Does Theology really matter? (Part 2)

What kind of Theology really matters?  

   ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters,^e if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? ¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? ¹⁷So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. ¹⁹You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder. ²⁰Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? ²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. ²³Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. -James 2:14-24

James says that "even the demons" by worldly standards have very good theology. Contrary to what many people might assume - demons are monotheists! They quite possibly have a clearer idea of certain concepts like the Trinity or wrath than we might have. Does that produce godliness in them? Does that save them? By all means, NO! So we have to think deeper about how theology matters to get to the bottom of this. Does it matter for salvation? How?

James says it has little value if it is not coupled by "works". Believing the right truths are only of value if those truths permeate every area of your life - a life lived coherently to the truth believed.