Pastor Larry Sundin, Rock Springs Church
Is believing in Jesus just a leap of faith? Is believing in Jesus simply a crutch or wishful thinking? You see, there are many people who will gladly tell you that having faith in Jesus is just a crutch and that what Christians believe in is not tangible, not real. It’s just wishful thinking that allows you to hide your head in the sand, and trust that everything will eventually work out. As such, many followers of Christ are looked upon with disdain by those who refuse to believe. They say our faith has no real merit—that what we believe is just a leap in the dark, that there’s no real substance to our faith in Jesus.
However, God’s Word actually describes faith as having substance, that it is real and tangible. God’s Word says this about faith: “Now faith is the substance of what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 In other words, once someone places their faith in Jesus, there’s real substance to what they believe. In fact, God’s Word also says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” This phrase “exact representation” is the same word. In other words, this tells us that Jesus is the exact substance of God. So then, just as Jesus is the tangible evidence of God’s nature among us, faith is not some mystical ethereal thing, but it has substance. Faith is something you can possess. It’s something you can hold onto. And that for Christians, Jesus is the substance of our faith.
Just because you haven’t seen Jesus, doesn’t mean you can’t possess him by faith. For example, here are some things Christians possess now, even though we haven’t fully experienced them: Jesus! We don’t see him now. But we believe Jesus is alive. Jesus has risen from the grave and one day we will see Him face to face. Jesus is the substance of our faith. Heaven! This world is not our home, but heaven is our home. We are just passing through, but the certainty of heaven is ours today. Why? Because God gives us eternal life the moment we trust in Jesus. We possess heaven now, because God promises us heaven. Salvation! Every Christian possesses salvation by believing in Jesus. But there’s coming a day when there will be no more sin, no more suffering and no more tears. We possess salvation now, even though we have yet to experience it fully. Transformation! The moment you trust in Jesus, we have this promise: He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil 1:6 We have a God who loves us too much to leave us the same. He is changing us now to be more like Jesus. That’s something we get to hold onto when we fail. God never gives up on us. Transformation is the substance of our faith.
These are just a few realities that prove Christianity is so much more than wishful thinking. This is why most Christians have peace in a world of chaos, hope in the face of death, and confidence of a future beyond the grave. It’s because our faith has real substance. It’s this substance that gives us peace, sustains us with hope, and fills us with joy. It’s because our faith is in Jesus. Isn’t it time you checked out Jesus for yourself? He is truly more than meets the eye. He is the substance of our faith.