The Nature of Faith

Many people say that faith is something which takes over when there is no evidence. In olden times, people had no scientific explanation for how the sun moved across the sky or how the seasons worked, so they attributed those natural events to the gods. As scientific knowledge has advanced, the need for faith in the gods has receded, because everything can have a rational, scientific explanation. It is no longer good scientific practise to posit a “god” who fills in any gaps in science.

However, this is a misconstruction of the nature of faith. Faith isn’t something “religious” or irrational. It’s something that everyone exercises every day. Faith is simply what you believe based on the evidence. When you drive your car, you have faith that the petrol gauge correctly indicates that you have enough fuel in the tank. You have faith that the wheels won’t fall off. You have faith that the road won’t collapse. You don’t know these things for sure, but based on past experience and all the relevant facts, you have faith and you are happy to stake your life on that faith.

It’s the same thing with faith in God. True faith isn’t about blind belief contrary to all the evidence. It’s about trusting in God based on all the evidence. As the Bible says, the heavens declare the glory of God. Christians put their faith in God, and stake their lives on it, because they have experienced God’s faithfulness and blessing in their lives. To them it’s much more rational than believing that there is no God.