Hebrews -- Holding on to JesusNäide

What Is Faith?

There’s a classic comedy from the late ’80s called Three Amigos. In one memorable scene, a henchman uses the word “plethora,” only to be humorously called out for not actually knowing what it means. It’s a funny moment, but it touches on a truth. We often use words without fully understanding them. One such word, especially in Christian circles, is faith. We're told to have faith, walk in faith, live by faith, and be faithful. But what do we actually mean by that? What is faith, really?

Hebrews 11, often called the “Hall of Faith,” both illustrates and defines faith for us. The chapter begins with a bold statement: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 [NKJV]).

Let’s unpack this. Faith is a substance. Just as our physical eyesight gives us access to the visible, material world, faith is the spiritual “sense” that gives us access to the invisible. It’s not wishful thinking or blind hope. It’s real, even when unseen. It’s the “assurance” of things hoped for. Secondly, faith is evidence. It provides proof of the unseen. Not proof in a scientific or empirical sense, but a deep, spiritual conviction that something is real because God said it is. In other words, faith doesn’t ignore reason; it transcends it.

Faith is not irrational. It may go beyond what human logic can fully grasp, but it doesn’t contradict truth or logic. For instance, you can objectively prove that the Bible is a unique and historically reliable book. But only faith can lead you to believe that it is the inspired word of God. This means: Faith is not a mere intellectual agreement. Faith is not about checking the right doctrinal boxes. Faith is about trust, a decision to rely on, to cling to, and to depend on God. It’s like believing a chair will hold you, not just by looking at it and analyzing its structure, but by sitting in it.

Hebrews 11:3 (NIV) says: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Notice that, “by faith we understand.” That may sound like a contradiction: how can understanding come by faith? But it’s actually profound. The world tells us that understanding must come first, then belief. Scripture flips that: Belief and faith often open the door that will lead us to true understanding. Here’s an example. At the time Hebrews was written, many believed the universe was made from preexisting matter. But Scripture tells us that God created everything from nothing. We weren’t there to see it. We can’t test it in a lab. But we know it by faith.

One of the clearest pictures of faith is found in Matthew 9:27–30: Two blind men came to Jesus, crying out for mercy. Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They replied, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened. Their healing didn’t happen first. They had to believe first. Their faith was the substance of what they hoped for (sight), and the evidence of what they could not yet see. Faith didn’t follow the miracle. Faith went first and led to the miracle.

The Greek word for faith in the New Testament is pistis. It means more than belief; it implies conviction, trust, and loyalty. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) captures this beautifully: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is what fills the gap between God’s promise and its fulfillment. It’s how we live in the “already but not yet” reality of God’s kingdom.

If you’ve already received what you prayed for, you don’t need faith. But when you’re waiting, when you hope for what hasn’t yet come, faith is the bridge between today’s uncertainty and tomorrow’s fulfillment.

Faith is not a vague feeling or a fallback when logic fails. It’s a deliberate choice to trust in a faithful God, even when we can’t see the outcome. And it’s this kind of faith that the Father is looking for. So the next time you hear the word faith, don’t let it pass by like a buzzword. Ask yourself, “Am I clinging to God, even when I can’t see? Do I trust His character more than my circumstances? Am I walking by sight, or by faith?” Faith is not pretending everything is fine. It’s believing that God is good, even when everything isn’t.