Defining Faith
I am amazed at how many people misunderstand the biblical definition of faith. Many exalt "blind" faith and dismiss the fact that facts are the crucial foundation for meaningful faith. God commands us to believe based on objective evidence. Biblical faith is really the exact kind of faith exercised by scientists. In both cases, faith must be "informed" faith, belief rooted in testable facts and logic. What many people misunderstand is that no faith, even in science, is based on absolute proof.
As Hugh Ross points out in his excellent book, The Genesis Question, about scientific advances and the accuracy of Genesis, "Too many people accept the erroneous notion that absolute proof is what scientists seek and find. Some demand absolute proof of God's existence and the reliability of Scripture as a condition of faith in Christ. Such a demand will never--can never--be met, certainly not within the time-and-space boundaries God has set for this life, for this 'faith test' He designed for us."
Continuing to quote Hugh, "German logician Kurt Godel proved that absolute proof lies beyond human reach. Absolute proof of anything requires complete knowledge, and we do not--cannot--have complete knowledge of anything in this universe because we are merely part of it. What scientists demand, and rightly so is practical proof. Scientists and the rest of us accept the truth of gravity, for example, based on practical, not absolute, proof. We observe this phenomenon we call gravity to operate so consistently and predictably in all circumstances through all observable time that we do not doubt its reality or reliability."
God tells us (Romans) that he holds every human being accountable to discern fact from fiction, truth from tale, in the stories we are taught from childhood. At some point for each of us we figure out that the story of Santa Claus departs from the realm of plausibility, or even possibility, and enters the realm of fantasy. God expects us to test every "story" or "answer to life's big questions" we hear. In fact, He commands us to test them (prove them).
The Bible alone among the scriptures or "holy books" of the religions of the world strongly exhorts readers to test before they believe." Test everything. Hold on to the good."(1 Thessalonians 5:21). Testing before believing is at the heart of the biblical concept of faith. The Hebrew word for faith, 'emuna, means a strongly held conviction that something or someone is certainly existing, firmly established, constant, and dependable. The Greek word for faith, pistis, means a strong and welcome conviction of the truth of anything or anyone to the degree that one places complete trust and confidence in that thing or person. In every instance in the Bible, faith connotes the acting upon specific established truth.1
1. "The Genesis Question", Hugh Ross | 
