Why must spiritual and invisible things be based on faith?
Spiritual and invisible things must be based on faith because they cannot be seen or tangibly touched. When a person enters the realm of the unseen, hope that is seen is not hope, so faith becomes the substance and evidence of things hoped for, the proof of what is not visible.
Les explains that Romans 8 speaks of being saved by hope, and if someone objects that salvation is by faith, he notes that faith and hope are in the same meaning. Hope that is seen is not hope, because what a man sees he no longer hopes for. When we enter the realm of the invisible, the only thing to depend on is faith. Les then connects this to Hebrews 11:1, where faith, taking God at His Word, is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence or proof of things not seen. Since spiritual things cannot be tangibly touched, they must be on the basis of faith. He adds that if he did not know this was the Word of God, he could not believe it.