Have faith in God. We hear that a lot. But what is faith, really? For Christians, faith is central. Without faith, we are not saved and without faith, it is impossible to please God. For unbelievers, faith in an unseen God is impossible to understand.
I remember wondering “how is it possible to be so sure of something I can’t see.” Faith didn’t make sense to me. I thought that only the truly desperate would put all they are into a God they couldn’t see. As I began my journey toward the Truth, my perception began to change. The more convinced I became that the Bible was true, the more I began to desire to possess the same faith that I had once looked down on. But to be honest, deep inside, I doubted that I could ever truly have the faith I now so desired.
We all practice faith in one way or another every day. We turn on the tap and drink, knowing that the tap water won’t make us sick; we board an airplane and travel, believing that it won’t crash; and we pile into elevators and ride, knowing the doors will open and let us off. We don’t question these things. We know by experience that the water is regulated, the pilot has been properly trained, and the elevator must meet certain codes in order to operate. We can see and verify all these things. This is an easily explainable type of faith: one that everyone can relate to.
Biblical Faith
Biblical faith is different. It is not natural, it is supernatural. Unlike the everyday kind of faith, the biblical kind of faith requires that we trust in the unseen.
“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” John 1:18
The writer of Hebrews describes the biblical kind of faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Hebrews 11:1
Trusting in the unseen is not something that we, as humans, naturally tend to do. If we cannot perceive something with our senses, then verify it through experience, we question if it is real. God is revealed through the Bible, His Word, but we still can’t see Him. We can intellectually know the Bible to be true, but until our hearts are convinced of its truth, this knowledge is just knowledge, it does not change us. That’s where I was at: intellectually convinced that the Bible was true, but still not truly believing in my heart that it was. I felt just like the father in Mark 9:24 who said: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
God did not leave me in unbelief. He does not leave anyone there who seeks Him with all of their heart. [pullquote]God did not leave me in unbelief. He does not leave anyone there who seeks Him with all of their heart.[/pullquote]
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Measure of Faith
God has given us all a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). It is a gift from Him (Ephesians 2:8). This measure of faith is enough to cause us to believe when we hear the truth of the Gospel. Just because God has given us a measure of faith, doesn’t mean we will respond. God has also given us free will so we can choose whether to respond. I heard the Gospel as a child and as a teenager and for many reasons chose not to respond. But God didn’t give up. He did not leave me there. No matter how far I tried to run, He was there. 2nd Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Thank God for this truth. Thank God that I started seeking His Truth.
As I discussed in The Bible: Fact or FantasyTruth or Lie, my intellect kept me from responding to the truth. For me, it was important to find logical arguments that supported the truth of the Bible. These arguments began penetrating the wall of my intellect. At some point while seeking God and the truth, my intellect stepped out of the way and I stepped out in faith. I cannot tell you the exact moment that the measure of faith God gave me was activated and I believed – I just know it was and I did. Jesus describes it like this ” So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 It is supernatural. There is no explanation.
We all have faith. It is a gift from God. He makes it available to everyone. It is up to us to choose to accept His gift. Sometimes all it takes is to step out in faith and say “I believe God, help me overcome my belief!”
Barlow Girl sings a song called Never Alone. This song is about choosing faith. Choose faith today.
“And though I cannot see You
And I can’t explain why
Such a deep, deep reassurance
You’ve placed in my life
We cannot separate
‘Cause You’re part of me
And though You’re invisible
I’ll trust the unseen
If there are obstacles in your path that are keeping you from choosing faith, pray this prayer:
Lord, I ask you to move my heart towards you today and to remove any obstacles from my path that are keeping me from choosing faith and choosing You. I choose to believe You today and tomorrow and for the rest of my life.
God Cares: Comfort in Sorrow, Faith's Unseen Sustenance #shorts
Making Him Known August 13, 2025 4:20 pm