Walking by Faith
We walk by faith, not by sight (2Cor. 5:7). Paul is speaking in this context about the hope of resurrection. We face inevitable decline and inescapable mortality in our present bodies. No diet, medication, or exercise regimen can permanently postpone that fact that one day every one of us will die. We are fragile, and no matter how well we care for ourselves, all of us remain subject to injury, illness, and, ultimately, death itself. The apostle describes our bodies as a tent, an earthly house, that eventually will be put off. We will be disembodied by death, but that is not the Christian’s hope. We groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, an immortal body, impervious to age and decay, the corrosive effects of sin. We groan… not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. And so, we walk by faith, not by sight. We long for the day of resurrection, not annihilation, not disembodied evacuation, the day of resurrection which will include the transformation of our selves, body and soul.
The first day of the week is also the eighth day, the day of new creation which began with Christ’s resurrection. It is a new beginning. God gathers his Church, renews his covenant, cleanses us and consecrates us anew. He communes with us so that we might experience the joy of the marriage Supper of the Lamb for which we are destined and toward which we are bound. Most first days are not the eschatological first day, the final resurrection. Every Sunday in my life so far has been followed by Monday, and Monday is generally not a day on which all things feel new. But every Sunday reminds us that the new day is coming, has already begun, and will reach its consummation on the day when Christ raises the dead and makes the world new. And so, we walk by faith, not by sight.
What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight? Sight includes what I can see, touch, hear, and taste, even what I feel. Sight involves my reason, experience, and emotions, and none of these tell me that things are getting better. Quite the contrary, experience suggests things are only getting worse, and my heart and mind can easily convince me it will always be so. But faith comes from hearing the word of God. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit, but a gift we must receive, cling to, and give thanks for. What good is a gift that never gets unwrapped, a present that remains on the shelf? God’s word defines what is real, what is true, not my reason, not my experience, not my emotions. Human reason is fallible, however important it may be. Our perception of experience is likewise incomplete and often inaccurate. And our emotions, they simply lie to us, all the time. And so, we walk by faith, not by sight.
Most of us use the word hope in superficial and unbiblical ways. We hope for things we know will never happen. We hope this or that is true. Almost always, we use hope only when the thing in question is really hopeless. But the Bible describes a hope that is certain, sure, and serves as an anchor to our souls. This is not a vain or desperate wish. It is a confidence based on the certainty of God’s character and word. This hope will not disappoint us. It will never fail. We tether our souls to the hope we have in Christ, and no matter the circumstances that may intervene, that hope holds us fast. Hope grounds our reason, experience, and emotions so that we are not blown about, overwhelmed by life in a sinful world. And so, we walk by faith, not by sight.
Are you living by what you think, the pain and disappointment you have experienced, or how you feel? God forgives the sins of our mind and heart, just as surely as he forgives the sins of our hands and feet. Repent of walking by sight, and begin to walk by faith. Submit your reason to God’s word. Weigh your experiences against the sure promises of God. Discipline your emotions according to Scripture so that your affections might be rightly ordered, in submission to Christ, rather than ruling your life and robbing you of the joy and peace that comes through trusting in Christ alone. We walk by faith, not by sight. May God help us to do so.