Active Faith

by Skip Heitzig | Tuesday, September 30, 2025

The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk has prompted many believers to reflect on the urgency of living out our faith with courage and conviction. The difference between passive faith and active faith has become painfully clear.

It's easy to believe that God can do something, but do you believe that God will do something?

In Daniel chapter 2, the prophet was in a terrible crisis, and God encouraged him to step out in faith—not in spite of his circumstances, but because of them. Daniel was facing his own death but bravely stepped up and trusted in the everlasting arms of God. He placed his faith in the Lord at a very strategic time.

Taking such a step is what philosopher Soren Kierkegaard was referring to with his "qualitative leap." This was a calculated commitment that Daniel made based upon truths he knew about God. This was real faith.

Real faith is betting your life on Jesus Christ—you might say, betting your eternal life, as well as your temporal life. Real faith integrates your spiritual world with your physical world, to bring change because of your faith in the Lord.

Some people refuse to trust in Him—refuse to live by faith in an unseen God. What's funny about that is we're so quick to trust people, but so slow to trust the Lord. It makes a big difference when you truly know the One who gave you life. You can step into situations and hopefully bring change because of your faith in Him.

For Daniel, failing the king could mean his death. But if he did nothing, he would die anyway. So what did he have to lose? Daniel activated his faith in God because he had already abandoned his life to God. It’s one thing to say, "God can do it," it's another thing to say, "God will do it, and if He doesn't do it, I'm dead anyway." That is active faith.

One person said it this way, "Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch."

Prayer was Daniel’s first resort, not his last. So often we say things like, "Well, I've tried everything else, and there's nothing left to do except pray." No, you should start there—take it before the Lord and see what He has to say. "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16). In other words, it gets the job done.

Your prayer life is directly proportional to your perception of God: "Does God really love me, or does He just sort of tolerate me?" You know, we approach God sort of like we used to approach our dads: "Is he in a good mood or a bad mood? Did he have a good day at work?"

Daniel prayed according to who he knew God to be. And when God came through, he said, "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His…He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him…You have made known to us the king's demand" (Daniel 2:20-23).

If you can bow before God, you can stand before men. Get on your knees before Him. And the strength you derive from that, like Daniel—like Charlie Kirk—will allow you to step out boldly in faith before men.