2 Corinthians 5:7 - Live By Faith And Not By Feeling.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) We live by faith,
not by sight.
COMMENTARY PEARL
March is one of those months that often
comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, as
the saying goes. As a kid, I remember the winter
weather would start to turn, rushed along by windy
days that signaled kite-flying and baseball games
just weeks away. In Oklahoma, some days were so
windy that I had a hard time standing at the bus
stop or on the playground.
The winds of life often leave us feeling
the same way. Peer pressure, cultural trends,
and social media leave us feeling strained to
keep our faith and stand up for what we believe.
In order to grow in our faith, we have to ask
ourselves: How do we stand out, in the right ways, at
the right time, for the right reasons? I'm
convinced that when we stand out and stand up - in the
right ways, at the right time, for the right
reasons - it can change the direction of our lives.
The flip side is true as well. When we
compromise on the wrong things, in the wrong ways, at
the wrong times, it can cost us way more than we
can even imagine in that moment of weakness.
IT'S ALWAYS SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE THE PRESENCE OF
GOD A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE, WHERE YOU SEEK HIM,
WHERE YOU DEPEND ON HIM, WHERE YOU'RE LIVING AND
DWELLING IN HIS WORD NO MATTER WHAT THE WINDS OF
CHANGE MIGHT BRING. THIS IS HOW WE LEARN TO WALK BY
FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT.
Dear God, today help me to stand strong
in my faith and to trust you with what matters
most. Give me your peace when storm winds blow.
You are my solid rock. [Daily Power by Craig
Groeschel]
INTRODUCTION
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]
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)
What we see, facts, isnt always
correct. For instance, we look at matter and see it
as solid; yet, in reality, matter is almost all
empty space. We look at the ground and judge it to
be unmoving, even though it is moving very
quickly through space. We can be in a closed, empty
room and hear nothing, even though the air in the
room is filled with radio waves carrying all
sorts of sounds that we, left to ourselves,
cant hear. What we see certainly is far from the
whole picture. [SS Lesson 10/8/2010]
COMMENTARY
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Bible tells us to be filled with the
Spirit, but have you ever wondered what that
actually means?
Some people surmise that to be filled
with the Spirit is to have an emotional
experience, and it can include that. But it doesnt
always include that. Which means you can be filled
with the Spirit and not have any emotional
response whatsoever. Then again, you can be filled
with the Spirit and feel a lot of emotion.
But here is the problem: All too often,
some of the most bizarre, aberrant things we see
happening in the church today are attributed to the
Holy Spirit. People are saying the Spirit is
telling them to do these things. But do we find
these things in the Bible? The answer is no. So
are these things from the Holy Spirit? I dont
think they really are.
So what does it mean to be filled with
the Spirit? We could compare it to driving a
car. We read in Acts 2 about the day of
Pentecost, the story of the explosion of the Holy
Spirit that set the church in motion. In the same
way, when you get into your car and put your key
into the ignition and turn it over, there is an
explosion, if you will, that fires up the car. You
dont need to keep turning your car on again and
again once youre driving. You just need that
initial explosion, and then you drive the car.
It is great when you have an emotional
experience. But we must remember that the Bible says,
The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17).
By and large, the Christian life is a walk of
faith, not a walk of feeling. Feelings will come
and go. But the just shall live by faith. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DAILY WALK
The inspired writers of Scripture did not
use the phrase walk by faith in a random way.
Those three words are there for a purpose. Notice
that the Bible doesn't tell us to sprint by
faith; it tells us to walk by faith. To walk speaks
of continual, regulated motion. The Bible says
Enoch walked with God. Many believers have their
bursts of energy. For a few months, they run. Then
they collapse for a while. They need to learn
what it is to walk with God.
Of course, most of us like things fast.
We have microwave dinners, e-mail, cell phones,
and instant messaging. We have so much
technology to make our lives a little easier and, most
importantly, faster. Then, when we come to the Christian
life, we say, "All right, what's the angle? What's
the shortcut?"
Here it is: The just shall live by
faith" (Romans 1:17). It's a day-by-day process.
We are always looking for the angle, for
the inside track. But it's very simple. The
Bible declares that the just shall live by faith -
not by feeling, not by emotion, not by fear, not
by worries - by faith.
I know sometimes that it seems like
nothing is happening in terms of our spiritual
growth. There are times when we don't really feel
like we are changing, because as we look at
ourselves every day, we don't necessarily see any
changes. But as we are walking by faith day by day,
month by month, and year by year, we are being
transformed.
Colossians 2:6 tells us, As you
therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk
in Him, rooted and built up in Him and
established in the faith, as you have been taught,
abounding in it with thanksgiving." [Every Day with
Jesus by Greg Laurie]
EXAMPLES
The "Elijah complex" can rob you of power
and joy, so beware! Elijah went from victory to
defeat because he started walking by sight and not
by faith (v. 3). He believed the queen's words
but not God's word, and he forgot how God had
cared for him for three and a half years. Fear
replaced faith, and he ran for his life.We need to
obey these words: "Do not be afraid; only
believe" (Mark 5:36). [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re 1Ki.19]
Caleb was one of the spies whom Moses
sent to explore the Promised Land. Upon
returning, only he and Joshua reported that the
Israelites should obey God and enter the land. The
other spies insisted that such a mission would be
too dangerous, and the people sided with them.
That entire generation died in the wilderness
(see Numbers 13-14, March 9-10). Only Caleb and
Joshua were allowed to live and eventually enter
the land.
What was the secret to Caleb's faith? He
persevered. Caleb refused to go with the majority
opinion when it contradicted what he knew to be
God's will. Because of his faithfulness to the
will and purposes of God, Caleb never lost his
spiritual edge. He had to endure forty years of desert
wandering before he could enter the Promised Land, yet
he never doubted God's ability to carry through
on his promise.
You've begun a spiritual walk with the
Lord that will last the rest of your life. You
will face "desert" times that might cause you to
doubt God's promises. Like Caleb, stand for God's
truth, no matter what the rest of the crowd says.
Like Caleb, trust God to carry through on his
promises. [The One Year Bible for New Believers re
Jos. 14:6-14]
CLOSING THOUGHT
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]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Walk by faith, not by sight. As you take
steps of faith, depending on Me, I will show you
how much I can do for you When I gave you My
Spirit, I empowered you to live beyond your natural
ability and strength. That's why it is so wrong to
measure your energy level against the challenges
ahead of you. The issue is not your strength but
Mine, which is limitless. By walking close to Me,
you can accomplish My purposes in My strength.
(2Co. 5:7; Gal. 5:25) [Jesus Calling by Sarah
Young]
I am good and My love endures forever. So
give thanks to Me and praise My Name. The fact
that I am good is vitally important for your
well-being. If there were even a speck of badness in Me,
you would be in trouble. My absolute Goodness
guarantees that I always do what is best. You must
accept this as a statement of faith though, because
you live on a deeply fallen planet. So it is
essential for you to walk by faith, not by sight, as
you journey through the wilderness of this
world.
One of the best ways to find strength for
your journey is to give Me thanks and praise.
Thanksgiving and praise lift your perspective from your
worries and woes to the glorious Treasure you have
in Me. Thankfulness puts you in proper
alignment with Me - your Creator and Savior. Praise
enhances your intimacy with Me because I inhabit the
praises of My people. The more you praise Me, the
closer to Me you will grow. While you are
worshiping, remember that My Love endures forever! (Psa.
100:4, 5; 2Co. 5:7; Psa. 22:3; 136:1-3) [Jesus
Today by Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20130901-1539.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW (Live
Series):
https://www.discoverhopeawakens.com/webinar-registration-21585698406854
