Disbelief and Proof: Fact + Faith

 In faith, The Word

It seems there’s been a recent resurgence of a movement in which people dismiss Christianity based on a lack of “fact.” Intellectualism is not a new thing, nor is the sudden idea that we must factually prove the Bible in order to confirm its validity. For some reason, however, it seems to be coming across my life’s path a lot more recently. The truth is that the Bible is a historical book filled with many historically proven events and foretellings. I will not, however, be the one to educate you on those claims. There are many far more educated and qualified than me who can take that task.

What I can say, however, is that I believe to throw away Christianity or the Bible based solely on lack of “fact” is missing the whole point of Christianity altogether.

The problem with accepting Christ based solely on fact is that it completely excludes the faith portion of the salvation equation. Scripture is clear and repetitive that we come to Christ by faith and that it is our faith that saves us.

And what is faith?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

– Hebrews 11:1

Faith…is the evidence.

My faith may not seem factually provable on paper, and yet, for me, it is half of the faith/fact equation that makes up my unshakable, complete belief in Jesus Christ as the living Son of God. My faith is a huge part of my evidence. Part, but not the whole. Just as much as trying to “prove” Christianity through fact can be exhausting and narrow-minded, so can basing the whole of your faith on experience. Emotions are deceiving, and what may feel like concrete proof one day could feel like a distant memory the next.

And that is why it has to be a combination of faith and fact that we rest our hope and certainty upon. If you try to take one from the other, you will understandably wind up with some holes that may leave you unsatisfied. But the beauty of Christianity is that it is equal parts stunning truth and revelation and personal faith and experience.

Today, think about what you believe and why you believe. I believe that, like so many things in life, balance is key to realizing the surety of our salvation. We need to know the facts, and experience the faith. One without the other simply won’t hold up.

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