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Q3. Walk by Faith, Not by Sight


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Q3. (2 Corinthians 5:7) What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight? Why can’t nonbelievers understand this kind of living? What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith? How can you bring a faith perspective into these areas?

I believe it's believing in something when common sense tells you not to. It's the evidence of things not seen. Nonbelievers can't believe in something they don't see because they don't trust their senses. Like, no one of us has ever seen God, we just trust that He does exist. We rely on the 'miracles' as it were to show us He exists. The beauty that we see all around. Mostly things that mean a lot to me that I would like to see done. I don't see the outcome and I sometimes lack faith it will happen when it takes a little longer. I know I need to rely on God more and that takes faith to just put it in His hand and believe that He is in control and He is taking care of it.

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Q3. (2 Corinthians 5:7) What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight? Why can’t nonbelievers understand this kind of living? What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith? How can you bring a faith perspective into these areas?

To walk or live by faith is to trust in God's abilty to fulfill His promises. David believed God would help him defeat the giant and God did. The size and history of Goliath victories did not stop David from puting his faith in God.

Non believers will not understand this king of faith because faith is a spiritual matter that only those with the spirit of God can dicern and understand.

Most time fear disarms me of my faith particluarly when the thing feared is so real and intimadating. Only running back to God and His word bring back faith in such circumstances.

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To walk by faith means to choose to trust God’s word and promises rather than what we may think, feel or see around us. Nonbelievers cannot understand this as they do not know God and the utter reliability of what He says. They also cannot appreciate there is a spiritual reality operating in this world that is not obvious to human eyes. Understanding this spiritual reality helps us be aware that we have an adversary that we need to stand against as he seeks our harm and the destruction of God’s kingdom, and it also gives us the confidence that our God is greater than any power of the evil one.

I think God has given us our senses to enjoy his created world. Our pleasure of food, for example, is through our senses of taste, vision, fell (texture), smell. We delight in the beauty of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling his created universe – the colour of a sunset, the majestic appearance of a mountain, the feel of the wind in our hair, the softness of a kitten etc. We give him thanks for these senses that add so much to our experience here on earth.

But it is easy to also rely on our senses in those areas where God asks for faith. When we have decisions to make, or problems arise, we look to the logical way through without seeking his counsel. We rely on our bank balances, rather than on his promise that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. This can stop us moving forward to do his will, it can restrict our financial giving, it can create anxiety and worry as our thoughts focus on what we can see rather on what he has said.

For me, I think, I tend to rely on my performance rather than on resting in Christ, so that He does the work through me. I need to grow my faith in seeking His will each day in my life, and then drawing on his strength to complete it. I need to practise this truth: “Apart from him, I can do nothing”. I love the Scripture Elwood quoted in his post: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

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Q3. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight? Why can’t nonbelievers understand this kind of living? What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith? How can you bring a faith perspective into these areas?

What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight?

To walk by faith and not by sight is to believe in what God have said and having the evidence of of things unseen in God's promises. Faith is the spiritual eyes that see the things of God.

Why can’t nonbelievers understand this kind of living?

Because they do not want to accept or have anything with God and they are more focused on the things seen, which are just temporary.

What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith?

Impatience and fear will cause me to be guided by my senses.

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  • 2 months later...

Q3. (2 Corinthians 5:7) What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight?

It means that we fully trust God to fully complete His divine will and that His word to me is absolute.

Why can’t nonbelievers understand this kind of living?

Nonbelievers cannot understand this kind of living because they do know know God and do not allow the Spirit of God to reveal truth to them.

What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith?

One aspect of my life that is guided by my senses rather than by my faith, is fear of flying, but it only last until I've prayed and commit the flight to Him.

How can you bring a faith perspective into these areas?

I can bring a faith perspective into this area by fully trusting in God and keeping an active and strong relationship with Him.

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  • 6 months later...

3a)Living our lives trusting in Jesus,guided by his teachings &presence of HS in us, even though we cannot see him,is to me walking by faith.Trusting in the unseen, through spiritually enlightened eyes, not human vision. b)Unbelievers trust in what they see, temporary aspects, wealth, jobs, eyes blinded by lack of knowledge/ belief &deceivers internal messages that temporal things more important.Need our prayersC)God has given us senses to aid our earthly lives, to see where going, sense danger, communicate in ways we chose with all He’s created,engaging faith if we chose to d)Faith guides us along paths that are not always visible to others,trusting God alone. Letting faith lead,God gives us eyes to see people who are in need with eyes of love, feel others pain,&show them comfort. He gives us the right words to learn,teach &encourage others when we ask him for His glory and our good.

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  • 1 year later...

Q3. (2 Corinthians 5:7) What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight? Why can’t nonbelievers understand this kind of living? What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith? How can you bring a faith perspective into these areas?

 

It means that we walk in this life by spiritual sight, seeing things through the Spirit with an eternal perspective.  So we fix our eyes on things not seen vice things that are seen.

 

The Christian lives their life based on the things hoped, unseen for right now.

 

I base my life on faith.

 

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  • 11 months later...

Q3. (2 Corinthians 5:7) What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight? Why can’t nonbelievers understand this kind of living? What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith? How can you bring a faith perspective into these areas? 

 

To walk by faith implies that we see 'Way' by seeing by faith. Jesus said to the blind man. "Your faith has made you see!" (Luke 18. 42) There are two ways to see. One way is to see with our eye the physical objects. But in the dark we cannot see! The other way is to see with the eye of faith.It is with this eye that we cam see and follow the way, the truth and  the life. We can learn to see with this inner eye of the spirit by following the spirit and listening to the spirit when she calls to us. 

 

Non believers cannot see with the inner eye because they are not filled with the spirit.

 

Hunger, sex and anger are examples where are guided by your senses rather than by faith.

 

Prayer will help to bring a bring a faith perspective into our lives.

 

 

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  • 7 months later...

Q3. (2 Corinthians 5:7) What does it mean to walk by faith, not by sight? Why can’t nonbelievers understand this kind of living? What aspects of your life are guided by your senses rather than by your faith? How can you bring a faith perspective into these areas?

The meaning of "walk by faith not by sight" is that through faith we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. We conduct ourselves by a spiritual sight, guided by the Holy Spirit and the teachings of Christ.

Non believers can not understand this type of living. They do not live by faith, but living only on what they can see. They are not guided by the Holy Spirit or the teachings of Christ.

The aspects of our lives guided by our senses rather than by faith is hygiene for our bodies, cooking, cleaning and careing for our personal environment. Some common sense things in life do not need the guiding of the Holy Spirit.

A faith perspective brought into these areas would be to do our daily necessities in an attitude of accomplishing them with out compliant and helping those around us who are not able to do for themselves.  

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  • 8 years later...
On 11/9/2011 at 3:16 AM, Old Jerry said:

... I can’t think of any aspects of my life that is guided by my senses rather than by my faith. I think that even some of my instincts are guided by faith.

This is the way the Christian life should be: our lives should be so permeated by faith that no earthly concerns remain. "Old Jerry," is obviously both spiritually mature and wise.

I just finished reading a bio of George Mueller, the man who was used so greatly by God to feed and house (spiritually as well as physically) thousands of orphans in Bristol, England, as well as evangelize, preach, minister, distribute and write literature, and teach. Mueller prayed about everything, small or large, and confidently expected God to answer His prayers just as you would expect an object to fall to the ground because of gravity. God's promises were that secure to him. 

Old Jerry, here, reflects the same sort of peaceful and confident faith, one that ignores the seen to focus on the unseen

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