When You Think You’ve Figured Out Christianity

There’s a dangerous place many believers reach in their walk with Christ. It’s that point where they think they’ve “got it all figured out.” They know the Bible stories. They can quote verses. They serve at church when it’s convenient. They’ve learned the language of faith and feel comfortable in Christian circles. But somewhere along the way, their fire has faded. Passion turns into routine. Devotion becomes duty. And obedience slowly gives way to complacency.

The problem with thinking you’ve figured out Christianity is that you stop growing. You stop depending on God. You stop fighting the flesh. Instead of running the race, you start walking, then coasting, and eventually sitting still.

The apostle Paul warned against this kind of spiritual drift when he wrote, “Do not lag behind in diligence, be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11, LSB). Paul had every reason to feel spiritually accomplished. Yet, even he said, “Not that I have already received it or have already been made perfect, but I press on” (Philippians 3:12, LSB).

Complacency Always Leads to Disobedience

When a believer stops pressing forward, they start falling backward. There’s no neutral ground in the Christian life. Jesus said in Revelation 3:15–16, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of My mouth.” Lukewarm Christianity is an insult to a holy God.

Complacency is the slow fade of faith. It doesn’t happen overnight. It starts when prayer becomes optional. When Scripture reading becomes rare. When conviction no longer stings as it once did. Soon, the voice of God is drowned out by the noise of comfort and self-sufficiency.

Disobedience follows complacency like a shadow. Once you stop pursuing holiness, sin begins to fill the void. You start excusing behavior you once repented of. You justify compromise. You tell yourself that God understands your weaknesses, and while He does, He never excuses our rebellion.

The Call to Wake Up

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14, LSB). Many Christians today need to hear that same wake-up call. God did not save you to sit on the sidelines. He saved you to serve, to grow, to fight the good fight of faith.

If you’ve grown lazy in your walk, confess it. If you’ve become complacent, repent of it. If you’ve drifted into disobedience, turn back to the Lord who is full of mercy and grace.

The Christian life is not about mastering a system; it is about daily surrender to a Savior. You don’t “figure out” Christianity; you live it out through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every day is an opportunity to grow deeper in faith, to walk closer with Christ, and to reflect His character in a world that desperately needs Him.

So, if you find yourself coasting, stop. Pray. Get back in the Word. Serve again. Worship again. Obey again. Because the moment you think you’ve arrived is the moment you’ve started to fall asleep.

Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone),

Pastor Jody