Biblically, what does it mean to live by faith in God? (Conclusion)

From the heart of Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible Teacher & Expositor. The writer of Hebrews informs us that faith in God isn’t blind! Blind faith refers to a belief or trust in something or someone without requiring or possessing proof or evidence. The writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). What does this mean? The writer of Hebrews opens chapter 11 with a brief description of faith. This statement should not be regarded as a complete definition of faith. Instead, the author focuses on two critical aspects of a much broader concept to introduce a famous gallery of Old Testament heroes of faith. The first vital aspect of faith is that it is “the assurance of things hoped for.” In the Greek language, the term “assurance” conveys the idea of “a firm foundation.” In other words, faith is the essential starting point for having hope (confident expectation). The writer of Hebrews is teaching us that faith provides the foundation or basis for our hopes, giving them a tangible form or reality. Without faith, hope lacks a solid foundation and can be seen as wishful thinking rather than a confident expectation. Wishful thinking is the formation of beliefs founded on what one wants to be true, rather than on evidence or reality. It's essentially imagining something as true or possible simply because you desire it, even if there's no logical basis or evidence to support it. Faith and hope are closely related and often work together. Faith provides the basis for hope, and hope strengthens and motivates faith. In essence, faith is the bedrock upon which hope is built. It's the belief that makes hope a confident expectation rather than a fleeting wish. Faith is “the conviction of things not seen.” What does this mean? The word conviction means, “evidence.” In other words, faith is not blind acceptance, but rather a way of perceiving and understanding realities that are not apparent to the physical senses. Evidence is something that furnishes proof. Faith furnishes the proof of realities that are not seen with our physical eyes. In a materialistic world like ours, we are tempted to conclude that the only real things are those we experience with our five senses. Yet there is a spiritual realm of reality, just as actual, just as factual, just as substantial as anything we see, hear, touch, taste, or smell in this world. Faith is the means by which we are able to experience (see) this invisible world. Faith is to the spiritual realm what the five senses are to the natural realm. We can have full confidence in the Lord’s promises because they are real and a firm foundation for this life. Faith in God describes our inward response to God’s trustworthy, unfailing nature. We can be sure of the Lord’s promises because, as the writer of Hebrews goes on to show, believers of every generation have proven them to be true: “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death” (Hebrews 11:4–5). On and on goes the list. Be encouraged to live by faith in God!