By Faith
One of the 94 hymns we sing together at Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church on the Gold Coast. Browse the full hymnbook.
Lyrics
Verse 1
By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation’s grand design,
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness,
Who walk by faith and not by sight.
Chorus
We will stand as children of the promise’
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s
reward.
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
Verse 2
By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the power of His promise in their hearts,
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand,
A place where peace and justice reign.
Verse 3
By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed for Messiah would appear
With the power to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave.
Verse 4
By faith the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth.
Verse 5
By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail,
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His Name.
Behind the Hymn
"By Faith" was written by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Stuart Townend in 2009 as a hymn celebrating the heroes of faith described in Hebrews 11. The Gettys and Townend crafted the song to walk through the great cloud of witnesses — from Abel to Abraham to Moses to the prophets — who trusted God's promises without seeing their fulfillment. The hymn then bridges to the New Testament, declaring that the same faith that sustained the patriarchs sustains believers today through the finished work of Christ. Keith Getty has spoken about the importance of writing hymns that connect modern Christians to the long story of God's faithfulness throughout history, countering the tendency to see faith as merely a private, contemporary experience. The song's structure mirrors the literary pattern of Hebrews 11 itself, with each verse beginning "By faith" and building toward a crescendo of trust. It has become particularly popular at ordination services, missionary commissioning, and other occasions where the church celebrates its continuity with the saints who have gone before.