As a faithful servant of God and a negotiator of His Word, I want to address a topic that often stirs debate among followers – the concept of “Easy Believism”. It’s often frowned upon as it implies that those who trust in Christ have no obligation to undergo a life transformation. This term diverges from understanding “sola fide” which means faith alone, by dismissing any degree of repentance or change as necessary aspects of saving faith.
The Holy Scriptures leave no ambiguity that salvation is gained solely by grace, through faith in Christ. This is distinctly captured in Ephesians 2:8–9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Here, it is undeniable that our salvation, a gift from God, is not an outcome of our deeds but all about our faith.
However, in contradiction to easy believism, Ephesians 2:10 discusses the aftermath of our salvation: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”. This illustrates that we are saved by the will of God for His divine purposes. We become His humble servants, setting off on an ordained path the moment we receive His blessed salvation. If the journeys we take following salvation are devoid of growth and good deeds, we might come to question whether the salvation actually occurred.
Easy believism divorces faith from repentance and the results of salvation, as it ardently enforces that salvation is by faith alone. But, Biblical teachings intertwine faith with repentance – a transformation in attitude from endorsing sin and repudiating Christ to rejecting sin and accepting Christ. Scripture in Mark 1:15, Acts 2:38, and 3:18 reaffirms this. Repentance is not toil for salvation, but it is gifted by God to those He guides towards salvation. Repentance and assurance are two integral aspects of Biblical faith.
Indeed, faith in Christ is a mighty force that triggers a transformation in believers’ lives. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come,” professes 2 Corinthians 5:17. From walking in the path of sin to allow the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in them, believers go through notable change.
The degree of transformation varies among believers and is influenced by several factors such as studying God’s Word, fellowship with other Christians, and guidance from matured Christians. The pace of change might not always be rapid, and thus discipleship has an enormous role in spiritual growth. However, it’s impossible for a believer’s life to perpetually mirror the life of a non-believer.
Certainly, easy believism initially intended to uphold salvation by faith alone, but it has gradually been blown out of proportion, to the extent of it being seemingly misconstrued. Maintaining that God imbues a desire in people to desert sin and follow Christ does not contradict the idea of salvation by faith alone. Moreover, the belief that salvation results in a life evolving into a fruit-bearing entity in no way antagonizes the idea of salvation through faith.
To an extent, salvation can be viewed as “easy” because God does the work, and we are simply called to receive His gift of salvation (John 1:12; 3:16; Acts 16:31). However, it is by no means easy since it powerfully and progressively affects those who receive it, transforming lives utterly. No salvation is easy in the sense that it requires a change, and that change is an integral part of our walk in faith which isn’t always straightforward. Nonetheless, it is a rewarding journey to be embraced.
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