Faith Part 1 – The Evidence of Things Not Seen

Faith is one of those terms that meant something very different to me before my 30s. Growing up, I was taught well about faith, yet as I grew further from Christ in my teens and 20s, I lost the meaning. I’m not sure if it was how I saw some Christians act, the world around me, or just plain Satan, but I heard a new definition of faith. Faith was just a decision to believe something you weren’t sure of. A blind belief because you have read the promise of peace and heaven and wanted it to be true.

It was what Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and cult followers thought about their gods. “He’s got to be real. It’s got to be real. If I force myself to forget all my skepticism, then I can brainwash myself and do all the things I’m told.” With a definition like this, I thought faith was silly and a poor decision. It was wishful thinking and not based on evidence.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 

Hebrews 11:1 NIV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

But a funny thing happened when I start looking more into the God of my parents. The God of the Bible. He started to prove Himself. He started giving me the evidence. I could feel His presence. I could see Him working in my life and in those around me. I looked at the mountains, trees, oceans, rivers, insects, and animals and was overwhelmed by the evidence of His power. He healed things in my heart that I never thought could be fixed.

He spoke to me, and not just one time or in one way. He would tell me how He felt about me and tell me things He wanted to say to others. When I delivered what I hoped were His words for other people, I was stunned to find out that they were really from Him.  After that, faith in the existence of an Almighty God who loves us and speaks is simple. When you see miracles it’s simple to believe in miracles. He does the things only He can do and suddenly it is harder work to deny He exists, and foolish not to serve Him.

I also always thought it was my job to create faith, and in part, I have found that’s true. I believe there are two parts to faith, the first is believing in God after He has given us the ability and evidence to believe in Him. That’s His job and He’s very good at it.  The second part is still believing Him when things don’t go well or when His promises take too long for our comfort, and how we respond to the things He tells us to do. I’m sure theologians everywhere would pick my definition apart, but it’s based on what God has done in my own life and what I see in scripture. I’m just doing my best to describe it.

 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 

Romans 12:3 NIV

A key hidden in Romans shows us how faith arrives at our doorstep. God hands it out to us. This is supported by my experience with God. At the age of 32 after attending a small group for well over a year I woke up one morning and realized. “Oh my gosh, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe He is who He says He is and that He did what He said He did.” I had been arguing this point very strongly with Christians and was unwilling to concede that Jesus had come from Heaven to Earth to save us. I knew historians could prove a man named Jesus walked the earth and died on a cross but until God literally deposited faith in me I just didn’t believe it.

At other times I would be reading the Bible with the Holy Spirit and He would reveal to me the truth on a matter that I struggled with, and I realized, “Oh! I just believe what God says here!” I hadn’t made a conscious decision to believe, and I hadn’t repeated it over and over until my brain believed it. He simply gave me understanding and faith. He opened my eyes and ears.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Romans 10:17 NIV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 ESV

I had to hear the gospel repeatedly for God to soften my heart. He was so patient with me, and I praise Him for provision and that He put me in a group that was willing to allow me to study with them and become friends with them before I shared their faith. I had sat in a pew for over a decade consistently losing the faith I once had. The church building and one pastor at a time were not enough to convince a skeptical woman that God had brought about her salvation through the perfect blood of Jesus.

He’s too good to leave us in our ignorance and gives us all many chances to see Him and believe. He proves Himself to us over and over again. He will go to great lengths to convince you that He made you for Himself and wants to live in you. That He will provide for you, and that He is in charge.

So, this means when He says something hard to conceive (things not yet seen), we must use all the proof He has already supplied us with and decide to believe Him. The faith He gives us and the faith we respond with are two sides to the same coin.

My advice to you and to me? Hear the word about Christ often. Write down and review testimonies. Share the gospel with unbelievers and believers alike, and when He points you in a direction, run, confident that He knows everything, and everyone, and holds all resources and the future in His hands. Believe the Lord your God. He has already proved Himself trustworthy.

Here’s a song that goes well with this subject!  Tis so Sweet: Shane and Shane

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