WALK BY FAITH

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

To walk in perfection is to WALK BY FAITH: “For we WALK BY FAITH, not by sight” (2Cor.5:7). The Christian life is a walk. It is comprised of day by day steps from where we are to where the Lord wants us to go – spiritually and otherwise. This walk is undertaken by faith, not by sight. Christianity is a Life of Faith: “The just shall live by faith” (Rom.1: 17; Heb.10: 38). Inside this Life is the walk of faith; work of faith (1The.1:3); and good fight of faith (Tim.6:12). The Walk of Faith begins with the salvation experience. By believing in Christ through the Word of Faith, we enter into a relationship with Him and the Father (Rom.10:8-10). But that’s not the destination – after that initial decision comes a lifetime of walking by faith.

The word ‘walk’ describes behaviour and conduct. This is a metaphorical reference to the way a person conducts his or her life. We use the phrase “all walks of life” to mean a variety of lifestyles or cultures. This walk doesn’t equate performance. Rather, we walk with Christ in the same way we received Him – by the spirit of faith (2Cor.4:13). That is, we place our trust in Him for every circumstance of life, irrespective of what ‘sight’ – the senses – say. Faith is classically defined as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb.11:1). However, faith is not just a tool for possessing physical THINGS. There are “spiritual things” – spiritual realities – that should be the primary focus of the Christian’s faith.

Walking by faith means “we do not LOOK at the THINGS which are seen, but at the THINGS which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor.4:18). The word “look” means “to keep one’s eye on,” “to consider,” or “to contemplate.” We shift our focus from earthly trials and troubles to divine solutions in God’s Word; from temporal problems to glorious eternal rewards. Walking by faith infers not building our lives around things that lack eternal significance. We are to focus on unseen realities rather than worldly pursuits: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body…” (vv.9-10a).

Walking by faith means to live with eternity in view. Jesus instructed us to store up treasure in heaven (Mt.6:19-20; Lk.12:23). Rather than love the fashions of the world, we should invest our lives glorifying God in thoughts, words, and deed (1Jh.2:15-16; 1Cor.10:31). We must obey the Bible even when it conflicts with worldly ideologies; choose righteousness over unrighteousness; and believe that God rewards those who seek Him, regardless of who says otherwise (Heb.11:6). All of these require faith because we cannot see, hear or lay hold on spiritual realities by the senses. It takes faith to base our lives on the truth of God’s unchanging Word, rather than on the world’s popular philosophies (Jh.17:16-17). Walking by faith demands tuning our hearts to the frequency and Voice of the Holy Spirit (Jh.10:27; 16:13).

Walking by faith is a process in which we never “arrive” here on earth, but are gradually transformed along the way. Colossians 2:5-7 describe this process:

“Rooted” – at salvation, we receive saving faith and are planted in Christ (Eph.2:8). Without this, one is still walking by sight and in darkness (Eph.5:8). As we anchor ourselves in the Lord, our roots grow deep, drawing nourishment from Him.

“Built up” – Through obedience, our lives are built on the foundation of the Word. God wants us to choose precious and valuable building materials – gold, silver, precious stones – that will last into eternity (1 Cor.3:10-15).

“Established in the faith” – as we grow more intimate with the Lord, understand how He operates, and identify with Him, our trust increases, producing stability against every wind of adversity.

A major evidence of the Walk of Faith is its WORK (Jam.2:20-24). Faith never stands around with its hands in its pockets!