2nd Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Sight is known to often have a direct effect on the decisions we make, and therefore this sense must always be held subservient to the higher powers of the mind, such as intelligence, sound judgment, and decision, that’s why the above passage of scripture states that Christians must walk by faith and not by sight. As a matter of fact, all of our senses by which we communicate with the outside world, should not be the driving force in our decision making process, because we can easily be misled on account of our compromised ability to accurately discern realities.
For instance, when looking for a spouse, some men are driven in their decisions, primarily by what they see, and then if good character is also present then they usually move forward with their choice. However there are many men who also could reach a decision in favor of marriage, based solely on what they’ve seen, and external beauty is made to trump every other necessary quality in the wife of their dreams.
The problem with this kind of decision is that both women and men go through great physical changes as they grow older, and then when external beauty fades, then what remains is one’s character, and if the marriage was based solely on external beauty, then the love that was professed earlier begins to fade.
Here is where many men fall short, and end up divorcing the wife of their youth, because the heavy emphasis on externals often blinds us to the inner beauty of character, which can endure for eternity. Now it’s not to say that in looking for a spouse, a person’s character is all that should be taken into consideration, however it should figure prominently as far as choice goes.
In other words, if one has to choose between a cute fool and a not so attractive, but lovable, principled person, then it’s better to go with the latter than with the former, because in the end, when all the chips are tallied, it will be found that one’s good character is much more enduring, than physical beauty which as stated before, often fades away. Let’s read:
Proverbs 11:22 [As] a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, [so is] a fair woman which is without discretion.
The problem of sight and decision making is not only restricted to marriage, for the issue spreads across the entire spectrum of all our experiences. For instance, we may go shopping for one item at the mall, and may come back with a trunk full of goodies which we had never intended to purchase.
The reason is that in most cases we were driven to make spontaneous decisions based on what we saw as a good deal.
Yes, we may have found a good bargain, but the decision of itself was first triggered by the sense of sight, hence the reason why it’s a good idea to make a list of what we need or what we are shopping for, before we go out and spend much more than we had originally catered for. Even Santa clause is known for making a list and checking it
twice, and so should we.
However, when it comes to the issue of walking by
faith and not by sight in spiritual matters, it is even
more important for us to keep our senses under control at all times, for in the spiritual realm we have unforeseen forces at work and scientific knowledge we are not currently aware of, that can greatly alter what we see, hear, and feel. Especially is this the case when God has given us specific promises, and accompanying instructions which pertain to their fulfillment.
Most of the promises of God are made on condition of certain requirements being fulfilled, and when the prerequisites are put in place, we must then trust and wait upon God to accomplish what He has thus promised. The sequence of promise and fulfillment is what causes our relationship with God to grow and deepen, which is one of the reasons why it is very difficult to separate a true Christian from God, for we know by experience that God is dependable and trust worthy in all that He says and does.
When the system of walking by faith in God alone is
adopted and implemented, it then shapes all of our
decisions, bringing them into line with what God has stipulated and promised, and it is only in this way that any meaningful relationship with The Lord can be established and maintained, hence the reason why the following passage was written for all would-be followers of Christ. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The very premise upon which our relationship with God is predicated must be faith, both now and into the future, for the passage states that anyone who comes to God “Must” believe”. This system of walking by faith and not by sight is what set the tone for Moses to enjoy such close communion with God, and the highlights of his experiences were written so that we who are living in the 21st century, may have sacred history to base our initial, and ongoing faith upon.
His experiences begin with his birth, when his mother had delivered during a time when the male Hebrew children were being methodically slaughtered by Pharaoh and his people, with the intent that the people would finally come to an untimely end. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw [he was] a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
Their decision to hide Moses was made because of the promise of deliverance from Egyptian bondage that God had made to Abraham hundreds of years before Moses was born. God had promised that at a set time the Hebrews would be emancipated from Egyptian slavery, and that promise now shaped their actions and decision-making processes. Let’s read:
Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
And so faith goes to work, directly impacting the way Moses’ parents think and act, for faith is not a mere figment of our imagination, but rather a living principle and reality by which all hurdles and difficulties are surmounted. As a matter of fact, our faith in God represents our most valuable asset as it pertains to success, both now and in the great hereafter. Let’s read:
Exodus 2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took [to wife] a daughter of Levi.
2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he [was a] goodly [child], she hid him three months.
2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid [it] in the flags by the river's brink.
2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
These first actions on the part of Moses’ parents were in direct violation of the inhumane law that
Pharaoh had instituted, to have all the male children thrown in the river. This command coming from the king was not in harmony with the law of God, and therefore Moses’ parents could not obey pharaoh and at the same time retain God’s favor. So instead of walking by sight, by allowing fear of the king’s wrath to govern their decisions and actions, they walk by faith, trusting in the promises of God, and cooperating with Him in the fulfillment of the prerequisites. Let’s read:
Exodus1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
1:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see [them] upon the stools; if it [be] a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it [be] a daughter, then she shall live.
1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
1:18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
1:19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women; for they [are] lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
1:20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
1:21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
The real agency behind pharaoh’s mandate was satan, who was determined that the Messiah who should be born to save the human family would be forestalled, hence the reason why his campaign of death was directed at all the males, and not the females. However the reasons given by the midwives for the survival of the Hebrew boys were not entirely true, yet God accepted the manifestation of their faith in Him, and their disposition to obey. This is not saying that falsehood should ever be employed or practiced in the manifestation of one’s faith, but in the times of ignorance, God winks.
Whenever the laws of the land try to coerce Christians into adopting a course of evil, it is our sacred duty to respectfully disobey in order to please God, and when this is done, God comes through with the promises He has made, in ways that often surprise us. God is not intimated by threats nor by anything that man can do, and He often uses the wrath of man as a catalyst in bringing to pass His good purposes.
That’s why it’s ironical that the same Pharaoh who commanded to have the Hebrew male children slain, would end up having a Hebrew boy growing up in his own house, and eating of his own food. Let’s read:
Exodus 2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash [herself] at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
2:6 And when she had opened [it], she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This [is one] of the Hebrews' children.
2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
2:9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give [thee] thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
But the system of walking by faith as manifested in the life of Moses does not stop here, for there were more challenges he would face later on in life, that would bring him to the point of serious decision making. As he grew up in pharaoh’s courts, it was determined that he should be groomed, instructed and educated to take the throne when the current king would have passed, and this prospect forced Moses to make choices that would forever change the tenor and direction of his life.
Moses was surrounded with all the wealth, glamour and power that are incident to a future monarch, yet he did not allow what he saw to adversely affect his decisions. Instead he walked by faith, trusting in the sure promises of God. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
This decision to forego all of the wealth, luxury, and power of the then known world’s greatest nation, to suffer affliction with the people of God may seem to the secular mind as being nonsensical at best, and the reason for this is because success is measured in entirely different scales by the world, than the God- fearing Christian.
Success for the secular mind means fame, fortune, riches and power, whilst success for the Christian means having Christ as first and foremost in our affections, with material blessings being subservient to our higher calling, which ultimately leads to eternal life and the immortal inheritance which does not fade away. Therefore, according to the biblical standard, Moses made a very wise and intelligent choice.
Often in our own experiences we are brought to the valley of decision, where we must either choose God or the material, temporal things of this world, and when situations like these occur we are encouraged to walk by faith and not by sight, as did Moses and all of the other heroes of faith. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
11:28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
11:29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
It is therefore of critical importance for us to develop a pattern of walking by faith and not by sight, for in the near future our senses will be bombarded with undeniable evidences that if permitted, would pull us in an opposite direction from God, and if we are not rooted and grounded in the truth, living by faith in God alone, we will be in danger of succumbing to the plethora of miracles and supernatural occurrences that are going to come upon the stage of action, with such intensity and frequency, that most of earth’s inhabitants will end up falling for into the snare of the devil.
This we have been warned of over and over again in the scriptures, with the intent that we would learn the all-important lesson of walking by faith, and not by sight. Let’s read:
2nd Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2:9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns” …… “2 and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
13:3 “and all the world wondered after the beast.
13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast”….
13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast” …. 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do” ……
13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
These verses of scripture reveal with startling clarity, the last great struggle that is to be unfurled across the entire globe, and no one will be exempt from making a final choice, either to serve God or be permanently identified with the forces of evil. The issue will obviously be one of worship, and this will be the deciding factor that will affect every person’s eternal destiny.
The current problem that the world is now facing with terrorism and extreme, fanatical teachings and views, is a religious problem, and sooner or later it will be addressed from a religious perspective, with the institution of one global religion for all who desire to retain their economic privileges.
It is then that the habit of walking by faith and not by sight will have its fullest meaning, because all who will worship the true God during those dark days of apostasy, will have to walk by faith in God alone, not permitting our five senses to guide or manipulate our decision-making processes. That’s why in the very next chapter of Revelation, we read of the method by which we will survive the efforts made to force a spurious form of worship upon us. Let’s read:
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Those of us Christians who have cultivated the habit of walking by faith and not by sight, by living in harmony with the principles and laws of God’s kingdom, will have the full assurance of God’s protective care during this time of great trouble, and The Lord will reveal Himself to us in ways we have never before experienced. The promises of God made to the faithful during these dangerous days of earth’s history are chronicled for the benefit and sustenance of His people, so that when the times here spoken of arrive, we will have been accustomed to walking by faith, and not by sight. Let’s read:
Isaiah 4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place” ….. “and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory [shall be] a defence.
4:6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
This is very reminiscent of God’s protective watch-care over His people when the hosts of pharaoh were bent on their destruction. Let’s read:
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness [to them], but it gave light by night [to these]: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
The importance of cultivating a living faith in God cannot be stressed enough, for it is our greatest asset as we move forward towards the times spoken of in Revelation 13 and 14. Thus it behooves us to make the best of every opportunity we have to walk by faith and not by sight, because living by faith in God alone is not something that is developed overnight, but rather through the many experiences of everyday living that cross our path. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that encourages us to begin today so that it will become habit. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
4:8 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair;
4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;
4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!