Christians have no need of evidence; we have belief.
The Reality
This is a tricky one, especially when you throw in Hebrews 11:1:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."Does this mean belief in something is just as good as hard evidence? If so, how does one know what to believe?
I think it's necessary for there to be a balance between faith and evidence. There should definitely be some basis for your beliefs, but in many cases, it's a bit of a cycle: Evidence leads to belief. Belief, if well-placed and sincerely felt, leads to actions which lead to further revealing of evidence.
An example could be choosing a spouse: When choosing a spouse, I must first look for evidence that she is trustworthy, faithful, upstanding, and an overall good choice for devoting my love and affection. And, while I can do my best to gather all that information and examine the evidence, it will ultimately require an amount of faith in that person, because they can't prove that they're a good wife before they're a wife. But, if that faith is well-placed, it will yield further evidence, which will in turn strengthen my faith in her.
A friend of mine, Paul "Shammah" Pavao, shared an example of faith that resulted in evidence:
1985, I think. My sister sends me a letter that my nephew Joseph has lost all his sight in one eye and 50% in the other. Infection's been increasing for 18 months, and the Air Force has moved her to Andrews AFB so she can be treated at some really good medical facility there. I'm in Germany, and when I get the letter, friends and I pray for around an hour. I could feel the "release" as we prayed, and afterward I told my friends that I felt like God heard us but something didn't quite feel complete. Two weeks later, I got another letter, which had to have been sent a week after we prayed, saying that my nephew had 100% of his sight back, and the infection had retreated. They didn't know why. The infection was not quite gone, explaining what I was feeling way over in Germany, though it disappeared over the next few months.
I think that feeling of "release" I had was faith that was the evidence of things not yet seen. It was the substance--something tangible--of what we were hoping for.
Why It Matters
Our belief should not be the basis of truth. Instead, the truth should be the basis of our belief. To believe something without cause is like jumping from an airplane without first making sure you're wearing a parachute. I think some people mistakenly confuse following God blindly with following God without reason.
If my wife blindfolded me and ask me to let her lead me around the room, then I would have no problem following her blindly, but only because I know her and have reason to trust her. If a stranger blindfolded me and asked me to follow him, I would not comply, because I have no basis for my faith.
Likewise, we must get to know God. The more I know Him, the stronger my faith becomes.
