Further Thought: “By faith you became Christ’s, and by faith you are
to grow up in Him—by giving and taking. You are to give all,—your
heart, your will, your service,—give yourself to Him to obey all His
requirements; and you must take all,—Christ, the fullness of all bless-
ing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness,
your everlasting helper,—to give you power to obey.”—Ellen G. White,
Steps to Christ, p. 70.
“God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence
upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthful-
ness of His word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our
reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the
possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstra-
tion. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who
really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which
to rest their faith.
“It is impossible for finite minds fully to comprehend the character
or the works of the Infinite One. To the keenest intellect, the most
highly educated mind, that holy Being must ever remain clothed in
mystery. ‘Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out
the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou
do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?’ Job 11:7, 8.”—Ellen G.
White, Steps to Christ, p. 105.
Discussion Questions:
 An early Christian scholar once wrote: “Credo ut intelligam,” Latin
for “I believe in order that I may understand.” Hebrews 11:3 says that
“by faith we understand” (NKJV). What is the relationship between
faith and understanding? Why does faith often come before understand­
ing? That is, why must we sometimes reach out in faith in what, at least
at first, we don’t understand, and then afterward more understanding
will come?
 The Greek word pistis means both “faith” and “faithfulness.” Why
are both meanings important in seeking to understand what living “by
faith” means? How did the people in Hebrews 11 show, by their faithful­
ness, the reality of their faith? How can we do the same?
 Though we understand that faith is a gift of God (Rom. 12:3), what
role do we play, if any, in receiving and maintaining that gift?