In an ordinary investigation, strong, corroborated evidence is enough, but this is no ordinary case. Eternity itself is at stake, and all the reasonable evidence in the world can’t stand on its own. Instead, we’ve actually just stumbled upon the beginning stages of what the Bible calls faith:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see… And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:1,6).
So faith relies on the evidence, but it also moves beyond it into earnest seeking. In other words, we can’t just trust that Jesus really existed or even simply believe that he did all the amazing things claimed in the Bible. Instead, we are called, based on that evidence, to “trust in” Jesus with our entire lives. Maybe it will help to think of it this way:
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- “Trust That” = Believing the Bible’s claims about God and Jesus are true based upon the reasonable evidence.
- “Trust In” = Acting on that reasonable belief by placing one’s life and hope in submission to Jesus through faith.
We believe this investigation has provided compelling reasons for you to “trust that” Jesus is both real and true; but we also pray that you will come to “trust in” Him as the only source of life, meaning, and hope.