Where does the Bible say it is a matter of faith?
The entire NT pretty much:
"You are saved by Grace through faith"
"Your faith has made you whole"
"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith"
"For we live by faith, not by sight."
"A righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”"
"So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith"
Etc., ad infinitum.
What do you think faith means? I have understood faith means loyalty (=faithfulness). Bible tells eternal life is for righteous, and they live because they are loyal to God, they don’t reject God.
Loyalty is not the core understanding of Christian faith. Someone may follow every rule in the book, be loyal to the religion rules and regulations to a T, but still not have faith. Faith issues from the heart. Jesus said of the pagan Roman Centurion, "Greater faith have I not seen in all of Israel". Clearly, he was not loyal to the law of Moses! Yet, Jesus called his faith greater than all those who followed the religion as a way of life. He was anything but loyal to the religion's laws.
Jesus pointed out the difference when he challenged the religious loyalists of the Pharisees, who would boast they never broke the law. He said in essence that you can say you keep the law, or are "loyal to God", by not committing adultery, stealing, murdering, etc, yet if you ever lusted after another man's wife, coveted their goods, or hated them in your heart, you have sinned. It's not about being loyal, but about being a good person internally. He further taught, "Make clean the inside of the cup, and the outside will become clean".
True righteousness is in a changed heart, not in the keeping of the rules with religious loyalties. Keep the rules externally, can only be truly genuine if they come from the heart. A changed heart, the heart of faith, has no desire to steal, or cheat, or lie, or kill. "Love works no ill", says Paul in Romans. He is right. That is what faith is.
In that faith is not about believing, but about being loyal to God. It would not be useful for you, if you believe, but are not loyal to God. And I think, when person is loyal to God, it means person keeps His commandments.
But where is that coming from? Is it coming from a fear of punishment? Then that 'faith' is not coming from within your heart, it's coming from a place of fear. If you love, you won't sin. And if and when you act outside of love, then Grace covers sin, if embraced by the heart of faith, knowing that "God is Love". All of this is very different from coming from a place of fear.
Simply believing with the mind, at best takes you to the door, but does not take you inside. Faith is what transforms, not beliefs, nor simply following the rules hoping that will get you inside.
And this does not mean that person is saved because of faith. People are saved (from the judgment that comes because of sin), because God has declared sins forgiven, freely, without anything from the people.
"Your faith has made you whole", said Jesus to the woman who came to him for healing.
If we understand faith as loyalty to God, it is a matter of understanding and reason. Person is loyal to God when he thinks it is good and right.
But the Pharisees were loyal to God, and yet Jesus declared that was all like whitewashed tombs, all clean and righteous on the outside, but inside it was full of rot and dead bones. So it does not appear to be a matter of understanding and reason or what we think with the ideas of the mind. It has to do with the love of the heart, and a yearning to connect with the Spirit of God. Salvation, is a changed heart, not a convinced logic argument about the existence of God.
Believing in God’s existence is a different issue. I believe God exists, because of logic and reason.
I believe in God's existence because of Love. Logic and reason can take us astray. Faith has to do with the heart, not logic and reason.
To me faith means loyalty. Those facts are facts only for a person if he believes they are correct. And if person is faithful to the scientists, he keeps their teachings.
Fact are not facts only for a person. Who told you this? Facts are facts, regardless of whether or not someone chooses to accept them. There is no such thing as 'alternative facts'.