42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:42–43, NKJV)
It is apparent from this text that mere belief in Christ is not sufficient to be saved in Christ. Different types of personal faith are observed in the Scriptures, some of which must definitely be avoided. For instance, we must not have the faith of demons (James 2:19). They believe – even tremble – but their faith lacks doing the will of God. They are lost. Therefore, James wrote, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17, 20). If that is the kind of faith you have – believing but not obeying God – then your faith is dead, and we urge you to repent and obey the Father. The Jewish rulers in today’s text had a silent faith. They believed in Jesus, but they feared men more than God. They remained silent because they desired the praise and recognition of men more than God’s approval. Faith that pleases God does not shrink from open confession of one’s allegiance to Christ. Fidelity to Christ is observable through a life that obeys God’s will and refuses to yield to the silencing tactics of the world. Instead of fearing men, saving faith fears God and does not shrink back (Matthew 10:28; Hebrews 10:39).
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