It's just the opposite. Biblical faith DEMANDS NO PHYSICAL ACTION but only an action of the heart called "believing in Him who justifies the ungodly". Please identify the physical action here.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Please identify the physical action here.
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Please identify the physical action here.
You might say that seeking Him is a physical action. No, it is not, because we seek Him with our hearts. Peter spoke of God, who knows the heart. Acts 15:8
Brother, I appreciate your emphasis on the inward aspect of faith—πιστεύειν ("to believe") is indeed fundamentally a matter of the heart. However, your assertion that biblical faith “demands no physical action” actually stands at odds with both the lexical range of key Greek terms and the contextual usage throughout Scripture. Let’s walk through this carefully.
First, let’s take Hebrews 11:1 — ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων — "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Indeed, this verse describes the nature of faith, but to argue from this that faith is purely non-physical is a category error. Hebrews 11 is not merely defining faith—it illustrates it through the physical obedience of the patriarchs. Consider v.7: Πίστει Νῶε... κατεσκεύασεν κιβωτόν —
“By faith Noah… prepared an ark.” This is not mere inward assent.
His faith manifested in decisive, obedient action.
The author of Hebrews repeatedly introduces his examples with
“By faith…” (πίστει)
followed by a verbal clause of action:
Abraham left (ἐξῆλθεν, v.8), Moses refused (ἠρνήσατο, v.24), the Israelites passed through the Red Sea (διέβησαν, v.29). All of these actions are performed “by faith.” So, while the origin of faith is inward, it is never left without physical manifestation. This aligns with the ancient Jewish concept that true trust in God includes action (cf. Gen. 22:12).
Now regarding Romans 4:5 — τῷ δὲ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ, πιστεύοντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ, “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly…” — Paul is emphasizing that justification is not by works of the Law (cf. Galatians 2:16), .
but nowhere does he deny that genuine faith issues in action--
Paul’s letters are full of commands (imperatives) to obey, submit, present one's members to God, etc. (cf. Romans 6:13, 16; 12:1).
In fact, Paul himself speaks of the
“obedience of faith” — ὑπακοὴν πίστεως (Romans 1:5, 16:26). This is not merely mental assent but trust issuing in surrender.
The syntax here (ὑπακοή + genitive of source) suggests a faith that produces obedience.
Similarly, James 2:26 says, πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν — "
"faith without works is dead." James even uses the Abraham example (same as Paul!) to say his faith was “perfected” (ἐτελειώθη) by what he did.
As for your reference to Acts 15:8, yes, God knows the heart — but He also tests it through actions. Remember 1 Samuel 16:7 — “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” But in the Hebrew worldview, the heart is not merely thought or emotion —
it is the center of will and action (לבב includes intention and volition).
You mentioned Hebrews 11:6: προσερχόμενον τῷ θεῷ — “the one coming to God.” This verb, προσερχομαι, in its Koine usage often refers to volitional approach, often with physical connotation (cf. Heb. 10:1, 10:22).
It cannot be neatly split into “heart-only” categories
. The participle here is in the present middle (προσερχόμενον), indicating continuous approach-suggestive of relationship, not mere cognition.
Shalom.
J.