For we live by believing and not by seeing. 2 Corinthians 5:7
Faith is an action word. Although it is a noun, it carries a call to act with it. For example, unless I actually sit down in a chair, I do not have faith that it will hold me up. After all, if I do not actually sit in it, I clearly doubt whether it will hold me. Similarly, yet on a much larger scale, the same concept is true in our relationship with God. Our faith in Him propels us to act. Without action, there is little evidence of our faith in Him. Our actions indicate that we believe in Him. This faith carries us when we feel like we do not fit in or face hardship and even persecution because of our faith. You see, through every hardship, genuine faith believes in God by acting even when we cannot see the results.
The apostle Paul talks about this concept of our faith in 2 Corinthians 5. In this chapter, he teaches us that one day God will give us new eternal bodies and a new house made for us by God. As he writes about these things, he explains that faith in God is not about holding only to what we see with our eyes, but instead is about trusting in the things we cannot see. That is why he wrote, “for we live by believing and not by seeing” (verse 7). Living by believing instead of seeing means trusting God’s plans and what Scripture teaches about the future even when we cannot see. This is genuine faith. If we could clearly see evidence of this future, we would not have faith. Faith believes even when we cannot see.
The Bible is filled with people who trusted in God even when they didn’t know what the future held…
· Abraham, who moved to a new location following God having never been there before.
· Noah started building a boat when it had never even rained on earth.
· David stepped into a battle with a giant, not knowing exactly how it would turn out.
· Elijah poured water on his own sacrifice and prayed, believing God could set it on fire.
· Daniel prayed even though he would be thrown into a lion’s den.
Yes, our faith in God may make us feel like we don’t fit in. It may make us feel alienated from the world, but if we truly believe what Scripture teaches about giving an account for how we live our lives, our faith demands us to live differently. At the end of the day, when our faith does become sight, we will find that any hardship we faced because of our faith and anything we gave up pales in comparison to what God has for us one day.
Memorize 2 Corinthians 5:7. It may be a short verse, but it is powerful. As you go throughout your day, bring it to mind. Let it encourage you that faith is about believing even when you cannot see. Let it remind you that one day your faith will become sight and that God will reward you for living for Him. We hope to see you this weekend at church!
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (NLT)
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
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