--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Faith means believing in advance what…" description: "\"“Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”\" — Philip Yancey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/philip-yancey-840_believing_faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-wi_502583.png" --- # Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense… ![“Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” quote by Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/philip-yancey-840_believing_faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-wi_502583.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/philip-yancey-840_believing_faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-wi_502583.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/philip-yancey-840_believing_faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-wi_502583.png) > ““Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”” [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Faith involves trusting outcomes that seem unclear now but become clear later. **In simple terms:** Trust what seems unclear now. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty with confidence. Themes faith trust uncertainty spirituality Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decisions - spiritual growth - long‑term planning - relationship building Key Concepts theology psychology paradox Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle doubt when outcomes are unseen? - What evidence would change your trust? A Different Perspective Faith may be challenged by contradictory evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“Faith, I’ve concluded, means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/faith-i-ve-concluded-means-believing-in-advance-what-will-only-make/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“...to have true faith means believing in things you cannot see just as true love sometimes means making choices you never thought you'd have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-watts/to-have-true-faith-means-believing-in-things-you-cannot-see-just-as/) J.D. Watts > [Faith means believing the unbelievable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/faith-means-believing-the-unbelievable/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. And faith means believing the incredible, or it is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/hope-means-hoping-when-things-are-hopeless-or-it-is-no-virtue-at-all-2/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“Charity means pardoning what is unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all. Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/charity-means-pardoning-what-is-unpardonable-or-it-is-no-virtue-at/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Most people think that faith means believing something; oftener it means trying something, giving it a chance to prove itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/most-people-think-that-faith-means-believing-something-oftener-it/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“Confidence means believing in yourself. If you don’t believe that what you have to offer is of any value, well, no one’s going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-airey/confidence-means-believing-in-yourself-if-you-don-t-believe-that-what/) [David Airey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-airey/) > [Attaching to a thought means believing that its true, without inquiring. A belief is a thought that weve been attaching to, often for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/attaching-to-a-thought-means-believing-that-its-true-without/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will make sense only in reverse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-have-learned-that-faith-means-trusting-in-advance-what-will-make/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-have-learned-that-faith-means-trusting-in-advance-what-will-only/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [A thought is harmless unless we believe it. It’s not our thoughts, but our attachment to our thoughts, that causes suffering. Attaching to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/a-thought-is-harmless-unless-we-believe-it-it-s-not-our-thoughts-but/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“But not to believe in miracles means not believing that God can do anything, which seems a fundamental tenet of Christianity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-not-to-believe-in-miracles-means-not-believing-that-god-can-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A soldier’s duty…” Taylor intoned the last word in a voice of granite, “is to do an honest day’s work in dishonest times… and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-peters/a-soldier-s-duty-taylor-intoned-the-last-word-in-a-voice-of-granite/) [Ralph peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-peters/) > [Beware of solipsism Funny word. Sounds like it means "love of melons" or something. I looked it up. It means believing that "the self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/beware-of-solipsism-funny-word-sounds-like-it-means-love-of-melons-or/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [If you are sad and depressed, that means you're not believing God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-copeland/if-you-are-sad-and-depressed-that-means-you-re-not-believing-god/) [Gloria Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-copeland/) ## More by Philip Yancey > [“God reproduces and lives out His image in millions of ordinary people like us. It is a supreme mystery. We are called to bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/god-reproduces-and-lives-out-his-image-in-millions-of-ordinary-people/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Love deems this world worth rescuing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/love-deems-this-world-worth-rescuing/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [People instinctively know the difference between something done with a profit motive and something done with a love motive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/people-instinctively-know-the-difference-between-something-done-with/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [In a nutshell, the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22 tells the story of a God reckless with desire to get his family back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/in-a-nutshell-the-bible-from-genesis-3-to-revelation-22-tells-the/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [You can know the law by heart without knowing the heart of it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/you-can-know-the-law-by-heart-without-knowing-the-heart-of-it/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“I have marveled at, and sometimes openly questioned, the self-restraint God has shown throughout history, allowing the Genghis Khans and the Hitlers and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-have-marveled-at-and-sometimes-openly-questioned-the-self-restraint/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [C. S. Lewis observed that almost all crimes of Christian history have come about when religion is confused with politics. Politics, which always runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/c-s-lewis-observed-that-almost-all-crimes-of-christian-history-have/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Having spent time around "sinners" and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/having-spent-time-around-sinners-and-also-around-purported-saints-i/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [We preach sermons, write books on apologetics, conduct city-wide evangelistic campaigns. For those alienated from the church, that approach no longer has the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/we-preach-sermons-write-books-on-apologetics-conduct-city-wide/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [I begin with confession not in order to feel miserable, rather to call to mind a reality I often ignore. When I acknowledge where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-begin-with-confession-not-in-order-to-feel-miserable-rather-to-call/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Jesus reserved his hardest words for the hidden sins of hypocrisy, pride, greed and legalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-reserved-his-hardest-words-for-the-hidden-sins-of-hypocrisy/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“What greater gift could Christians give to the world than the forming of a culture that upholds grace and forgiveness?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/what-greater-gift-could-christians-give-to-the-world-than-the-forming/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“For us who are Christians, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof positive that love is stronger than hate, that life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/for-us-who-are-christians-the-death-and-resurrection-of-jesus-christ/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) [Explore all 351 Philip Yancey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) ## More Believing quotes > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“Believing is not the same as knowing. Believing is second-hand knowledge, whereas knowing is first-hand experience. When your action comes from a level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-kanna/believing-is-not-the-same-as-knowing-believing-is-second-hand/) [Yogi Kanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-kanna/) > [Things aren't always as they appear. I've been believing things to be a certain way because I want them to be that way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/things-aren-t-always-as-they-appear-i-ve-been-believing-things-to-be/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [You cannot will yourself to be happy while believing that you have no right to happiness, or that you are unworthy of it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roberts/you-cannot-will-yourself-to-be-happy-while-believing-that-you-have-no/) [Jane Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-roberts/) > [It's never late to go after your dreams. All it takes is believing and hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitor-belfort/it-s-never-late-to-go-after-your-dreams-all-it-takes-is-believing-and/) [Vitor Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitor-belfort/) > [“There are five important things for living a successful and fulfilling life: never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/there-are-five-important-things-for-living-a-successful-and/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [Start believing that things are going to change for the better. Not because you deserve it, but simply because God loves you that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-believing-that-things-are-going-to-change-for-the-better-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never stopped believing in my ability or what I was doing. I want to pass that sense of faith and perseverance on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vantile-whitfield/i-never-stopped-believing-in-my-ability-or-what-i-was-doing-i-want-to/) [Vantile Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vantile-whitfield/) > [“It’s not easy to believe in anything when your whole world turns upside down. The main thing is to keep believing in yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-jayne-ashford/it-s-not-easy-to-believe-in-anything-when-your-whole-world-turns/) [Lindsay Jayne Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-jayne-ashford/) > [Stop expecting, Start believing¦ If you truly love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-expecting-start-believing-if-you-truly-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This idea that once you get into politics... you are now signed up for lifelong duty being in elective office, makes a fundamental error…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gonzalez/this-idea-that-once-you-get-into-politics-you-are-now-signed-up-for/) [Matt Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gonzalez/) > [Chairman Mao not only introduced Pinyin in China, but also simplified half the Chinese characters, believing that fewer strokes would enable more people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tang/chairman-mao-not-only-introduced-pinyin-in-china-but-also-simplified/) [David Tang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tang/) > [It's one thing believing in yourself, it's another thing having other people believe in you, and that is the greatest gift, honestly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-magnussen/it-s-one-thing-believing-in-yourself-it-s-another-thing-having-other/) [Billy Magnussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-magnussen/) > [We have been deceived into believing prayer is all about persuading God to release His power. We no longer need to beg or plead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wommack/we-have-been-deceived-into-believing-prayer-is-all-about-persuading/) [Andrew Wommack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wommack/) Browse all 1,471 Believing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Yancey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-will-only-make-sense-in-reverse/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-will-only-make-sense-in-reverse/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/philip-yancey-840_believing_faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-wi_502583.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/philip-yancey-840_believing_faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-wi_502583.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/philip-yancey-840_believing_faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-wi_502583.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” — Philip Yancey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Philip Yancey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Faith means believing in advance what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-will-only-make-sense-in-reverse/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/faith-means-believing-in-advance-what-will-only-make-sense-in-reverse/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```