Hebrews 11

Faith is the cornerstone of all religious belief, but what is it really? We who have it know that we do, but we can't always explain what it really is or what it's about. The author here helps us put it into words: "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Even those words, though, can get wrapped around the axle if you're not careful.

Let's break down simply into two parts. The first is that faith involves something that you cannot see. You have to be certain of it, though. That's really no different than me knowing that 2+2 = 4 or knowing that George Washington was the first president. Those are not tangible things for any of us. Numbers are really just ideas and no one alive today (unless Highlander is more than just a movie) ever personally met George Washington. But knowing these things and being certain of these things doesn't fulfill the definition of faith any more than knowing that Jesus lived or that God is in heaven fulfills the definition. It's important, but it's not complete.

The second part is personal. We're "sure of what we hope for." Being "sure" sounds pretty similar to the first part, and it is. It means that we have no doubt. The second part of that line is really the key, though: "what we hope for." That's personal. You can't really have faith until you have some personal interest in it. You have something to gain from it. That's the difference between the demons and the believers. That's the difference between the Christians and everyone else. We can all know that God exists and that Jesus lived, and up to that point we're all in the knowledge or belief category. To cross the line into faith – the prerequisite for salvation – you also have to put hope in that. You have to invest your life in it and put everything on the line.