Human beings, even without their knowledge, operate by faith on many occasions. For instance, you slept yesterday almost sure that you will wake up today – that’s faith. However, when it comes to where faith really matters, that is in our relationship with God, we seem to falter. In fact, the very foundation of atheism is a denial of faith. Atheists seek empirical evidence regarding the existence of God, life after death, etc. Whereas most of us may not be confessing atheists in our denial of God’s existence, yet we are functional atheists in how we live – we are led by what we can perceive naturally. Yet this should not be the case because we are meant to be those that are led by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The author of Hebrews gives us a definition of faith. That faith involves things that are both unseen and hoped for. Regarding these things, faith is both being convicted and sure about them. He further explains that that is how we know how the world was created – by faith. No one was present when God created the world, but by faith, we believe that it was all created from nothing by His Word. In other words, although we cannot empirically verify how the world was created, we are certain that God created it. By the way, this is the beginning and foundation of faith. If one doubts how the world was created, then they can never truly and fully believe in God. And how have we come to believe and, therefore, know this? Through God’s Word. No wonder, then, Paul reminds us that:

…faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

In summary, faith is believing what God has said. It is also produced by what God has said. God’s Word is paramount, and we will see the examples of faith throughout Hebrews 11 in the course of the week.

1. Is your life led more by faith or by sight?

2. What do you need to do so that you are not living like a functional atheist?