While we would all agree that faith is important if we want to have a proper relationship with God; nevertheless, there is something very important about faith that many Christian miss and fail to think about, and that is what a precious gift God has given to us by allowing us to exercise faith in Him. Faith is something that’s very deep even deeper than ourselves, and it’s very demanding because our obedience to God has to always ensue it. On top of that, our obedience is the very act that will demonstrate that we truly have faith in God.

Now, let’s take look at how the Word of God has defined faith:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report (Hebrews 11:1-2).

These verses are quite familiar to Christians and if you have been saved any length of time you have probably heard them quoted in either a bible study of a sermon. Faith is one of the key tenets of Christianity and a necessary part of the Christian’s walk with Christ. Look at the verse again and see how it defines faith. It says faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This means if you can see it then it is not faith.

Faith’s Role During Salvation

Faith is a necessary element in our salvation. Paul says in (Ephesians 2:8) that we are saved by “grace through faith.” No faith, no salvation. We must be willing to believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day in order to be saved. Then we must ask for His gift of salvation.

It is a wonderful feeling to be saved and know your sins are forgiven, but the truth is we accept these things by faith. That simply means you cannot see Jesus in the way that you see a friend or spouse. You have to accept by faith that He is alive because faith is “the evidence of things not seen” therefore you cannot see Christ right now. You may not see Him, but His presence is more real than those who are around you.

Faith is a Gift From God.

This is a precious gift because while faith is throughout the bible, we have a unique privilege to exercise faith in a way that those in other dispensations cannot. In the Old Testament they were able to observe such things as the parting of the Red Sea and fire falling down from heaven. Yes, they had to have faith to believe it was from God and believe in His Word, but it was not the same as today.

It’s obvious that God still performs miracles today. This is something that can be seen clearly every time an individual has given their life to Christ, but it is also evident from a simple reading of American history and the founding of this country that God did marvelous works. However, the miracles He does are not the type where He appears in a pillar of fire. In other words, they are not the kind of miracles where His divine presence can be seen visibly.

Likewise during the millennial reign of Christ, people will not have to accept His resurrection by faith like we get to do. He will be right there, and they can see for themselves that He has risen from the dead.

The next time you face a trial and feel like you would like to see God manifest Himself like in bible days, just remember that God has given us one of the greatest gifts that never gave to them. We have the privilege of exercising faith in “things not seen” and yet still trust Him no matter what we’re struggling with. Having faith in God is the key element that sustains us in our walk with the Lord.