The False Doctrine Of “Easy Believism”
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, September 15, 2026 (Donate)
Easy believism is a false doctrine that makes its way
into churches far too easily. And it means the mission field is often sitting in the pew! Some of you might be asking…what is “easy
believism”? that is because it isn’t talked about very often!
Easy believism refers to the idea that someone can make a momentary profession of faith in Jesus. Perhaps they repeat a prayer, call themselves "a Christian", or intellectually agree with certain facts about Christ. But they continue living their sinful life. Can they be assured of salvation regardless of whether there is repentance, perseverance, or any subsequent change of their life?
Basically, easy believers continue living their life and acting as if they were an unbeliever. In other words, there is no “fruit” or reason to think this person is saved when looking at their life or in the heart. When analyzing this idea against Scripture, there is a misunderstanding concerning the vital concept of saving faith.
Saving Faith Is More Than Intellectual Agreement
Merely believing facts about God is insufficient. There were
unbelievers in ancient times that knew that Jesus resurrected, but they weren't saved (e.g., the guards at the tomb, Josephus, etc.).
One might suggest that demons and Satan know Jesus
resurrected but that doesn’t save them. The Holy Spirit through James writes,
You believe that there is one God.
You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! (James 2:19, NKJV).
However, demons and Satan aren’t eligible for
salvation so it wouldn’t matter anyway. Only man is eligible for salvation in
Jesus Christ who became a man to rescue man who is made in God’s
image. Fallen spiritual beings like Satan and demons can’t be saved because it
isn't offer to them—they tasted the heavenly gift in the presence of God and
still rebelled.
Nevertheless, demons possess accurate information about God,
but they are obviously not saved. Biblical faith for man, though, involves more
than just acknowledging that God and Jesus exist or acknowledging the
resurrection.
This is where saving faith is key. It is a faith
where one surrenders to Christ and receives Him for who He is and what He did.
Essentially, we must be sincerely humbled to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord by
the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Repentance Accompanies The Gospel
Jesus preached for sinners to repent, and believe in the
gospel (Mark 1:15). Peter similarly commanded his hearers to repent (Acts 2:38)
once they believed by being cut to the heart (Acts 2:37). Paul proclaimed repentance
toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). Repentance doesn’t
save you (e.g., John the Baptist has a baptism of repentance) but it is something
granted by God to understand the truth (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
As a caveat, repentance doesn’t mean achieving sinlessness,
perfection, or earning salvation through good behavior. It involves a genuine
turning to God that accompanies saving faith—it’s the fruit of salvation to
understand the truth about what Christ did.
Works Don't Save, But Saving Faith Produces Fruit
God’s Word teaches salvation is by grace through faith, not
of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet the very next verse says believers are created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10).
You need to understand that good works are expected—were
made in the image of a God who does perfectly good work—every time! We, as man,
echo Him, but sin has left us doing works that are filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
Filthy rags can never save us. Works are, therefore, not
the cause of salvation but a consequence and evidence of it in that our works
are now done due to a us being new creations in Christ and renewed for good
godly works.
In James, he makes this distinction when he says that faith
without works is dead (James 2:20, 26). So, when someone has a profession in
Jesus that has no subsequent fruit, this should be a red flag as to whether
someone is saved—especially if they are living in unrepentant sin. If you
recall, Jesus taught that trees are known by their fruits (Matthew 7:16-20) and
those with saving faith are obvious to spot.
True Believers Persevere
Jesus warned about people who initially receive the Word but
later fall away because they have no root (Matthew 13:20-21). Consider the Parable
of the Sower.
Mark 4:13-17, (NKJV) says:
And He said to them, “Do you not
understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? “The
sower sows the word.
“And these are the ones by the
wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and
takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. “These likewise are the ones
sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with
gladness; “and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.
Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake,
immediately they stumble.
Easy believism is essentially those who hear the Word of
Christ and receive it joyfully but it gets immediately choked out—either by Satan
or by the fact they have no root and no growth.
1 John 2:19 similarly describes people who departed because they
weren't of us—they left the fellowship of believers because their heart was
elsewhere. Jesus said that he who endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew
24:13), while Colossians 1:23 commands us to continue in our faith."
Again, perseverance doesn’t earn salvation. Rather,
continuing faith shows the reality of one's saving profession and submission
to Christ—as that is fruit of salvation.
Not Everyone Who Says "Lord" Is Saved
Perhaps the strongest warning against easy believism comes
from Jesus (Matthew 7:20-23, NKJV):
“Every tree that does not bear good
fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “Therefore by their fruits you will
know them.
“Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My
Father in heaven. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in
Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from
Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Some people outwardly profess Christ without truly belonging
to Him. And sometimes they do great things. The gospel is certainly simple
enough for a child to understand: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will
be saved. But this belief must be a saving belief and this is often
evidenced by repentance and growing in your faith and trying to be obedient
because you love Christ. Salvation is entirely by God's grace and can’t be
earned.
Salvation is a free gift. But free doesn’t mean superficial.
Saving faith trusts the true Christ, and is therefore accompanied by
repentance, and then we live a changed life as its fruit (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Conclusion
Thus, easy believism errs when it reduces salvation to a mere
verbal profession, superficial prayer, intellectual decision, or general acknowledgment
while separating genuine faith from the heart receiving Christ. When one
neglects repentance and ignores obedient to Christ (this doesn’t mean we are
perfect and still fall short) but it shows the heart of the person.
If one refuses to follow Christ and His commands after they
make a profession in Christ, then genuine believers have the right to question
if that person is truly saved. Instead, it could easily be a situation where the seed get choked out—easy believism.
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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years
working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He
was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history,
philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and
updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr.
Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in
these fields.
*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge
