How to Answer Someone Who Says Your Faith is Belief Without Evidence
There’s a Twitter user who seems to take pleasure in challenging followers of Jesus and the Bible. This individual often replies to faith posts with comments like…
“Faith is believing something without sufficient evidence. Faith is pretending to know things you don’t know.”
Is that right? Is faith belief without evidence?
This is how the writer to the Hebrews responded when evidence was questioned…
But Hebrews 11:1 says:
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is having confidence based on past experience that God is who He says He is and that He keeps His promises.
And I personally believe there is lots of evidence for faith in the truth about Jesus.
Evidence in the form of first-hand accounts of people who not only walked with Christ during His life, but who also testified that they stood with, talked with, ate with, and touched Him after He rose from the dead.
The very foundation of their faith and ours is supported by this evidence.
But don’t take my word for it. Let’s look at what they had to say:
We proclaim to you the One who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 1 John 1:1
Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? (Paul) 1 Corinthians 9:1
Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. John 20:27-28
He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, He was seen by more than 500 of His followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then He was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw Him. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8
The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name. John 20:30-31
But Peter and John replied, “We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19a-20
This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. John 21:24
Our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior is not lacking in evidence. It stands firmly on first-hand accounts of people who lived . . . who saw and heard . . . who touched. Those who gave up everything to testify to what they knew to be the truth . . . Jesus Christ was and is:
- the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (Acts 3:18)
- the Word made flesh (John 1:14)
- the Son of God (John 20:31)
- the First-born over all creation (Colossians 1:15)
- the Savior (Luke 2:11)
- the Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8)
- the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8)
No, we are not lacking in evidence. Just ask those of us who know. Those of us who have been touched by His love and forgiveness. Those of us who know His peace and presence. Those of us who are being transformed by His love.
And for those of us who know . . . that is all the evidence we need!
A Prayer Thanking God for Giving
the Evidence for Our Faith
Father, thank you for Jesus, the evidence of my faith. Thank you for the witnesses who shared their testimony of seeing, touching, hearing, and walking with Jesus, the resurrected Savior. Thank you for the courage and strength You gave previously timid followers after they personally witnessed Your power to defeat death. And thank you for the more than 300 promises and prophecies that Jesus fulfilled through His life, death, and resurrection.
I thank you, Father, for the countless lives that have testified to the transforming power of Jesus. Thank you for the way You are changing and working in and with me. Thank you for the blessing of Your Spirit who gives me peace, hope, joy, strength, and love . . . things that are the evidence of faith in our lives.
Please help me share the truth of Your love with gentleness and respect. Please help my life represent the spiritual blessings of peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, and more. I want everyone I meet to see Jesus in me. I want my life to represent the evidence of Your saving grace, undeserved mercy, and unfailing love. I ask all this in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.
Josh McDowell wrote:
God has not provided exhaustive knowledge of His existence, but He has given sufficient knowledge for those with an open heart and mind.
Because…
God our Savior . . . wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
1 Timothy 2:3b–4
May we pray that all who doubt the evidence will open their hearts and minds to the truth about Jesus. May we pray to surrender ourselves each day to Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life . . . the Savior of all that matters.
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I have to agree, Deb, that there is more than enough evidence given to us that we might believe. Those who refuse to see it have hardened their hearts and need our prayers.
Blessings!
Praying for all to know and love Jesus. What a wonderful word it is that “God wants all to be saved!” May we run to Him in love thankful for His amazing gift of freedom in Christ Jesus. God be with you!
Charles Stanley had a perfect answer in one of his sermons. He said to doubters & unbelievers – “your opinion about faith and the bible doesn’t change nothing from what God revealed. It only alters where you’re going to spend eternity.” And that’s the truth. Our doubts and questioning God’s truth doesn’t change Who God is, or anything He said.
At times these type of wordly remarks remind me of the truth of God that the world’s wisdom is foolishness.
That’s true, Gaby. God is who He says He is . . . and He says He is the loving and forgiving sovereign God of the universe. What a blessing it is to know and love Him. God bless you!
Blessings Deb! Im not on Twitter, but iv seen comments elsewhere and I grieve for those that mock and think the Bible and God are a fantasy that someone made up. But I wldnt know how NOT to believe in my faith and God! I have witnessed God’s miracles many times, had so many many prayers answered, felt His power and grace and mercy with me. Felt His peace in stress, worry, and difficult times. Been showered with forgiveness and blessings that I never deserved. And on top of all for non believers, believing and trying to walk with God, makes us genuinely try to be better people. Not better than as to be uppity, but to try to do what we know to be right by everyone. To not do wrong…to be more giving and loving and forgiving. More patient, to not give in to angry, to not hurt anyone on purpose. To care, to be kind and all those other nice adjectives! I am sure without God, my faith, my trust in Him, I would be a whole different person with a whole different outlook. I pray constantly for lost souls. With things that are in play currently, I think God will come back soon. I am praying He does. Love and hugs!
What a beautiful comment, Kathy! For those of us who know and love Him, by His grace and the power of the Spirit . . . there is simply too much evidence for us to not believe. And yes, our faith makes us want to show Him our love by loving those He places around us. God be with you, my friend! Hope you are doing well.
Agreed! Amen!
As a former doubter (and vocal about it as well!) I loved your post. Keep encouraging and showing people the Truth that there is such overwhelming glorious evidence for our faith!! I love this post and will share!!
Thanks so much for joining the conversation and for your encouragement. I truly appreciate it. God bless you!
Hi Deb and thank u so much for your very inspiring commentary and also the prayers that really touched me deeply. It’s as if they’re speaking specifically to me. I know without a doubt that God is who he says he is and that Jesus is my risen savior. There is so much going on around us these days and all Christians should recognize the signs that the Bible is being fulfilled before our very eyes. We must never give up praying.
I am so glad it blessed you, Carol! You gave me great encouragement. It is my desire that people would feel like we are sitting over a cup of coffee enjoying a sweet conversation about our faith walk. And yes, we never give up praying. God bless you!
What a powerful testament to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I to use to be a doubter. When I look back over the years I don’t know how I could not have seen the presence of Christ in my life. When the scales fall from your eyes, it is a whole new life and world. Being re-born in Christ allows the doubts, criticism’s, blindness, and pessimism to fall way and be replaced with hope, love, patience, faith and yes grief that when even a sinner life me can become a believer, that there is always hope for everyone. We must be that hope for them by reflecting who our Lord is because through us He can bring them to their knees in belief and faith. I need to always remember that it is the lost that need me most. That is my service to my Lord, that I never rebuke the non believers but show them always the love and respect that God planted in my heart. Thank you again Deb for this 0h so important reminder.
Thank you for your words. You are so right. We do have evidence.
Thank you, Maree! God bless you!