God Hidden, Yet Revealed: Exploring the merit of faith

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Introduction

If all were seen and known about God, what would be the merit in having faith? If people were able to see God, what would that do to our free will? We wouldn’t have any choice but to believe that He exists. God gave us the freedom to choose to have faith in Him so that we could love Him without coercion. Genuine love requires choice.

The nature of faith

At its core, faith involves belief in the unseen and trust in the unknown. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith requires acknowledging the possibility that a supernatural realm exists. For some, this means stepping away from naturalism into uncertainty, into the realm of mystery. It means trusting beyond the five senses and what can be immediately known or proven.

It is this leap — this willingness to trust without complete knowledge — that gives faith its unique power and merit. For others, this leap of faith is simple because of the awe and wonder they feel when contemplating the vastness of the universe, the complexity of life, the precisely balanced conditions needed for life to exist, and humans’ tendency to worship. Belief in the supernatural realm doesn’t make one less intelligent; on the contrary, it makes one humble.

Although invisible, God is knowable

Even though God is invisible, He is not unknowable nor unreachable. He has revealed Himself through general revelation and special revelation:

• Creation — the order and beauty of the natural world

• Natural law — human moral intuition and conscience

• Holy scripture — the Bible

• Jesus Christ — the ultimate revelation of who God is

• Prophets — God speaking through chosen ones to deliver His messages

• Holy Spirit — given to believers to help them do God’s will

  
  

God’s hiddenness is not silence; it is an invitation to us to look deeper. Faith requires courage. It is valuable precisely because it asks individuals to choose trust over certainty, hope over proof, and love over mere knowledge. This choice allows faith to shape character and build resilience in the face of adversity.

The faith of Abraham

Abraham is frequently referred to as the “father of faith”. His story has merit because he trusted in God completely. His faith was tested precisely because he did not see or know all that lay ahead, and it is this trust in the unseen that made his faith remarkable.

Science doesn’t have all the answers

Science relies on repeatable experiments to test hypotheses; it cannot prove history or anything outside the scope of observable phenomena. Science cannot prove or explain any of the following:

· Subjective experiences such as the taste of a strawberry or the feeling of joy.

· Experiential truth, such as proof that your spouse loves you.

· The subjective reality of emotions, beauty, and morality. Science cannot prove that anything is inherently good or evil.

· The principles of logic and mathematics. Some scientists argue that humans created these principles and rules to describe patterns they observe in the world. They don’t see God as the ultimate source of the mathematical truths found in the universe, which humans then discovered and formalized.

· Science cannot explain why the fundamental laws of physics are what they are. They are the foundation upon which all scientific explanations are built.

· Science cannot prove or disprove the existence of a soul, God, or any other supernatural entity.

· Science cannot answer existential questions like whether reality is a simulation or if the world was created recently with apparent age.

Conclusion

Faith, then, is the courageous act of seeking the unseen, trusting that what is most real is sometimes what cannot be grasped by the senses. It has merit, not because it is easy, but because it transforms those who choose it. Faith prompts growth and strengthens one’s connection with God.

The process of wrestling with doubt, questioning, and ultimately deciding to trust is what shapes the character of a believer. If all were revealed, there would be no journey — only arrival. The merit of faith lies in the journey itself, in the willingness to walk into mystery and trust in goodness even when the path is unclear.

© Debra Hodges