Faith: A Meditation

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…” ~Hebrews 11:1

I read the following line last night:

“Faith, not knowledge, is evidence of the unseen…”

As I read this line, I honestly was a bit taken aback. I think because in my mind I usually elevate knowledge above faith. I don’t think most people are really any different. We would much rather be sure than confident…certain than hopeful.

As I began to ponder though, I asked myself …can faith be divorced from knowledge? In the world, it seems like the two cannot live side by side. In relation to God however, it seems to me, faith springs forth from knowledge. The two aren’t at odds. You can’t have faith apart from knowledge. Faith without knowledge ceases to be faith. Faith without knowledge is imagination. We don’t serve an imaginary God.

God tells us things about Himself. God gives us knowledge about who He is. God gave us Christ to reveal Himself to us.

“He is the image of the invisible God…” ~Colossians 1:15

“…but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” ~Hebrews 1:2-3

So we don’t have faith in a God we can’t know. We have faith in a God that has given us knowledge of Himself. God is no figment of our imagination…God has revealed Himself to us in Creation(Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20), in the Scriptures(2 Timothy 3:16), and through His Son Jesus.

Is faith superior to knowledge? I think so. Is faith different than knowledge? Yes. Faith however is not divorced from knowledge. We only have faith because of the knowledge of Himself that God has given us. We have faith in a God that we can know…Completely? No. Who could wrap their minds around God?(Romans 11:33-35)

Faith though, is not blind faith. Faith is not imagination. Faith is indeed our assurance of things unseen, because we have seen the mighty works…the mighty deeds…of a mighty God.