As a kid, I believed in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. When I grew older, I learned the startling discovery that none of them are for real.

As adults, we lean more often on our faith to help us cope with many challenges life brings. Is this faith we claim for real or is it just feel-good talk to keep us from facing harsh realities? What is real faith? In whom or what does real faith rest?

How can we be sure our faith is for real?

Real Faith rests in the faithfulness of God.

Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that real faith rests in God’s existence and His work in the life of His followers.   You see, faith is only as good as the object in which one places it.

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Many people claim to have “faith,” but never declare in whom or what they trust. It’s not enough to “just believe.” We must believe the One who is worthy of our trust and belief.

Real Faith accepts in the promises of God.

Hebrews 11:1 teaches us that faith accepts as real those things for which we “hope.” Biblical hope and what we call hope today are entirely different.

When we “hope,” we merely express our desire of a particular outcome in a given situation. In Biblical terms hope is not subjective or iffy. The Bible considers hope a “done deal.”

The only source in which we can place that much confidence is God’s Word. When we have a word from God that speaks to our lives, we can rest assured God will accomplish it.

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Real Faith sees beyond the natural realm.

The second part of Hebrews 11:1 teaches us that faith sees what human eyes cannot see. Faith is all the visible proof a believer needs.

We often define our reality only through the tangibles that our five senses can perceive. We measure, count, and assess what we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. Faith understands that God often works in ways that human eyes cannot see until after the fact. Faith so expects God to act that it considers His action as already done.

As Tony Evans says, “If all you see is what you can see, then you will never see all there is to see.”

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Real Faith acts before it has proof.

Real faith acts. It doesn’t react. James 2:14-26 reminds us that merely professing faith does not prove one has faith. We prove our faith when we act as though we have already experience the reality we anticipate. We can claim to believe in God, but until we act on that belief, our claims are empty words.

Again, Tony Evans:

Faith is acting like something is so even when it is not so in order that it might be so simply because God said so.

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Let me tell you what I have learned in over 40 years of following Jesus. This stuff is real. It’s not just preacher talk or religious feel good jargon. God is all He claims to be. Jesus is who He said He is. The Bible is true.

Ultimately you behave what you believe. Believe God, believe His word, and act accordingly.

You may also benefit from reading “What It Means to Walk by Faith.”