The question of faith is ever present in our Christian walk. In a sense, it is a defining characteristic of such. Yet, often times we ask ourselves and others this question: “What is faith?” By no means is the concept and action of faith easy to define, or even grasp for that matter. This question was asked of those of us who were in Dr. Skip Jenkins’s Intro to Theology class. We were asked to give the first thing that came to mind whenever Skip asked what faith is. The responses were many and scattered across a broad spectrum.
Some gave highly complex answers, while others gave simple definitions such as “devotion” and “trust.” Once everyone that wished had given their answers, comments, and rebuttals, Skip brought us to the biblical definition of faith. This is where I will park this machine. Because, regardless of what we think, the Bible has the correct answer to our question. We can come up with every conceivable though as to what faith is, but nothing comes close to what the writer of Hebrews said.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”- Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
Let’s look at this a little closer. The two key words in this verse are substance and evidence. The Greek word for substance is the word hypostasis which means “a setting under, substructure.” In other words, it sounds like we have a foundation. Likewise, the Greek for evidence translates back to elegchos. This word means, “a proof.” So, let’s see how the verse reads when we insert these words:
“Now faith is the foundation of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen.”
Puts things into a slightly different perspective, huh? I like the way Dr. Skip put it. He said, “Faith is the foundation of things hoped for, and the closing argument of a case already won.” This is true because, usually, a proof is the end of a process. If something is proven, it is final. Here’s where we jump into the deep end, so hang on. A foundation is a beginning, and a proof is an end. This means that faith has a beginning and an end. It’s no coincidence that in the very next chapter, the writer of Hebrews calls Jesus the “author and finisher of our faith. (Heb 12:2) Jesus is the foundation and ending proof of our faith.
Yet, if there is a beginning and an end, that means there is something that connects the two, correct? What makes up the nuts and bolts, the in between that connects the two points of faith? The answer here is experience and evidence. You see, every Christian typically has some kind of experience or set of experiences to back up their faith. It could have been healing. Or, you may have heard God speak to you. Whatever it is, experiences with God do wonders for increasing you faith until the day of perfection. But, what about evidence? What about cold, hard, empirical evidence?
Some would say that you don’t need evidence to prove reasons for your faith, as faith is a proof itself. Now, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water here. The Bible is clear about presenting a defense, or apologetic, or our faith. 1 Peter 3:15 says,” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” It is interesting to note that the word “answer” is translated back to “apologia” which means, “a defense of.” Knowing evidence of our faith and defending it are crucial for keeping and building.
So, to state it all, Faith (along with Heb 11:1) is made up of experiences and evidence that prove what we believe, beginning and ending with Jesus Christ. By no means is this a complete answer to the question of faith, but I do believe it is a strong starting point. This is to show that faith was never meant to be taken or used as a “cop out” when we don’t know the answer. In fact, it is exactly the opposite. I hope, everyone, that this has benefited you in some way.
Grace and Peace.
