Faith -- Not Knowledge or Belief

Maybe we either believe or we don't.

Or rather, maybe its a question of whether we trust him or we don't.

Semantics and the English language can certainly be a stumbling block to our understanding. When I was young, I would hear people say, "I KNOW God exists!" and "I KNOW Christ rose from the dead!" Even preachers belted out such proclamations from the pulpit.

This "knowing" of their's caused me a lot of worry and self-doubt back then, because try as I would, I could never reach that glorious state of "knowing". I was too literal-minded. I finally figured out that knowledge was not what Christ expected of us. Faith is not necessary for those who "know".

Then I had to deal with the word "believe", as in "... whoever believes in Him will not perish...". Although those around me seemed to find it easy to believe in things like the Virgin Birth and Jesus walking on water, I could never quite reach the mindset that I associated with the definition of "belief". I tried real hard, because I sure did not want to be damned for not "believing". I never quite made it.

I prayed lots and lots. I searched the scriptures lots and lots. I kept stumbling across scriptures about "faith" -- scriptures like, "without faith it is impossible to please God" and "By grace are you saved through faith" and "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith" and "we walk by faith, not by sight". So, I started looking a little closer at that word "faith". Many times I had read and heard the passage, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". But one time I slowed it down and thought it over.

"Substance of things hoped for"? Well, I could honestly say to God and myself that there were things I "hoped for". So, if faith was the "substance" of things hoped for, I certainly had that part down pat.

"Evidence of things unseen?" So, faith is the evidence of things unseen? To some, this may seem like a circular argument, but to me it was an epiphany. I had certainly seen the faith of others, and if that was not evidence of God, I didn't know what could be. I had experienced more than a few things in my own life that would surely qualify as evidence. So it dawned on my that, with hope and evidence I met the qualifications. "Hallelujah, I have faith!"

So

Now, although I still cannot with a clear conscience claim to "know" or even "believe" in some things -- I can honestly claim to have "faith" in them. So, if by the grace of God we are saved by "faith", than I figure I have a chance.

A not-quite-accurate analogy might be this:

My father died when I was 22. Let's say a serious, level-headed and trusted friend of the family knocks on my door. When I open it, he says, "Steve, I don't know how to explain it, but your dad is out here on the porch with me."

Can I "know" my dad is really out on the porch? No more than I can "know" Christ rose from the dead, even though trusted friends tell me He did.

Can I "believe" my dad is really out on the porch? No more than I can "believe" that Christ rose from the dead. (I might say I do out of fear of the consequences of disbelief, but that would not make it so.)

Can I have "faith" that my dad is really out on the porch? Yes. His being on the porch is the "substance" of something I would hope for. The trusted friend's testimony is the "evidence" of things unseen. In the same manner, I have faith that Christ rose from the dead.