Belief Must Lead to Practice
Many of us have spent years—perhaps decades—in a church culture that hasn’t asked much of us in terms of growing in our faith, A.K.A., discipleship. We’ve learned the songs, memorized the prayers, and become familiar with the rituals. But how many of us have experienced a true call to follow Jesus in all of life, in every corner of our hearts, and in every aspect of our daily living? That is the biblical norm.
It’s a challenge that resonates with many Christians: how to move beyond a spiritual formation that treated membership and belief as a checklist of ideas rather than a life of active, joyful following. In a Western context, belief is often about cognitive assent—agreeing with a list of ideas or doctrines. But biblically, belief is always a verb, an action. It means to trust, commit, follow— and live out what you claim to believe. In other words, no one truly believes something from a biblical perspective unless they’re actively putting it into practice, even if imperfectly. And none of us are perfect.
Jesus never said, “Just show up on Sunday, and you’re good.” Instead, He invited us into a way of living that transforms everything we do, a way that goes far beyond intellectual agreement or passive church attendance, a way that is joyful and abundant (John 10:10). In fact, the first Christians were actually referred to as “People of the Way.” People who follow Jesus would not be called Christians until the faith reached the city of Antioch (Acts 11:26).
A Church Formed by Love and Obedience to Christ
This church was formed out of a deep love for and obedience to Christ through His Word. The reality, however, is that many of us have found comfort in a spiritual life that remains just that—a life of comfort and minimal expectations.
Believing in Jesus somehow became a matter of agreeing with the right ideas in our heads, rather than living out those beliefs in tangible ways that stood out from our secular neighbors. Yet, when we look to Scripture, we find a call far greater and more active than mere belief (cognitive ascent).
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23 ESV). This is a call not just to think about Jesus or admire Him from a distance but to follow—to practice, to act, to live out the belief that He is Lord of our lives.
Passive Faith vs. Active Following
What happens when our faith never moves from our heads to our hearts and hands? We become passive. We bear less and less fruit (John 15:5). We settle for routines that are comfortable and predictable but lack the vibrancy of an authentic walk with Christ that others might want to imitate.
We might attend church, avoid major moral failures, and assume that this is what it means to live a Christian life. But this falls short of the life Jesus modeled and called His followers to live.
The call of Jesus is to live out five core convictions:
- Believing that Jesus is the Son of God and trusting Him for salvation.
- Following Jesus (His words and His ways), not just agreeing with Him intellectually.
- Loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind.
- Loving our neighbors as ourselves (this is practical and hands on).
- Being and making disciples (followers) of Jesus
When we talk about belief, we’re talking about more than agreement in our heads. The Bible never separates belief from action—faith and works are two sides of the same coin. James reminds us that “faith by itself if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). True belief compels action—it transforms the way we think, speaks, relates to others, and live out our daily lives. A faith that simply agrees with ideas intellectually but never acts on them isn’t faith at all. Luther’s writing is littered with concerns about unbelief. He wasn’t usually talking about people not agreeing with him, though that certainly happened. He was referring to the lack of imitation of Jesus.
Breaking the Cycle of Passive Spiritual Formation
For most of us, the struggle is real: How do we break out of decades of spiritual formation where the Church never asked much of us? How do we become people who actively live out our faith, love God deeply, love our neighbors intentionally, and make disciples wherever we go?
One simple step is to get connected to a community that can encourage and hold us accountable to a life of following Jesus. We’re excited to introduce our new discipleship process, “Living in Faith Together” (LIFT), which starts next week—October 1 at 10 AM at the church and October 3 at 6:30 PM at the Wilhelm’s house. LIFT is designed to help break the cycle of passive formation by equipping believers to actively live out their faith every day in the context of a supportive Christian community.
LIFT isn’t about adding more activities to your calendar. It’s about learning to see every part of your life—work, family, relationships—as a place to actively live out the faith we profess. It’s a simple, reproducible process for everyday discipleship, a way to move beyond the routine of Sunday mornings and into a full, flourishing life in Christ.
From Agreement to Action: Practical Next Steps
If you’re wondering how to move from passive faith to active following, here are some concrete steps to consider:
- Shift Your Perspective on Church Attendance
Instead of seeing Sunday services as the pinnacle of your spiritual life, view them as a time to be equipped and recharged to live for Jesus the rest of the week. Worship, teaching, and fellowship are all meant to prepare us for our Monday through Saturday lives. - Engage in the LIFT Discipleship Process
Consider joining LIFT as a way to take the next step in actively living out your faith. The support of a community that is learning and growing together can be a powerful catalyst for change. Whether you choose to meet on October 1 at the church or October 3 at the Wilhelm’s house, know that this is an invitation to move deeper into what it means to follow Jesus every day. - Actively Love God and Others Throughout the Week
The greatest commandments—loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39)—are meant to be lived out every day. How can you make time to connect with God in prayer and Scripture regularly? How can you show love to those around you in practical ways this week? - See Discipleship as a Lifestyle, Not a Program
Jesus called us to make disciples, not just through structured church programs, but in our everyday interactions. Think about how you can share your faith naturally in conversations, invite others into a deeper walk with God, and model what it looks like to follow Jesus. - Be Willing to Grow Beyond Your Comfort Zone
A faith that follows Jesus will stretch and challenge you. It may mean giving more time, more resources, or more love than feels comfortable. But as you step out in faith, you will find that Christ meets you, empowers you, and uses you in ways you never imagined.
An Invitation to Live Fully in Christ
The journey from passive faith to active following is not an easy one, but it is the way to a full, rich life in Christ. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). That abundant life isn’t found in just showing up on Sunday—it’s found in taking the next step, every day, to live out the beliefs we hold dear.
So let’s move beyond mere agreement and into active, faithful following. Together, let’s break the cycle of passive formation and step into the joy of living out our faith fully, for the glory of God and the good of others. See you at LIFT next week—let’s lift one another up as we follow Jesus together.
P.S. LIFT will be an ongoing process you may join at any time. However, it’s best that when you do join and after kicking the tires for a few weeks, you’ll want to be present more than not. You’ll discover a community and way of following Jesus that is refreshing, practical, and doable. There will be a couple of weeks in October when we won’t be able to meet due to schedule challenges.
P.P.S. Give Pastor Mark a heads up (a text will do) about which event you are joining. There will be food involved.
0 Comments