FAITH FOR IMPACT (3)

“For we WALK by FAITH and not by sight” – 2 Corinthians 5:7

What characterizes and distinguishes FAITH for IMPACT is the nature of the Believer’s Walk: “For we WALK by FAITH and not by sight” (2 Cor.5:7). There are basically two ways to walk in life – BY FAITH or by sight. It’s either we are walking by faith or by sight. Walking by sight is operating in the sense realm. It is going by the evidences or proofs of the five physical senses or making decisions through the evidences presented by the physical senses. It is walking by feelings. For example, before the mouth eats any food, the nose smells it and the tongue tastes it. It is only when it has passed the smell and the taste tests that it can be swallowed for digestion by the body’s digestive system.

Someone who walks by sight does not make any decision until his or her physical senses signal to the fact that it is sensible to do so. Walking by sight deals with signs in the physical realm. However, Walking by Faith is dealing with proofs beyond the physical realm; hence walking by faith is neither a risk nor a blind leap into the unknown. Faith is not a guess work, trial-and-error, or presumptuous claim without evidence or substance. Faith is not assumption or presumption. Faith is not superstructure without substructure. Faith is not foundationless. It is not faith to assume or presume that we believe a thing without evidence in the heart that is born of God’s Word. Faith is the substance of Hope!

Faith for God-glorifying Impact is not a creed or religion. Religion conforms, but faith transforms. Faith is not going by some religious rules that are founded on human traditions, customs, or common sense, instead of Bible Sense. Common sense is not Bible Sense. Moreover, Faith is not stubbornness or carnal self-determination; it is not simply to become dogged about seeing things come to pass. Faith is not vain attempts to persuade God to do something that His Will has no provision for. Faith is not emotional blackmail that tries to force God to change His Mind. Faith is not long crying, sobriety, or piety to attract God’s attention or sympathy. Faith is not taking brute action without revelation and conviction of what God has promised us in His Word. Faith possesses evidence and substance of the Word in the heart!

Faith is not a formula. True faith cannot be reduced to a set of rules, regulations, or practices. Yes, faith is not passive, but it is active only in line with God’s Word. Faith is not a checklist of actions to perform, but a heart-centred commitment to God. Faith is personal and relational. It involves a deep trust and reliance on God. This is how the Strength of Faith produces enduring and far-reaching Impact. When Faith is tested, it overcomes through trusting God’s Character and the Integrity of His Word than by following a formula.