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Walking by Faith. 2 Corinthians 5:6,7 : “ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith , not sight).” In this study we will consider what it means to “ walk by faith ,” both from: A Doctrinal Perspective
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Walking by Faith • 2 Corinthians 5:6,7: “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not sight).” • In this study we will consider what it means to “walk by faith,” both from: • A Doctrinal Perspective • And from a Practical Perspective.
“We Walk By Faith, Not by Sight.” • “Walk.” • One’s manner of life. Cf. Eph. 4:1; Romans 6:4. • “Walk” an appropriate term, life is a continuous progression of events. I Peter 2:11. • “Faith.” • Defined in Hebrews 11:1 • How it is obtained is stated in Romans 10:17. • “Sight.” • The appearance of things in the present life; things that are seen and temporal.
What does It Mean To Walk by Faith?It Means: • To Know what the Bible Teaches. • Believe what the bible instructs us to do. • Then do what the Bible instructs us to do, in the full assurance that this will please God
Examples Which Illustrate What It Means to Walk by Faith --Obedience to Gospel: • All true obedience is from the heart, Romans 6:17. • The Heart includes the mind, the will, the intellect, the emotions (Romans 10:10; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 22:37; 2 Cor. 9:7. • If you are a Christian, you have obeyed the gospel. You did it because: • You came to believe in God, Hebrews 11:6. • You learned that you were a sinner, Rom. 3:23, and that sin separates man from God, Isaiah 59:1-2. • You learned of the judgment to come, and the existence of both a heaven to gain, and a hell to shun!
Examples Which Illustrate what it Means to Walk by Faith (Continued) • Regular attendance in Worship, Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:42. • The Lord’s Supper, I Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 20:7. • Singing as an Act of worship. Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19. • Elders, as elders, overseeing only the local church, Acts 20:18; I Peter 5:2
The Practical Aspects of Walking by Faith The Happening: How Paul Viewed it “Not Distressed,” v. 8. “Not in Despair,” v.8. “Not forsaken,” v. 9. “Not Destroyed,” v. 9. “Life,” v. 10. “Renewed,” v. 16. “Weight of glory,” v. 18. “Things..not seen,” v. 18 • “Troubled,” 2 Cor. 4:8. • “Perplexed,” v. 8. • “Persecuted,” v. 9. • “Cast down,” v. 9. • “Dying,” v. 10. • “Perish,” v. 16. • “Light Affliction,” v. 17. • Things “seen,” v. 18.
The Practical Aspects of Walking by Faith (continued) The Happening. How Paul Viewed it House, “eternal,” 5:1. “Life,” 5:4. Absent/Lord, 5:6. Present/Lord, 5:8. “Accepted” then, 5:9. • E. House Dissolved, 5:1 • “Mortality,” 5:4. • Home/Body, 5:6. • Absent/Body, 5:8 • “Labor,” 5:9. Now Look at 2 Corinthians 5:7 in the light of verses 6 and 8. The context helps explain what it means to “walk by faith.”
On the Practical Side (as used in this context) Do We walk by faith? How do we Respond: • When faced with a critical illness? • When faced with Financial concerns? • When faced with extreme Discouragement? • When Facing a Family Crisis? • When we feel let down by a friend, a brother in Christ, a family member, a co-worker, etc.
If We Truly Walk by Faith,We Will: • Take things in stride, 2 Corinthians 4:16. • Maintain our Spiritual Equilibrium, 2 Cor. 4:17. • Increase our Longing for Heaven, 2 Cor. 4:18. • Pray, Luke 18:1. • Work a little harder for the Lord, 2 Cor. 5:9
Conclusion: • Do You believe there is a God? If so, you have made a start? • Do you believe there is a heaven to gain, and a hell to shun? If so, you have the incentive to obey the Lord. • 2 Cor. 5:9. “..we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted him. • 2 Cor. 5:10, “for we must all appear before the judgment seat Christ… • 2 Cor. 5:11. “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men…”