Faith, our spiritual sight
My husband used to preach a lot on “the Faith of Christ will command a man, or have nothing to do with that man.”
What does that mean? That means that faith is given us as an active principle which keeps showing us God, and His Will. It never stops….it’s whole purpose is for us to see God… in these circumstances…..and hang on to Him.
Moses in the palace of Egypt…as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter! All he had, all he did! Yet by faith….that active principal which showed him God, brought him to see the worthlessness of all there in the palace….
…and to see the worthiness of God’s people and call.
Isaiah, a prince of Israel, called to minister…..knowing that the majority of people will not hear the word from the Lord he speaks….knowing that his nation will eventually go into captivity for their sins….knowing that only a small remnant will hear and be saved….
….yet,…faith shows him God’s holiness…
….and his “unclean” tongue (perhaps he was a complainer…taking on the conversation of the times)….
…and led him to cry out in repentance….and the Lord cleansed him…and set him in his ministry.
Peter, after being called and seeing so many miracles….hearing the Lord’s words everyday…yet when Christ was taken (he denied him three times) and when Christ was crucified….
…he returned to his old life in shame,….trying to piece a life together without God.
Yet….faith flamed up when he saw the Lord on the shore and he ran to Him….Who restored him, and told him to hang on in love to Him and the brethren, till the end.
2 Corinthians 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
Plainly we can not see things in their true colors, as Christians, especially, because of the wiles of the devil against us….unless faith is active within us.
Faith is our sight. It opens the vision to the Strength of the Almighty…..to His cleansing Power and grace…..to His merciful forgiveness and restoration….
….but it also just shows us the work for today…..for in faith, facing today with God is eye-opening….knowing He knows what is ahead, even when we do not.
This is living in faith:
Habakkuk 2:4 “…but the just shall live by his faith” (Ro.1:17, Gal.3:11, Hebrews 10:38) When we see things for ourselves before God clearly (and faith makes our steps straight)....then we can speak, clearly. Our voices may seem small….perhaps they may seem like speaking into the wind.
But the Lord can use that very wind to spread them, that others may hear.
“Faith” and “Believe” are similar…..but faith is the actual seeing….and believe is the action we take because we can see.
Once you are given faith….we are commanded to believe (to act upon that sight)
Paul wrote:
2 Corinthians 1:14 “….for by faith ye stand.”
We live by the sight of Him Who saved us….and loves us….and sanctifies us to His glory…
…we endure (hold on) because we…”seeing Him Who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27)….
….till one day faith will become sight.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 