How can we Christians believe in things we cannot see? I'm glad you asked...
It's like Billy Graham said:
"Can you see God? You haven't seen Him? I've never seen the wind. I see the effects of the wind, but I've never seen the wind. There's a mystery to it."
Good (natural, physical) science [in other words, "knowledge"] is based on (natural, physical) observations. Ergo, good (SUPERnatural, spiritual) knowledge is based on (SUPERnatural, spiritual) observations.
We humans are limited to observing our environment with the five senses we are born with. Because of that, we need radios and TV's to sense the electromagnetic waves that are in the air all around us! But, you believe they're there, don't you? To paraphrase Mr. Billy,
"Can you see radio waves? You haven't seen them? I've never seen them. I see the effects of them when I turn on my radio, but I've never seen them. There's a mystery to them."
If you want to detect radio waves, just plug in a radio and turn it on! And, guess what? Those non-observeable waves have properties and laws that they abide by. You can't turn on a radio and expect to get TV out of it. So, if there are natural laws that govern the world that we CAN see, is it too far a leap to assume that there is a SUPER (I'm using this word in the "above" sense) natural world that we can't observe, and that it has its own properties and rules that it is governed by?
I realize that before you take this "step" of "logical" faith (I really don't think it's the "leap" that some people say it is), you have to believe in a Spiritual God and understand that He's a God that does everything in an orderly fashion. Then it's easy to "see" that there are two parallel "universes" occupying the same time and space, and we call them "natural" (observeable by our
senses) and "spiritual" (unobserveable).
That's about all I have to say about that right now. I'll just leave you with a couple of Bible
verses. Not to try to persuade you or attack you, but just so you'll know what I'm using as my
source so you can doublecheck my calculations like a good peer reading a scientific paper.
1Cor 2:6 ¶ Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Cor 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Cor 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
***** (start paying attention here...)
1Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Cor 2:10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Cor 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Cor 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Cor 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
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1Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
1Cor 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
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1Cor 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that
he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
*****
and...
2Cor 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen: for the things which
are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen
[are] eternal.
one more...
2Cor 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Bonus round...
Hbr 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
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HNV - Hbr 11:1 - Now faith is assurance of things hoped
for, proof of things not seen. [Hebrew Names Version (HNV)The Hebrew Names Version is based off the World English Bible, an update of the American Standard Version of 1901.
This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]
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Hbr 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Hbr 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds
were framed by the word of God, so that things which are
seen were not made of things which do appear.
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