Can one not be Orthodox and simply believe in God in their soul? #

It is quite common to hear statements like this: “I am Orthodox, baptized, but I don’t go to church. I don’t trust priests. But I believe in God in my soul. I wear a cross. I’ve been taught not to steal or wish harm on others. I believe that’s enough. After all, the main thing is to live with God in your soul.”

Such faith has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. To be Orthodox, certain conditions must be met. One must be part of the Church and a specific community, regularly attend services (not just once a year at Pascha or Theophany), participate in the Sacraments (especially Confession and Communion), observe fasts, pray at home, know the Holy Scriptures, and strive to fulfill Christ’s commandments, among other things. After all, as the Apostle James writes, “Even the devils also believe and tremble” (James 2:19). For instance, if you expect to receive a salary, you must go to work, not just be listed as an employee. If you haven’t shown up to work for a week, a month, or two without a valid reason, and then find out you’ve been fired, no amount of arguing with HR or showing your employment record will make a difference. No one will listen to you.

What does “faith in the soul” mean? What is implied by this phrase? Faith “in the soul” suggests something buried deep down—so deep that it’s out of sight. What do we push to the furthest shelf? Things we don’t need. Items we use regularly are kept close, but those we don’t need are tucked away. We don’t throw them out because we might need them someday, but for now, they’re out of the way. It’s the same with “faith in the soul.” For such a person, faith only gets in the way of real life. True faith, however, manifests itself in actions.

If you consider yourself a believer, can you recall the moment when you came to faith in God, in Christ? Faith doesn’t come by birth. What event made faith take root in your soul—a sermon, reading Scripture, a divine miracle, or a conversation with someone? If there was no faith, and then it appeared, such a change is impossible to overlook.

What changes occurred in your life after faith appeared? Faith should bring a profound transformation in the soul. Coming to believe in Christ, a person reevaluates their entire life, repenting of past sinful deeds. The Savior is needed only by those who feel they are perishing. If someone thinks everything is fine, they won’t feel the need for a Savior. As the Apostle Paul writes:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Christ said:

“Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).

“The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12).

A useful criterion to determine if you have even a little genuine faith is this: Recall the last time you wanted to harm someone—a neighbor, colleague, or supervisor—but refrained, not because you couldn’t, but because you remembered that God forbids it, and so you stopped. If you struggle to recall such a situation, it may mean you don’t yet have faith.

— Priest Yevgeny Gureyev