Everybody who is saved, has heard about "faith". It's by faith that we are saved, it's faith that keeps us going day by day, and without faith it is impossible to please God. But what is faith, and what is the opposite of faith? In 2 Cor. 5:7 we read:
"For we walk by faith, not by sight". Here we see two ways of conducting or living our lives: by faith or by sight. What does it mean to live by faith, and what does it mean to live by sight?
What is faith? The Bible gives us the answer: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). My personal interpretation is that faith is the firm conviction that what God says will come to pass! I like to liken faith with everyday acts we do without thinking about them. You want to drive your car from A to B. You get in the car, turn the ignition on and start driving. You have faith that your car starts, that it takes you where you want to go, and you also have faith in other drivers that they will not bump into you on the road. Another example: you want to sit down, and if there's a chair somewhere, you sit down without first checking if the chair is safe. You have faith in the chair that it holds you without breaking.
I think of God the same way. When I need something, I look it up in His Word, find what He says, and act as if what He says is true. To me, that is faith.
What does it mean to walk by sight?
Sight is connected to our eyes, sight is one of five natural senses; smelling, tasteing, hearing, touching and seeing. What does it mean that I do not walk (or live) by sight? It means that I do not live by my natural senses. I am not dependent upon what I see, hear, smell, taste or touch.
When what I see doesn't line up with what the Word says, I choose to believe God's Word; I set aside my natural senses and with my will choose to believe God.
That is walking by faith, and that is pleasing to God, and He rewards my faith.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight". Here we see two ways of conducting or living our lives: by faith or by sight. What does it mean to live by faith, and what does it mean to live by sight?
What is faith? The Bible gives us the answer: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). My personal interpretation is that faith is the firm conviction that what God says will come to pass! I like to liken faith with everyday acts we do without thinking about them. You want to drive your car from A to B. You get in the car, turn the ignition on and start driving. You have faith that your car starts, that it takes you where you want to go, and you also have faith in other drivers that they will not bump into you on the road. Another example: you want to sit down, and if there's a chair somewhere, you sit down without first checking if the chair is safe. You have faith in the chair that it holds you without breaking.
I think of God the same way. When I need something, I look it up in His Word, find what He says, and act as if what He says is true. To me, that is faith.
What does it mean to walk by sight?
Sight is connected to our eyes, sight is one of five natural senses; smelling, tasteing, hearing, touching and seeing. What does it mean that I do not walk (or live) by sight? It means that I do not live by my natural senses. I am not dependent upon what I see, hear, smell, taste or touch.
When what I see doesn't line up with what the Word says, I choose to believe God's Word; I set aside my natural senses and with my will choose to believe God.
That is walking by faith, and that is pleasing to God, and He rewards my faith.
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