We Walk by Faith!
The Scripture says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7).
As we begin this New Year, the walk of faith seems staring me in the eye. Do you recall the legend of Davy Crockett? My favorite portion of this man’s legend was that one day when confronted by a ferocious bear, he looked him in the eye and stared him down. What a feat! The bear cowers and leaves the presence of this determined man who looked him in the eye! If he could have done this he would truly have been “the King of the Wild Frontier.”
As God continues to bless this church, the demands of faith are ever before us. This is not the time to figure out but rather by faith, walk things out! We must by faith stare down all that would be in the way and go on for God.
There are alternatives we could take and logically applaud ourselves while walking by sight, however, we would miss the will of God. For instance:
I. Sight would say, “Never make a move until conditions are perfect.”
I hear this type of suggestion often. I’m glad my wife did not agree to marry me until I had paid for a house or I would still be unmarried.
In the life of a church we hit what would be equivalent to a “Catch 22.” This is a saying that came from a book with the same title. It means here are two choices; either choice nullifies the other and in the mean time leaves you in a state of “limbo.”
Let me give you an example. We need to reach the world for Christ. I have heard the argument that we should not reach out for Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth until we have effectively reached our own Jerusalem. Let’s face it, with the continual births and the lack of witness world wide, the church isn’t doing a great job keeping up. Our command to reach the world for Christ is ever before us. In other words, we are not exempt from Judea until everyone in Jerusalem is saved. The Bible says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Did you notice the simple but powerful word “both”? In other words, we don’t wait until conditions are perfect in Jerusalem before we walk by faith in Judea; we evangelize “both” in Jerusalem, Judea, and the uttermost part of the earth.
II. Sight would say, “Never give until you have enough.”
When Jesus conversed about giving, He used the story of the “Widow’s Mite.” Jesus said it like this, “And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:42-44).
Paul said, “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves” (II Corinthians 8:1-3).
The churches of Macedonia were willing to give “beyond their power.” This is truly the catalyst of the “Faith Promise” concept of giving, i.e. saying from your heart, “God, if you give me this, I will in return give back to you this gift.”
If we wait until all our “eggs are in one basket,” the walk of faith will never occur.
III. Sight would say, “Never pray until you are good enough to receive an answer.”
Need I ramify? Who, then, would dare lift a voice to God? In the beginning of our Christian experience, we understand it is not our goodness that we lift before God, but His goodness and His faithfulness that we claim. Listen to the initiating prayer of the Publican into this walk of faith, “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
This is not an isolated case; the principle of sinners beseeching God for His mercy is stretched, quite literally from Genesis to Revelation. Consider this passage: “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22,23).
Morning is a time fro recovering from previous sinful activity. One main reason we have recovery at this time is that every morning, according to Scripture, God gives a clean page! Can you hear it in His loving words of Lamentations 3:23, “They are new every morning. . . .”?
“Upon what ground?” we may ask. The answer is clear and sure, “. . . great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23).
Can you grasp this truth? “. . . we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7). If we are willing to make an attempt to reach our entire world for Christ, He will more likely bless “our Jerusalem” or in other words, local effort.
If we give a portion of what we have, God will bless the remainder. “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).
Don’t wait until you’re good enough to get an answer to prayer. Part of developing the mind of Christ and growth in grace comes through prayer. The Devil would love for you to become a good Christian before you start praying. How ironic. The truth is, you’ll never become a good Christian until you start praying! “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1).
Happy New Year! I love you!
-Pastor Pope-