What is faith?

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

-Hebrews 11:1

To have this passage fully illuminated in what it is teaching was a real eye-opener for me. For the longest time, I had heard this passage preached and I had read it for myself, but it was not until recently that the weight and glory of this passage truly hit me (and for the better!)

Before becoming a full-time pastor, I was a bi-vocational pastor in West Texas. While there, my second occupation was coaching. While coaching, I remember one day discussing some things with one of our coaches on staff, who was not a religious man, and I do not recall how we got on the subject but he made the common statement, "You have faith, but it's really just blind faith if you think about it." He was implying that the faith of a Christian is blind because none of us in present time has seen Jesus, much less seen God. There are things we can point to as evidences for God's existence and for the life of Christ, but in his estimation, and the world's, the faith Christians so often talk about having is nothing more than a blind hope.

I'm not sure why I froze in that instance, but I knew he was wrong. For whatever reason, I was caught off guard and I simply didn't answer back. I did not fully agree with him, but I also didn't refute his claim. Oh how I wish I had!

Understanding what Hebrews 11:1 is saying clears things up tremendously for us when we think about the true essence of this saving faith we claim to have as Christians. Allow me to point out a few key words:

1) Faith is the substance.

The Greek term here is "hupostasis" (hoop-os-tas-is) which means "the ground of confidence, assurance, guarantee or proof." The original intent of this word "faith", not necessarily the blind hope and faith this world has in various things, but saving faith in the Lord, the faith and hope that only His children have in Him, is the actual guarantee or PROOF that He exists and that Jesus is the Messiah.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and it is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast." Salvation is a free gift of God given solely by His mercy and grace. Part of that salvation is the very gift of faith which brings about salvation and righteousness (read all of Hebrews 11).

Since all of us are spiritually dead due to our sins (Eph. 2:1-2) and since none of us seeks after God (Rom. 3:10-18), we need spiritual awakening and serious help from God to even have the ability to come to Him in saving faith. This is all made possible through the Gospel call which is the only power unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). It is through the Gospel call that the Holy Spirit then awakens us and draws us to Christ (John 6:44) convicting us of our sins and need for the Savior (John 16:8). So you see, it is all a gift of God by His grace, including the very faith we claim to have as believers. Therefore, if we have true, saving faith, that is in fact observable proof that God is real and that Christ is the Messiah because that kind of faith can only be given by God Himself.

Faith is THE substance of things hoped for....

2) Faith is the evidence.

Without belaboring the above statements already made, we do need to make note that faith is also considered the very evidence of the things this world claims are blind to us. Again, the very fact that we have saving faith and an enduring faith the "unseen God" is the very substance and evidence that He is there because He is the source of this faith and He alone is the One who gives it by His grace. Not everyone will have the gift of saving faith because not all will be saved.

The Greek term for evidence here is "elegchos" (el-eng-khos) which means "certain persuasion" - because we have this faith given to us, this faith is our certainty of the "things not seen."

So, in summary, the saving faith of the believer is far greater and much more than some blind hope in someone or thing we can't see. It goes far beyond a blind, ignorant belief that God may exist or that Jesus might be the Messiah. Saving faith is the actual substance and evidence of the God we can't see and of the Jesus we have never met. It is the same concept as having an iPhone. The iPhone you hold in your hand is the substance and evidence that the iPhone manufacturer exists even though you've likely never been to the factory where your iPhone was made - and you don't need to physically go there and see that factory - because you have an iPhone! You have the evidence and substance of the thing you can't see, therefore, you know it exists. It must!

This is the same idea with saving faith.

If you have it, you know God is real and that Jesus is the true Messiah.

Our faith as Christians is much, much more than a blind faith. As a matter of fact, there is nothing blind about it!