Introduction
Be certain in one thing alone, God. All certainties other than God are “dead certainties” (GK Chesterton). Do not be certain in your belief in God, but in God. Belief in your creeds and the like will kill your belief in God. That is what religious denominations do. Even if you believe in miracles, healing, or the saints, you will kill the life of God in you. Think about this. I believe miracles happen, I believe healing happens, I believe in the writings of the Apostles and authors of the Old Testament, and I have a strong belief in prayer. But God alone must be our main focus. Faith in healing, miracles, prosperity, or even prayer brings skeptical results. Faith in God alone always brings positive results. Never have faith in what God can do – have faith in God.
The world itself offers many logical, well-intended, helpful, common-sense sense and fair programs. These are designed to help mankind by eliminating suffering, promoting prosperity, and controlling our destiny, offering a future of well-being. But when God is not in sight, chaos is the only conclusion.
“The wind blows where it wishes (Uncertainty), and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8. The wind is uncertainty.
I have always told people that I believe in prayer, in miracles, and in healing, but if I do not tell them that God alone is my focus, my message will be wasted, and I will have believers always looking for healing, miracles, or the next prophet. They will be disappointed, discouraged, and become weak in faith because their faith will fail them. The world believes in common sense. Mathematics and science become a rule of reason (O Chambers). We, however, must believe in the rule of faith.
Let us pursue this thought further as I bring you various scenarios that prove my point.
Faith
Faith by itself is uncertain. But Faith in God is certain. Then why rejoice in our uncertainty? Almost everyone has faith in something or someone. For example, we have faith in gravity – what goes up must come down. This is faith in science – human achievement and understanding. This faith is often considered good. However, like with many other beliefs, we must ask, “By what standard do we measure good or faith”? This definitely sounds confusing, an oxymoron perhaps. Let’s unravel its content for clarity.
The statement, faith by itself is uncertain. But faith in God is certain, draws a careful distinction between faith as a human capacity and faith as a God-centered trust. Explained biblically, it can be understood through both natural (human) and supernatural (divinely grounded) means.
When we have faith in God, we are uncertain of its outcome. That is, we are certain that He will answer, but uncertain about how God will answer or when He will answer. This becomes a blessed uncertainty. We do not need to know how or when God will answer our needs, but we have hope, and that hope in God becomes the only certainty we need to continue in this life.
There is a faith that seeks and strives but cannot grasp. This faith leads us to wait on God. It’s the substance of things hoped for. It is hope in what God will do. (OC paraphrased)
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 ESV
I’ve said many times, “Faith is not knowing that you know, that you know. That is knowing. Faith carries its own uncertainty that is based on belief and not on knowing. Faith comes when we do not know, but we believe anyway. This is the uncertainty I speak of.
Natural (Human) Faith: Inherently Uncertain
By natural means, faith refers to confidence, belief, or trust formed through human reasoning, experience, emotion, or evidence. This kind of faith is common to all people and operates within the limits of fallen humanity.
Biblically, this form of faith is uncertain because:
- It rests on human perception, which is limited and often flawed.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12 ESV
- It is vulnerable to change, being influenced by fear, circumstance, or disappointment.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
- It lacks an unchanging object, often placing trust in self, others, systems, or outcomes that can fail. Scripture repeatedly warns against such misplaced confidence:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5 ESV
Thus, faith by itself—that is, faith detached from God—has no absolute anchor, no standard by which it can be measured. It is only as strong as the object upon which it rests. All natural objects are subject to decay, error, and failure.
Supernatural (Biblical) Faith: Absolutely Certain in its Uncertainty
By supernatural means, faith in God is not merely human confidence elevated—it is trust rooted in God’s nature, character, and revealed truth. This faith is certain because its object is certain. However, the how and when is never certain unless revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Biblically, faith in God is sure because:
- God is unchanging.
“For I the LORD do not change;…” Malachi 3:6 ESV
- God cannot lie or fail.
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19 ESV
“…it is impossible for God to lie…” Hebrews 6:18 ESV
- Faith itself is a gift empowered by God, not merely a human effort.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
- Faith in God rests on divine revelation, not speculation.
“…faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 ESV
Because God is omniscient, omnipotent, and faithful, faith placed in Him is not probabilistic—it is assured. Biblical faith is described not as hopeful uncertainty, but as settled confidence:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 ESV
Summary of the Distinction
- Faith by itself (natural faith) is uncertain because it depends on human understanding and fallible objects.
- Faith in God (supernatural faith) is certain because it depends on the eternal, faithful, and sovereign God. But it is uncertain in its when and how. Therefore, it requires an effort on our part. This effort is the blessed uncertainty called Faith.
In short, faith does not derive its certainty from its intensity, sincerity, or strength (Christians often do this) — but from its object, Christ. When faith rests in God, it rests on the only foundation that cannot be shaken.
A Gloriously Uncertainty
When it comes to your future, we must ask ourselves, “Do I really want to know the future? Honest deliberation on this question should bring you to the answer – No. I really don’t want to know the future. If I truly know the future, it will affect my present. Time travel documentaries and movies point this out. Remember, God does not think in terms of worldly knowledge. He is supernatural. His thoughts are so far above ours as to be unseen and often misunderstood. However, His Word does teach us that we can be assured of its outcome.
Don Quixote
A memorable example of misguided certainty is found in the classic chivalric novel The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It is a book many of us encountered in our early school years. The story vividly illustrates how sincere conviction (by worldly faith), when untethered from truth, can lead to folly. In this way, Don Quixote reflects much of the misguided thinking evident in today’s woke and liberal generations, as well as in many contemporary political ideologies—confidence without wisdom, passion without discernment, and belief divorced from reality.
In the story, Don Quixote is a minor Spanish nobleman who becomes so absorbed in tales of chivalry that he loses his grip on ordinary reality. Renaming himself Don Quixote de la Mancha, he sets out as a self-appointed knight-errant to revive a vanished age of honor, justice, and heroic virtue. Accompanied by his pragmatic squire, Sancho Panza, he misinterprets inns as castles, attacks windmills as giants, and common travelers as figures of epic destiny. Though repeatedly defeated, ridiculed, and physically broken, Don Quixote persists with unwavering conviction and certainty in his faith and his belief that noble purpose outweighs worldly success. In the end, he returns home, regains his sanity, and dies quietly, having lived a life marked more by sincerity of intent than by tangible achievement.
Viewed through a Biblical lens, Don Quixote’s life reflects the tension between spiritual vision and fallen human understanding. Like a pilgrim longing for a restored kingdom, he seeks righteousness, justice, and mercy in a world that no longer recognizes such ideals (Sounds like our world). His errors resemble those of a zeal not fully grounded in truth—“having a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2)—yet his heart consistently inclines toward what is good, honorable, and self-sacrificial. Don Quixote embodies the human yearning for transcendence, pointing to the truth that earthly realities often obscure heavenly ones. His story ultimately warns that spiritual aspiration must be anchored in divine truth rather than human imagination, while also affirming that God weighs the heart, esteeming sincerity, humility, and the longing for a higher, redeemed order.
Obviously, Don Quixote is disillusioned. He continuously and even annoyingly maintains a hopeful outlook on life despite the absurdities he faces.
Today, many Christians and non-Christians attempt the same – the Don Quixotes of this world still chase windmills. Their belief in causes, rights, and noble deeds is far from God’s nature, born of aspirations to do what is right by worldly circumstances. They think it is Faith to continue pursuing their cause, whatever the outcome, not realizing that their faith is not in God but in their “good intentions”. Their certainties are dead.
Conclusion
I am continually amazed that many governments, both foreign and domestic, persist in pursuing the failed ideals of socialism and communism. Socialism traces its origins to the Enlightenment of the late eighteenth century, while communism emerged from the European revolutions of the 1840s. Yet centuries of history have demonstrated the futility of these philosophies. Still, like modern-day Don Quixotes, many continue to chase these long-discredited causes.
Understandably, many of us feel overwhelmed by the direction chosen by world leaders and embraced by worldly citizens. Much like the Jews who awaited the Messiah during the days of Christ’s earthly ministry, Christians today await the second coming of Jesus Christ. Our eyes are fixed on that promise—and rightly so.
Unlike the world around us, however, we are called to pursue and rejoice in what may be called a blessed uncertainty. This is not uncertainty rooted in doubt, but in faith—faith that rests wholly in God Himself. Not merely in His promises or His mighty works, but in His unchanging Truth. We do not know when He will return. We do not know when or how our prayers will be answered. Yet we live with absolute certainty that He will return, and that every prayer offered in faith is heard and answered according to His perfect will.
Enough Said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
