Does God require blind faith?

TL;DR:

God does not expect or desire blind faith—faith that exists without evidence or reason. Instead, God has given us a solid foundation for belief by revealing Himself through creation, Scripture, and Jesus Christ. Faith in God is trusting in His character and promises based on the evidence He has provided.

what does the bible say?

Blind faith is trusting in something without any evidence. God does not expect or desire blind faith. The Bible emphasizes that God reveals Himself clearly through His creation, His Word, and His Son. He has given us much evidence for our faith. Romans 1:20 teaches that God’s "eternal power and divine nature" are evident in creation, leaving humanity without excuse for unbelief. Scripture is given to teach and equip us for faith (2 Timothy 3:16–17), and Jesus Christ, as God Incarnate, provides the ultimate revelation of God’s character and glory (John 1:14). Faith in God is grounded in understanding His self-revelation, not in blind trust or leaps into the unknown.

from the old testament

God revealed His presence to the Israelites visibly and tangibly, reinforcing their faith through evidence as seen when God went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21).
Psalm 19:1–2 tells us that creation itself testifies to God’s existence and attributes: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
While God’s ways surpass human understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9), He provides enough revelation for us to trust Him with confidence.

from the new testament

God has revealed Himself to us. Romans 1:20 says, "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." God is evident in creation. It may take faith to believe that God is Creator, but that faith is far from blind.
God has also revealed Himself through Scripture. In the Bible we read of God speaking to the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament. His manifest presence was with the Israelites (Exodus 13:21; Exodus 33:7-11). He gave us Scripture that we might come to know Him and trust Him (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The greatest revelation of God is Jesus Christ. He is God Incarnate, the Word made flesh (John 1:1-5; 14). Jesus reveals to us the glory and character of God. Because He rose from the dead, His message is validated.
Luke 10:27 tells us, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…and with all your mind…" God calls us to engage our minds in understanding and knowing Him, not to rely on blind faith.
We are to search the Scriptures and spend time getting to know God (1 Timothy 4:13-16).

implications for today

Our faith is not blind. We are called to love God with all of our minds (Luke 10:27). He does not expect us to blindly leap in the dark but to understand His revelations and to build on the foundation of our faith. God has given us much evidence for our faith. Along with creation, His Word, and Jesus, we have other evidence of God’s existence and character using the tools of science, archaeology, history, literary criticism, personal experience, and similar methods that confirm His Word. While there are some things we will simply not understand (Isaiah 55:8-9; Psalm 139:6; 1 Corinthians 13:9-12), we can know that our faith is built on a solid foundation. It is trusting and it is faith, but it is far from blind. Believers can rest in the assurance that their faith is rooted in truth and evidence, not in blind or baseless belief.

understand

God does not desire blind faith.
God revealed Himself clearly through creation, Scripture, and Jesus Christ.
Faith is grounded in evidence not blind faith, even though we will not understand everything because of our limited human abilities.

reflect

How has God revealed Himself to you through creation, Scripture, or Jesus Christ, and how has that strengthened your faith?
How can you better trust God in areas of your life where you struggle because you feel you lack understanding or evidence?
How can you engage your mind and heart to deepen your faith and grow in trust based on what God has already revealed?

engage

How does understanding that God does not expect blind faith change how we discuss faith with others?
How do creation, Scripture, and Jesus Christ together provide a solid foundation for belief in God?
How can we help others see the evidence of God’s presence and character in their lives?