Believing is Seeing

“Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for,the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

The world tells us that “seeing is believing.” The suggestion is that unless we can see something with our own eyes, we will not believe it to be true. That was the position that Thomas took when told by the other disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead. His response to them is found in John 20:25: “But he said unto them, Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Thomas had no faith in what his companions told him. He wanted to see “evidence” of their claim. When Thomas finally did acknowledge that they were right (after he saw the Lord), Jesus commended others for believing, though they had not seen (John 20:29). 

Our belief, however, though we have not physically seen the risen Christ, is not without evidence. Hebrews 11:2 says that our faith is “evidence of things not seen.”

Our faith (choice to believe) is the source of our sight. Therefore, “believing is seeing.” 

Jesus actually stated that to be true as he was preparing to raise Lazarus from the dead in the 11^th chapter of John’s gospel. Jesus had just issued a command for the attendants to “take away the stone” in verse 39 when Martha protested, reminding the Lord that Lazarus had been in the grave for four days already, and his body had begun to decompose. In verse 40, the scripture says: “Jesus said unto her, said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God.”

From a human perspective, we are warned in the scripture not to believe every spirit, and that is surely wise advice. But as believers, our truth is provided by the Word of God and illuminated by the Spirit of God. We get our ability to see the evidence of that truth by the exercise of our faith.