Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Faith is not like a wish. Faith is based on knowledge of God and the things God reveals. Although we do not see God, faith knows that He exists and that He rewards those who know this and seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Faith gives us important knowledge about God and the things of God that cannot be acquired in any other way.

Faith, however, can be misdirected. Unlike true faith, misdirected faith is not knowledge. It is faith in things that are not divine. It is the kind of faith that elevates created things to divine status; it is the kind of faith that creates idols. It reaps no rewards as a result.

True faith, on the other hand, is an “assurance of what we do not see.” Even though we cannot see God, it is not blind, because it is grounded in an experience of the true God. It is not a leap into the void, because it is grounded in God’s revelation of Himself through the things He has made. God actually reveals Himself to us—through the words of the Bible, for example—and faith knows this for sure. It reaps the rewards of peace and joy that God promised.

Faith is also “confidence in what we hope for.” God reveals Himself, His ways, and His promises, and faith knows with confidence that what God has revealed is true. The very ability to believe is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). The Holy Spirit empowers and enables us to believe with confidence the things God has revealed to us. We are able to be at peace with the most important things one could ever know.

In a world full of doubt and fear, faith is like an anchor for the soul in troubled water. It keeps us from being carried off by waves of anxiety. It keeps us stable and confident about life. It gives us knowledge of where we are (God’s world), who we are (God’s people), what has gone wrong (we fell into sin), what to do about sin (believe in the Son of God), and where we are headed (the new heavens and new earth).

Faith helps us find our way in the world and find our way to the world hereafter.

By John Huisman, Friend of Bible League International