2 Corinthians 5:7 - Living by faith or sight?

2Co5_7: Living by faith or sight?

2 Cor 5:7 (KJV)  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2 Cor 5:7 (NIV)  We live by faith, not by sight.

2 Cor 5:7 (NCV)  We live by what we believe, not by what we can
see.

Two interesting models for translating this brief verse are:
"faith is our guide, not sight" (REB) and "we live by what we believe,
not by what we can see" (NCV). (UBS Translator Handbook Series)

The beginning point of faith is believing in God's character --
he is who he says he is. The end point is believing in God's
promises -- he will do what he says he will do..... This confidence in the
realities that are unseen allows believers to persevere in this faith,
regardless of persecution, opposition, or temptation. (Life Application
Commentary)

Though Christ is not visibly present today, we live by faith in
the reality of His presence with us and the certainty of all the
promises concerning our future. [Ryrie SB]

A distinguishing quality of a person of faith is that he has a
stronger attachment to God than to his environment; in other words, he
finds his reason for living in God rather than in his surroundings.
[Megiddo Message Magazine]

"I will hear what God the Lord will speak" (Ps.85:8).  Blessed
is the soul which hears the Lord speaking within, and from His
mouth receives the word of consolation.  Blessed are the ears that
catch the pulses of the divine whisper (Mat.13:16,17), and give no
heed to the whisperings of this world.  Blessed indeed are those ears
which listen not after the voice which is sounding without, but for
the truth teaching inwardly.  Blessed are the eyes that are shut to
outward things, but intent on things inward.  Blessed are they that
enter far into things within, and endeavor to prepare themselves more
and more, by daily exercises, for the receiving of heavenly secrets.
 Blessed are they who are glad to have time to spare for God, and
who shake off all worldly hindrances.
Consider these things, O my soul, and shut up the door of your
sensual desires, that you may hear what the Lord your God speaks in you
(Ps.85:8). Thomas a Kempis; [Time with God SB]

It is our privilege to carry with us the credentials of our
faith, --love, joy, and peace. ML14

To walk by faith, is to live in the confident expectation of
things that are to come; in the belief of the existence of unseen
realities; and suffering them to influence us as if they were seen.
(Barnes' Notes)

Faith is to live in light of ultimate rather than immediate
realities (cf. Rom. 8:24-25), to be obedient to God's commands despite the
hardships that obedience produces. [Bible Knowledge Commentary]

Faith and feeling are as distinct as the east is from the west....
(Letter 7, 1892).

When faith brings the blessing to your heart, and you rejoice in
the blessing, it is no more faith, but feeling.  {1T 167.2}

Faith is for this world, and sight is for the other world. It is
our duty, and it will be our interest, to walk by faith, till we
live by sight. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

How comfortable and courageous we ought to be in all the
troubles of life, and in the hour of death:... True Christians, if they
duly considered the prospect faith gives them of another world, and
the good reasons of their hope of blessedness after death, would be
comforted under the troubles of life, and supported in the hour of death:
they should take courage, when they are encountering the last enemy,
and be willing rather to die than live, when it is the will of God
that they should put off this tabernacle. (Matthew Henry's
Commentary)

He lived by faith, not by sight. But this faith was not blind
trust; it was a certain confidence in the Word of God. When you know
where you are going, no storm can frighten you or enemy defeat you.
The outward man might be perishing (4:16), but what difference did
that make? Paul knew that glory lay on the other side. [Wiersbe
Expository Outlines]

God had told the people to enter and possess the land, but they
preferred to spy it out just to see if God was really telling the truth!
Well, He was - it was a rich land, a beautiful land, and a fruitful
land.  But there were giants!  "We are not able to overcome!"  This
was the majority report.
The minority report came from Caleb and Joshua, and Moses agreed
with them: "We are well able to overcome it!"  This is the Old
Testament version of Romans 8:31: "If God be for us, who can be against
us?"  The majority saw the obstacles, and they were bigger than their
God.  The minority saw God, and the obstacles disappeared!
Unbelief always cries and complains.  It plays the same tune:
"We are not able!"  The nation had the promises of God to lean on
and the presence of God to depend on, but they preferred to walk by
sight.  It cost them forty years in the wilderness, the world's longest
funeral march!
Christians do not fight for victory; we fight from victory.
Jesus said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  John said, "This is
the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 Jo.5:4).
Either we are overcomers - or overcome. Warren Wiersbe; [Time
with God SB]