As we move further into saving faith vs dead faith, understanding it biblically matters, but it’s only the beginning. At some point, the theology has to leave the pages of our Bible and make its way onto the sidewalk. As we go and share the gospel, we encounter people from every imaginable background.
There are also those who openly reject Christianity and reject us in the process. Some are willing to have an honest conversation about Jesus and faith. Some of these have never heard of Jesus or even opened a Bible even in curiosity about what it contains. But at the end of the day they just are not interested in the things of God.
But, let’s be real—there’s a particular group that leaves us scratching our heads more than any other. I’m talking about those who grew up in the church, labeling themselves as Christians for a myriad of flimsy reasons. Some think they’re believers simply because they were baptized, mumbled a prayer ages ago, or show up at church on Sundays, convinced that makes them “good people.” Then there are those who parade around as “born again,” clinging desperately to the beliefs of their parents, perhaps because their father was a pastor or their grandma played the organ in the choir. These folks might be residing in the “Bible Belt,” yet they never really fastened that belt around their own waist. Let’s face it—you can’t help but doubt whether their faith is anything more than just a hollow façade.
We Cannot See Their Heart
First, we need agree that we cannot see into a person’s heart. Ultimately, only God knows with absolute certainty whether a person has truly been born again. All we can do is ask questions, seek to understand motives, and even pinpoint what their faith really lies in. To proclaim the gospel faithfully, listen carefully, and help people examine what they believe in light of God’s Word.
We are not trying to make a person doubt their salvation if in fact it is true. But most people in this group don’t examine themselves to see if they are in the faith. They don’t test themselves according to Scripture. And, they certainly don’t look into the Ten Commandments as a mirror to see if they need to be clean, but avoid it because they don’t want to feel guilty. Therefore, we want to cause doubt in the minds of those who have a dead faith. Because eternity is a long time to be wrong.
Initial Questions
We approach people with a gospel tract, money tract, or even just a simple, “Hello.” We ask questions to transition from natural conversation to more spiritual ones and introduce the topic we want to share with those around us:
- “Do you consider yourself to be a good person?”
- “If you died today, why should God allow you into heaven?”
- “Who is Jesus to you?”
- “Do you believe in God?”
- “Are you born again? Are you a Christian?”
- or, the “3 Minutes to Live” scenario.
Listen for the Foundation of Their Hope
If you ask these questions, you may get responses like these:
- “I try to be a good person.”
- “I’ve always believed in God.”
- “I was baptized.”
- “I grew up in church.”
- “I’ve prayed the sinners prayer.”
- “I go to church.”
- “I believe Jesus died for my sins.”
As we listen to the person’s response, we have a sense of comfort that the person is saved and they are at least on the right path, but they really haven’t told us much about what their faith lies in. Not only that, but they could be very confused about the questions you ask. Because:
- A person can believe that Jesus died on the cross while still trusting in themselves.
- A person can believe facts of the Bible, the the gospel, or Christianity without actually entrusting themselves to Christ.
This is why we have to listen beyond the words.
“I Believe in Jesus” Is Not the End of the Conversation
Most of the time when someone says, “I’m a Christian. I believe in Jesus,” we simply accept that statement and move on. But why? What does “believe in Jesus” even mean, and does the person we are talking to actually understand that? Maybe we should ask some follow up questions like:
- “What do you believe about Jesus?”
- “What does it mean to trust Him?”
- “What do you believe a person must do to be saved?”
- “What is the difference between believing in Jesus and being a follower of Jesus?”
But those who truly put their trust, faith, and confidence in Jesus, will say, “He is my everything,” “He is my life,” and “He is my current and eternal hope.” Not on the basis of what they do, but what Christ has done. Their life completely revolves around that. It’s not added to anything else, it is all there is.
In the same way, a person can acknowledge the existence of Jesus, believe certain facts about Him, and even admire Him without actually trusting Him. Some may call Him a good teacher, prophet, philosopher, or even a Savior. But if they are not entrusting themselves to a Faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19)—they are lost.
Fruit Inspector
In my early days of sharing the gospel I did some weird stuff to get my point across. Once I used these “Curved Illusion” tracts from Living Waters in front of Pearle Vision in the mall and said, “Come get a free eye exam.” After a handful of people came, someone complained to the store and they had me removed from the mall. Another time I wore a pin I made to the Des Moines Farmer’s Market that read, “Fruit Inspector” to get into a spiritual conversation about the difference between good fruit and bad fruit. Luckily, I was on my way out of the market before I was stopped by market officials.
Scripture teaches us that genuine faith produces evidence of good fruit. Jesus spoke about knowing people by their fruit. James demonstrated that genuine faith is living faith abiding in Christ (John 15) rather than merely intellectual acknowledgement of truth.
But, this doesn’t mean we should expect a new believer to have perfect behavior. Christians still struggle with sin. They stumble. They fail. They grow in different rates. The question isn’t: “Is this person perfect?” The question is: “Is there evidence of a life being transformed by Christ?”
When speaking with someone who professes to be a Christian, we can ask the following questions:
- “How has trusting in Christ changed your life?”
- “What role does God’s Word play in your life?”
- “How do you respond when you sin?”
- “Do you desire to follow Christ?”
- “How would you describe your relationship with Jesus?”
The goal is not to interrogate them; the goal is to allow them to explain their understanding so that if they are believing in something that is not true, we need to confront that and put them on the right path.
There is a profound difference between believing that a parachute exists and actually trusting the parachute to save you when you jump from an airplane. The former helps us accept the parachute as a good thing; the latter forces us to put it on and use it correctly at all costs, because nothing else matters.
Saving faith rests in Christ.
That means the conversation should eventually get beneath the surface religious vocabulary and uncover the foundation of a person’s confidence.
- If they are trusting their goodness, point them to God’s standard.
- If they are trusting religion, point them to the Gospel.
- If they are trusting a past decision, help them understand that biblical faith is not merely something that happened in the past, but continues on daily through the present, daily abiding in Christ.
- If they are trusting baptism, church membership, or religious activity, bring them back to the sufficiency of Christ alone.
- And if they claim to be trusting Christ alone, rejoice in that testimony—but continue the conversation carefully. Maybe have them share what the gospel means to them in their own words.
Follow Jesus’ Example
As we take the gospel to the streets, we can follow Jesus’ example by asking thoughtful, probing questions that go beyond a person’s outward profession and reveal what is truly in their heart. Jesus asked questions like, “Who do you say that I am?” “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” and “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” His questions exposed what people believed, what they valued, and where their trust ultimately rested. In the same way, our questions can help us discern whether someone is trusting in Christ and His finished work or relying on morality, religion, church attendance, good works, or some other hope. We are not seeking to judge the heart—that belongs to God—but to lovingly engage people in conversation so that the gospel can expose false foundations and point them to the only sure foundation: Jesus Christ.
Frank, this is solid, practical, street‑level discernment. You name the tension well: the hardest conversations aren’t with the openly unbelieving but with the assumed believing — those who carry Christian vocabulary without Christian conversion. Your framework helps cut through the fog by listening not just to what people say, but to what they’re actually trusting in.
I appreciate how you keep the focus on Christ’s finished work. You expose the danger of mistaking familiarity with Jesus for faith in Jesus, and you show how easy it is for people to lean on baptism, church attendance, childhood memories, or moral effort instead of the cross. That’s the kind of clarity our evangelism desperately needs.
Your emphasis on thoughtful questions mirrors Jesus’ own approach. Not interrogating, not shaming — but lovingly uncovering foundations so the gospel can confront dead faith and awaken living faith. Eternity is too long to let people rest on assumptions.
Thanks for equipping the saints to engage with courage, patience, and truth. This is the kind of work that strengthens the church and sharpens our witness. Keep going.
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