For we walk by faith, not by sight.for we walk by faith, not by sight.(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)(for we walk by faith, not by sight);
5 sermons cite this verse
… where we are told to not walk by faith only. Every other place he says, walk by faith, not by sight. Walk by faith, not by sight. Don't go by what you see, go by what my word says. But he says, when you do this, I want you to have something in your hand that is tangible and physical. That you can see. and I want you to link your faith to these two items, the fruit of the vine, the wine, the cup, and the bread. The bread of my presence, I want you to physically hold them. Never approach this lightly. The Bible even said, let a man examine himself before he eats this meal. if there's anything you need to be forgiven for, if you know without a doubt you came to church this morning and even while I read my opening verse, Jesus hanging on the cross, something smote your heart.
We'll have a new body, a resurrected body, which our Lord promised and which he certainly demonstrated in his own resurrection. Paul says, we have the privilege of living by faith. We walk by faith. Therefore, we're not worried about death. We're not afraid of death. We're not concerned about what's going to happen to these bodies. We have the awesome promise of a resurrected body and a heavenly home. And he says, therefore, we're not walking by sight. We're not walking by feeling. We're not walking by the people's opinions. We're not walking according to reason. We are walking simply by faith. It is the will and purpose and plan of God that all of us learn to walk by faith. Now, if I should ask you, is your life a picture of? Could it be described as a life of one who is walking by faith? Well, probably you may think in terms of the way you think of faith, and you may say, well, yes, I do. …
2. I proceed to mention some of the virtues of Paul, that more immediately respect God and Christ, in which we ought to follow his example. First. He was strong in faith. It may be truly said of him that he lived by faith. His faith seemed to be even without the least appearance of diffidence or doubt in his words or actions, but all seemed to proclaim, that he had God and Christ and the invisible world continually in view. Such a faith, that was in continual exercise in him, he professes, in 2 Cor. v. 6, 7, 8. “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” He always speaks of God and Christ and things invisible and future, as if he certainly knew them, and then saw them as fully and certainly as we see any thing that is immediately before our bodily eyes. He spoke as though he certainly knew, that God’s promise of eternal life should be accomplished, and gives this as the reason why he laboured so abundantly, and endured all manner of temporal sufferings and death, and was always delivered unto death for Christ’s sake, 2 Cor. iv. 11, &c. “For we which live are always delivered (into death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” He speaks of his earnest expectation and hope of the fulfilment of God’s promises. And a little before his death, when he was a prisoner, and when he knew that he was like to bear the trial of martyrdom, which is the greatest trial of faith, he expresses his faith in Christ in the strongest terms 2 Tim. i. 12. “For the which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Such an example may well make us ashamed; for how weak and unsteady is the faith of most Christians! If now and then there seems to be a lively exercise of faith, giving the person at that time a firm persuasion and confidence; yet how short are such exercises, how soon do they vanish! How often is faith shaken with one temptation; how often are the exercises of it interrupted with doubting, and how much is exhibited of a diffident, vibrating spirit! How little does our faith accomplish in times of trial; how often and how easily is our confidence in God shaken and interrupted, and how frequently does unbelief prevail! This is much to the dishonour of our Saviour Jesus Christ, as well as very painful to us. What a happy and glorious lot it is to live such a life of faith, as Paul lived! How far did he soar on the wings of his strong faith above those little difficulties, that continually molest us, and are ready to overcome us! Seeing we have such a blessed example set before us in the Scriptures, let it prompt us earnestly to seek, that we may soar higher also. …
“We walk by faith, not by sight.” 1. How short is this description of real Christians! And yet how exceeding full! It comprehends, it sums up, the whole experience of those that are truly such, from the time they are born of God till they remove into Abraham’s bosom. For, who are the we that are here spoken of? All that are true Christian believers. I say Christian, not Jewish, believers. All that are not only servants, but children, of God. All that have “the Spirit of adoption, crying in their hearts, Abba, Father.” All that have “the Spirit of God witnessing with their spirits, that they are the sons of God.” 2. All these, and these alone, can say, “We walk by faith, and not by sight.” But before we can possibly “walk by faith,” we must live by faith, and not by sight. And to all real Christians our Lord saith, “Because I live, ye live also:” Ye live a life which the world, whether learned or unlearned, “know not of.” “You that,” like the world, “were dead in trespasses and sins, hath he quickened,” and made alive; given you new senses, — spiritual senses, — “senses exercised to discern spiritual good and evil.” 3. In order thoroughly to understand this important truth, it may be proper to consider the whole matter. All the children of men that are not born of God “walk by sight,” having no higher principle. By sight, that is, by sense; a part being put for the whole; the sight for all the senses; the rather, because it is more noble and more extensive than any, or all the rest. There are but few objects which we can discern by the three inferior senses of taste, smell, and feeling; and none of these can take any cognizance of its object, unless it be brought into a direct contact with it. Hearing, it is true, has a larger sphere of action, and gives us some knowledge of things that are distant. But how small is that distance, suppose it were fifty or a hundred miles, compared to that between the earth and the sun! And what is even this in comparison of the distance of the sun and moon and the fixed stars! Yet the sight continually takes knowledge of objects even at this amazing distance. …
IV. I shall not weary you, I trust, for I have come to the last point, which is this—WHAT IS GOD TO SEAFARING MEN? What should He be to sailors? He is the confidence of all them that are "afar off upon the sea." In the life of a seafaring man we have a picture of thee voyage of faith. Hundreds of years ago, when men went to sea at all, their boats kept always within sight of shore. Your Greek or Roman mariner might be quite a master of his galley, but he could not bear to lose sight of a headland which he knew, for he had no compass and knew little or nothing of astronomical observations. Here and there a lighthouse might be placed, but it would be regarded as a wonder. But at this day a ship may not sight land for a month and yet its position on the chart will be as certain as your position in the pew! The vessel will be steered entirely by observations of the heavenly bodies and by chart and compass—and yet at the end of thirty days it will reach a point which was never within sight and reach it as accurately as if it had been running on a tram rail instead of sailing over the pathless ocean! Its way is as certain as if it had traversed a railway from port to port! Such is the life of a Christian—the life of faith. We see not spiritual things, but yet we steer for them with absolute certainty! We ought not to wish to see, for, "We walk by faith, not by sight." We take our bearings by the things in the heavens. We are guided by the Word of God, which is our chart, and by the witness of the blessed Spirit within, which is our compass! We see Him who is invisible and we seek a Heaven full of "things not seen as yet." Glory be to God, we shall reach the harbor as sure as a bullet goes to the mark! We are making direct tracks for the Kingdom of God! We fly to Heaven by a bee line even when we cannot see our way! Don't shift a point, Brothers. As the Captain of your salvation has set the helm, so let it remain. Trusting in God, we shall come to our desired haven in due time and shall not miss our way! We need not fear shipwreck, for He that taught us to sail the spiritual sea will guide us safely till we come to the Glory Land! …