Believing Without Seeing

In John 4:48 Jesus scolded those standing
by for believing only after seeing His miracles.  In John 20:29 Jesus told Thomas that he only believed after seeing the nail prints in His hands.  He then said; "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  In other words, believing doesn't depend on having to see. 

In Biblical terms, as defined by the Greek words "pistis" (faith) and "pisteuo" (believe); to believe means to trust.  Holman's Bible Dictionary defines New Testament faith this way.  "Faith is a trusting commitment of one person to another, particularly of a person to God."  So, faith as it relates to Jesus is more than trusting Him for forgiveness, Heaven, healing, and all the rest.  Believing in Jesus implies entering into a trusting relationship with Him.  It's trusting Him with our lives no matter what transpires.   

The Apostle Paul understood faith as trust.  During the last few days and weeks of his life he suffered in a rat infested prison.  While waiting for his execution it became obvious that Jesus would not spare his life.  This is what he told Timothy.  "I know whom I have believed (given my life to) and am convinced that He is able to guard (take care of) what I have entrusted to Him until that day (2 Timothy 1:12).  Paul trusted his life to Jesus despite the fact he saw no deliverance from a Roman soldier's sword.  Faith did not depend on seeing for Paul.               

Giving one's self to another in a trusting relationship doesn't come easy.  Our divorce courts attest to that.  Trusting Jesus isn't easy either.  The fact of the matter is that humans do not have the ability to trust Jesus as we should so Jesus gives us faith (Romans 12:3).  That means He gives us the ability to trust Him.  Without an infusion of the ability to trust, our faith will falter. 

We all want to see the fruit of our faith, but for various reasons we don't always see what we're believing for.  Blessed are those of us who believe without seeing.  It's in these times that our trusting relationship with Jesus is not only tested but it deepens.  Let's understand that we trust Jesus for who He is and not for what He does.