Friday, 7 August 2015
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
The word “for” builds upon what was just said – “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.” As we are “absent from the Lord” our walk is different than it would be if we were in His presence. The word “walk” denotes our conduct in this life. It is a metaphor used to indicate the things we do and how we do them.
This “walk” for the Christians is a walk of “faith.” We have been saved by Christ and therefore, the conduct of our lives is to be for Him, emulating Him, telling others about Him, anticipating our being gathered to Him, etc. But as he said in the previous verse, at this time we are “absent from the Lord.” Because of this, our walk is entirely one of faith, “not by sight.”
The word “sight” doesn’t mean the active sense of vision. Rather, it means “appearance.” The word faith then is being contrasted with the time when we actually behold Jesus and our new heavenly home. We have never seen Him and we have never experienced heaven, and so our walk in this life is only in anticipation of those things. It is entirely a walk of faith. As the author of Hebrews says –
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
But in this walk of faith is a blessing in and of itself. In fact, the next verse in Hebrews says, “For by it the elders obtained a good testimony” (Hebrews 11:2). We obtain a “good testimony” through walking in faith. Jesus confirmed this to the disciples when addressing Thomas after the resurrection –
“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
Life application: Lots of people have claimed to have seen Jesus, and lots of people have claimed to have gone to heaven. This is contrary to what the Bible teaches. If someone has experienced one of these things, then their walk is no longer of faith. And so we must decide to either believe the Bible or believe them. Though many have seemed convincing about having experienced these things, it is better we reject their stories and accept that we do, in fact, live by faith and not by sight.
Lord God, I don’t need to read the stories people have written about going to heaven or having talked to Jesus. The Bible says that I am to live by faith and not by sight. That is good enough for me. I have researched Your word and I have the surest hope of all that what You have told us is sufficient for my faith and practice. The change in me testifies to this. I’ll stick to Your word and not fancy stories which do nothing to enhance my walk with You! Amen.