Luke 4:33–35 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

Jesus was in Capernaum, a city in Galilee, when the event recorded above took place. It was the demon speaking through the man who said, “I know who you are…”

I have encountered a lot of people in my life who have knowledge of Jesus. Some of them believed He was their Savior, many of them did not. Knowledge is not enough when it comes to Jesus. Demons know who Jesus is, but it does them no good. In order for someone to be saved, they must have faith that Jesus is who He says He is: The Son of God and the Savior of all people.

When I taught the catechism to my confirmation classes, I told them there are three parts to faith: knowledge, acceptance, and trust. I often used the following Illustration.

I was walking down a hiking trail and came to a narrow suspension bridge designed for foot traffic. It was made from cables and old boards and had a sign that said, “Weight Limit 250 lbs.”  I know that I weigh less than that, so I have the knowledge that I need, but at this point I have not yet used it.

I look over the bridge. The cables that run under the boards and that provide had rails seem to be large enough to carry the load. The boards also look like they are in good enough shape to support me. I accept that this bridge should be safe for me to use to cross the stream far below it.

Trust is stepping out onto the bridge and walking across it.

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.