The notion that faith requires action should not come as a shock to you. My grandmother always used to tell me that we need to put foot to prayer. You might be wondering why she said that. First, faith in Christ can only be an action. Look no further than Matthew 4:19. Jesus says “follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Notice that he didn't say think about me and I will make you fishers of men. He also didn't say just talk about me, and I will make you fishers of men. This verse is significant because Jesus required action of his followers.
When Jesus told the disciples to follow him, it meant something. Anyone can think of something, and anyone can talk about something. What Jesus requires from us is that we take action with our thoughts and words. It is nearly impossible to show your Christ-like character without action.
Just imagine a new state of the art car. It can have every bell and whistle imaginable. It could have a beautiful interior with the most sophisticated sound system in the market. This vehicle could have everything that you could ever want. The only catch is, the car doesn't drive. There is no engine. Even though the car is perfect in every way, it still doesn't function properly. Everyone you tell knows how awesome of car you have. There is only one problem; they can't see it. When you don't show off your car, people can't see its full beauty and potential.
Faith requires action to be seen.
Just like the illustration I used with the car. Our faith does nothing to further God's kingdom without action. Without drive, our faith sits idle. Faith requires action so that others can see God's love work through you. If we want to be part of the Kingdom, it is not enough just to say the name, Jesus. You have to proclaim his name.
Matthew 10:33 NASB But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
You can verbally deny Christ or silently deny him. Either way, you still reject him. Your faith requires action, not only to spread the good news of the Gospel but to further your spiritual growth. Not much is obtained through idleness. Action is the driving force of advancement in our Christian faith.