Passive Belief vs. Active Belief

I wonder sometimes our level of belief in something. I’m talking about, not only how much we believe something, but how active our belief is. So, put another way, do we act on what we believe?

I was trying to think of an analogy. Think about it this way. Say, for instance, I have a strong belief in the defense of this nation. I believe it should be defended vigorously. I also believe just as strongly that I will be protected, as a citizen, from any harm that some would try to do to this nation. Now, I have two choices. I can sit at home and believe those things to be the case, or I can go enlist in the military and act on those beliefs. Now each person can believe it to a degree. The person who enlists, however, has put action to his faith. So, we could say that the person who sits at home has a passive belief, and the person who enlists has an active belief.

So, how does this translate? Well, the person in the military is accomplishing the task on which the belief is based. You could say, he’s doing the heavy lifting. One is believing, but the other is believing while also acting on it. I would say, first of all, not everybody can, will, or needs to join the military. So, I’m not trying to make a point about that. All things being equal, we’ll just say that this is a scenario happening in a vacuum.

Now, we can certainly have a passive belief in some things and it has no real effect on anything. I believe the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Yeah, that’s right, isn’t it? Just kidding. Made you think. Also, I believe that the mailman will deliver my mail this morning. But my belief in that really has no effect on that fact. However, some things it matters what belief we put action to.

I believe that it’s a good idea to have money in the bank. Therefore, I go to work. I believe it’s good to have food in the fridge. Therefore, I go to the grocery store. I could have a passive belief that those things will take care of themselves. But I may end up on the street if I do that. Admittedly, some things may just get taken care of if I passively believe it. I may have some money given to me as a benevolent act. I could also collect some form of government assistance. But, even that would require some action. In either case, however, the needs would not likely be met at the same level.

So, what’s the main idea here? Well, I would conclude in saying that having an active belief in something is important. Belief is a starting point, but we often need to put action to that belief.

…Let’s go deeper

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Many times we can have a passive faith about something without realizing it. AV James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” It’s important that we make sure we are acting on what the Word says in our lives. That’s how we know when our faith is really a conviction. Believing something to the point of acting on it is a true test of your belief system.

While I would say that a passive faith is at least a start, I wouldn’t put much stock in it.AV James 2:19-20 says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” So, he is saying kind of facetiously, “Oh, you believe in God? Good job.” Now, this would illustrate to me that a passive faith doesn’t cut the mustard. James is saying here that if you just have a general belief in God, with no real action or conviction, that you have the same basic belief system as devils. That’s not very reassuring is it? See, even the devils believe in the existence of God. But that didn’t make any difference in their lives did it? They don’t have an active faith. One that is looking to God or acting on that belief.

So, how do we have a faith that really matters and makes a difference? AV Acts 16:31 says, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Now, I like to emphasize this. I know I have said it before, but I’ll say it again. This verse says to ‘believe on’, it doesn’t say to ‘believe in’. That’s an important and substantial difference. We know from the verse prior that a ‘belief in’ isn’t enough, is it? Because, even the devils believe and we know they’re not saved. So, what does it mean to ‘believe on’? Well, ‘believe on’ means that I am trusting in Him and the work He did on the Cross to attain my salvation. It implies a level of trust and dependence on. See, the reality is, I can believe a lot of things exist without that belief having any impact on my life. My belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and His work on the cross are the only ways it will have an impact on my life. That’s a faith that matters. That’s an active faith. And it will certainly matter when I get to the end of this life.

AV James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

AV Acts 16:31 says, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”