What does the Bible say about passivity / being passive?

Christianity in its practical outworkings is a well-balanced combination of the passive and active sides of divine life in the soul. Every Christian is of necessity a receiver, not only at conversion, but all through his career. He must daily sit at Jesus' feet and hear His Word (Luke 10:39), cultivating that quiet passivity of soul which ensures a receptive state. Otherwise he has nothing to impart.

We, however, are so one-sided in our actions and views that, far from maintaining the even balance of Scripture, we either are very active in works, often seeking in that activity to cover up the want of a really godly and Christlike walk; or else we become so occupied with the passive side of the new life as to have but little Christian activity left. Some, indeed, press work, work, work, till it would seem as if Christianity were all work. Others say only walk, walk, walk, as if the Christian had no real work to do. What Christ wants is both.

Faith may express itself in two ways, either in activity or in passiveness; and the latter is by far the more remarkable. To see a child of God surrounded by a thousand calls to active effort, by which alone he can, to all appearance, extricate himself from a position of difficulty or peril, remain quiet and in the exercise of hidden dependence on a Hand which defers its help, is, indeed, a wonderful sight. It is so natural to shift for ourselves, to strain every nerve, to wrestle, throughout the long night of our perplexity, in the hope that we may overcome by struggling. And there are, no doubt, occasions when such struggles may be necessary, and when faith is called on to show herself as a veritable slave. An Abraham may have to arm his household, and sally forth to the conquest; or he may have to conduct an only son to the sacrificial hilltop.

Here we have faith in happy and thorough passivity. Man is silent - he has no place - God is supreme - He exalteth Himself. And is not this the very highest and most honourable phase of faith? Does it not hereby bring more glory to God, since it allows Him entire and perfect control: allows Him to act for Himself, and to have His own way? Let us but call to memory the words of our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but Thine, be done." What passivity! What setting aside of a will, which, though real, was ever in harmony with that of the Father. The Father's will was to be supreme, though at such a cost to Him who surrendered His own. Ah! what a perfect example of being thus, still, we have in Jesus.

Here we have faith in happy and thorough passivity. Man is silent—he has no place—God is supreme—He exalts Himself. And is not this the very highest and most honourable phase of faith? Does it not hereby bring more glory to God, since it allows Him entire and perfect control: allows Him to act for Himself, and to have His own way? Let us but call to memory the words of our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but Thine, be done.” What passivity! What setting aside of a will, which, though real, was ever in harmony with that of the Father. The Father’s will was to be supreme, though at such a cost to Him who surrendered His own. Ah! what a perfect example of being thus, still, we have in Jesus.

No, that is not the principle by which the man of God lives. Times there are when faith may be passive, when it has to “stand still and see the salvation of God,” when it has to encounter difficulties far beyond itself. Then it waits on God. But more frequently it is called on to put forth all its energy, and to exhibit, in a thousand ways, its active, living confidence in the God of resurrection and of infinite power. In each case, however, the man of faith is marked by a spirit of calm superiority, of dignity, of mental balance, and of that elevation over conditions and circumstances which can only be, but which surely are, produced by very close dealing with God. He is careful for nothing, because he is most careful to expose everything to the eye and ear of that God, who is a very present help in trouble.”

Despite the unbelief of His people and their lack of confidence in Him, as the psalmist declares, "Our fathers in Egypt considered not Thy wondrous works; they remembered not the multitude of Thy loving kindnesses, but they rebelled at the sea, at the Red Sea (Ps. 106:7). Yet God had respect to the greatness and glory of His Name and His faithfulness in carrying out the terms of the covenant He had made with Abraham of old, and so we read, "And Moses said to the people, Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today … the Lord will fight for you and ye shall be still (Ex. 14:13-14). Then He commands Moses, "Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward." There is nothing inconsistent between the command to "Stand still" and "Go forward." The one action is passive and the other is active; one is inward, the other outward, but both require the exercise of faith in laying hold of the never-failing divine resources to enable one to "Stand still" as well as to "Go forward."

Nature ever argues thus. "There is a lion in the way; I shall be slain in the streets," is the plea of the sluggard against doing anything. But is it not true that activity is the best safeguard? To sit idly with the hands folded, to tremble because of impending evil, instead of going forward in the plain path of duty in reliance upon God, is never the way of safety. Indeed, personal safety is the last care of faith. Our present and ultimate salvation has been eternally secured, and is kept for us by our almighty risen Lord. That leaves no room for further care as to self, but rather encourages us to throw ourselves into the breach and fight manfully the battles of the Lord. Those who do this are not only victors for the Lord and His people, but themselves come out unscathed. So they go down to Keilah.

Let it be remembered that if God is sovereign, He acts in every case of blessing. God's sovereignty is active, not passive. He wills and He works . God's sovereignty, held in an undue and unbalanced way, may lead us to fold our hands and do nothing for souls; but that same sovereignty leads Him to the FULLEST ACTIVITY. And if God is active in grace, those in communion with Him must be active too.

But some, I know, are ready to say, by way of excusing themselves, that if they are as dead as the iron at the bottom of the stream, they must be entirely passive in the work of conversion. There is some truth in this remark, but it is far from being the whole truth. The soul is dead as regards God and spiritual things, but it is all alive as regards this world. There is no heart or energy for Christ and His salvation, but there is plenty of both for present things; and scripture presses, in innumerable places, the responsibility of the sinner. It assures him that the work by which alone he can be saved is finished, and that he has only to believe it on the sure testimony of God Himself; and, thus believing it, he is saved, and finds present and eternal rest in Jesus.