Supportive Faith

  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11: 1

The English word “substance” is made up of two words meaning: “to stand” and “under.” Faith is the substance that stands under.  It is the superstructure of life. 

The faith of those mentioned in Hebrews 11 was so strong that they had “assurance” that they responded as though the things promised were already a reality.

Moses had such faith in messianic prophecies that he forsook all material things of Egypt which he could see for the Messiah who wasn’t to come for 1400 years (Hebrews 11:26).

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. The scientist sees the world, it is the evidence of things not seen, the atoms of which it is made.   

Skeptics often make harsh statements critical of faith contending that to believe in faith is an absurdity. Yet, they have faith in that very faith believing it to be true. Every human being functions by faith. Persons who make deposits in banks have faith in them, yet there has been a lot of hankie-pankie in some.                            

Christians are often accused of acting on”blind faith.” Thus they are depicted as having committed intellectual suicide. The opposite is true. Jesus exhorted His followers to “know the truth.” The Christian experience is based on facts. Faith goes beyond reason, it does not go against it. Cognitive capacities are given as doormen to reality opening the door to truth.

Christians should put their entire mind in intellectual preparation, their whole heart into their presentation, and their entire life into their illustration.

Faith is the rapier that foils fear every time. Over the mantle of the Hind’s Hotel in England it is written: “Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.”

Faith is needed to guide our reasoning in searching for the unknown. This is done in the same way a geometry problem is served. That involves starting with the known to find the unknown. Do what you know to do and it tends to clear the mind and stimulate creative thought. “Commit your works unto the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” (Proverbs 16: 3)

Faith and reason are like two wings upon which the human spirit rises in the contemplation of truth. God has placed in the human heart the desire to know the truth.

Faith without reason leads to superstition, and reason without faith to nihilism and pragmatism. Together faith and reason elevate human thought. Think about it. Face this and every day living as unto the Lord.