Hope Unwrapped: Pathway to Trust

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Scripture’s call to faith is not an invitation to blind belief. An unsubstantiated belief system is what superstitions are made of. Rather, “faith is established upon coherent and consistent reasoning and upon empirical evidence. Peter writes, ‘For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty’ (2 Peter 1:16 NKJV).”[1] Our faith rests on three strands of foundational evidence:

• Creation—Paul notes that “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 NIV). Even “the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1 NIV).
• History—Our faith system developed in the context of history. The noted Jewish historian Josephus writes, “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works….” Josephus records that Jesus was put to death and “appeared alive again the third day” to his followers. The “tribe of Christians so named for him,” Josephus explains, “are not extinct to this day” (The Antiquities of the Jews).
• Scripture—The Old Testament is in line with secular history, and the New Testament is written by those who saw with their eyes and heard with their ears. They walked with Jesus, witnessed his miracles, saw him hang on the cross, buried him, and met face-to-face with the resurrected One who conquered death.

When it comes to faith, believers can be sure and certain. We trust God for the unseen tomorrow based on what he has accomplished in the past. Faith moves us from darkness to light. Father, may our faith come to be or be strengthened as we look to the heavens, read history, and absorb your written Word. Thank you for faith evidence. In Jesus’ name. Amen. [1] R. C. Sproul, Essentials of the Christian Faith (Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), 183.