save them? Hardly! More is necessary!

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Belief in God is only a small PART of what is required for YOU to have FAITH! True, powerful faith, not the weak, worthless LIE that the world has! They say they have faith, but their faith produces no works! Therefore, it is a DEAD FAITH! To have a LIVING faith you must have MORE!

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

To come to God, in faith, you must believe that He IS! But remember, EVEN THE DEVILS DO THAT! There must be more… and there is! You must also believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him – you must believe that if YOU DO GOOD, He will reward you!

But that’s not enough either! Most of the world believes, on one level or another, that God is good, and if you are good God will do good things for you. But that doesn’t produce faith with works in them! No, something else, one last point is required to have TRUE FAITH!

In order for it to matter if God is a rewarder of THOSE who diligently seek Him, YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE DILIGENTLY SEEKING HIM!

TRUE faith is a compound of these THREE beliefs! Knowing God exists, KNOWING that He is good, and KNOWING THAT YOU ARE OBEYING HIM WITH EVERY FIBER OF YOUR BEING!!

1 John 3:19-22 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

And THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW YOU ARE OBEYING HIM! This scripture tells you how to have that LAST PIECE of faith that YOU are missing! Your conscience must be CLEAN! You must KNOW that there is nothing you are doing, that might, even POSSIBLY be wrong, and then you can have TRUE, POWERFUL FAITH, that PRODUCES WORKS, and is ALIVE!

(For more information on this concept, and details on just HOW YOU DO THAT, read our articles “The Simple Truth About Faith,” “Why Isn’t God Answering Your Prayers,” and “Why Wouldn’t He?”)