Scientific knowledge is based on evidence and if not, we have to regard what we do in science and find good evidence, good reasons for what we do. God is the God of the universe, the creator of heaven and earth. He is the Creator of science, of mathematics, and the author of the Bible. We as human beings have to figure out this oneness. The question can be asked that if God is the God who created science (God created the Universe) and evidence is the basis for scientific knowledge, would He ever expect us to believe in Him blindly, to believe the Bible blindly, to believe that Christ died and was resurrected, blindly, or would He give us evidence for what we believe. What does it mean to believe God, to have faith in God.
What is the meaning of the word faith? In Hebrews 11:1 we read that ‘faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen’. Does that imply that our faith has to be blind, we just have to blindly believe?
I think it’s important for us to know that the Christian faith is the only religion in this world that is not based on blind faith. In Hebrews 11 God gives us the evidence for this faith that we cannot see, but the hope, knowing it will happen. We read about all the people of the Old Testament that believed Him and in the end, saw what God promised. Abraham, who believed God and was called the friend of God saw Isaac – the impossible promise fulfilled. God does not expect us to just believe blindly, but He gives us evidence to believe. If we meet someone new, we can’t just say to that person, “I believe in you, I trust you”. We need some time to spend and know that person to see if he’s worthy of our trust, and that is what God is doing to us. The more we know Him, the more we can trust Him. He gives us more and more evidence. Evidence in history and evidence in our lives as we trust Him.
What does the Oxford Dictionary say about the word faith? It is not just trust, but it is an absolute trust in something or someone.
Pistis, the word used for faith in the New Testament Greek (the original language the New Testament was written in) means ‘trust and trust alone in God and His promises’ Pistis in earlier Greek was the personification of good faith, of trust and reliability.
Fides – faith in Latin, into which the New Testament was translated from the original Greek, means belief, confidence, loyalty, word of honor, trust, authenticity.
Faith thus means an absolute trust in the person of God and His character.
And throughout the Bible, God gives us good reason to believe Him. We read in the Old Testament that God often referred to what He did with Israel in Egypt and how, through miracles, He brought them out of Egypt. And therefore, they could trust Him for the future. He promised the Messiah hundreds of years earlier (e.g., Isaiah 53 written 600 B.C.) and these promises were fulfilled. Jesus did not say, ‘I’m the Messiah. Believe in Me’ but through His miracles, Jesus showed that He was of God, the Messiah. He had authority over the wind and the sea (Mark4:35-41) and even over death (John 11:38 – 44) to prove that He was who He claimed to be. When John the Baptist asked Him from prison if He was the Messiah, or should they expect someone else? What did He say? He gave evidence: the blind are seeing, the cripple walking. Good News is preached to the poor (John 11:1-6). He predicted His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21-28). It all happened.
Christ’s resurrection is one of the best-attested events of ancient history. There are very few events, if any, as well attested as the facts of the resurrection of Christ as a historical event. If you reject the resurrection of Christ as factual, you have to reject all ancient historical events as factual: Alexander the Great, Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, The Roman Empire, Nero, in fact, all ancient history. None as well attested as the resurrection. (Evidence for the Resurrection of Christ)
John said Christ will baptized with the Holy Spirit (Baptism with the Holy Spirit) and we saw what happened in Acts 2, how the church exploded to the ends of the earth when people were filled with the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 28:19, He said that He will always be with us. I, the writer, would not be here unless I see Christ in my life and experience Him every day. So, the evidence is also changed lives. (A Life Touched and Changed)
So, whenever we see the word faith, we can replace it with the words ‘absolute trust in the person of God’ because of the evidence He gave us and is giving us. We can trust Him, we can have full confidence in the character of God. The God we can know. The God that is alive, a living reality who will always do what He promises. Even so eternal life. John 17:3 ‘This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
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