We Walk by Faith, not by Sight
Faith is so important
because it is the means by which we have a
relationship with God:
"For by grace you have been saved
through FAITH”
(Eph 2:8).
Faith is how we receive
the benefits of
what Jesus -has- done for us.
5 Bible Verses About Faith:
When you hear the word
“faith,”
what do you think of?
Whether you realize it or not, faith is an essential part of life, not just Christianity. For example, every time you sit down on a chair, you have faith that the chair will hold you. You are trusting that the chair won’t collapse under you.
That’s faith
– being sure of what you’re hoping for –
being certain of what you don’t see or experience yet.
The Bible defines faith
as
"the substance of things
hoped for,
the evidence of things
-not- seen”
(Hebrews 11:1).
1. Without Faith, it’s Impossible to Please God
Why is faith necessary?
Because without it, we cannot please God.
Hebrews 11:6 states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Let’s face it – believing in a God we cannot see and believing that He is who He says He is takes faith! And it pleases God.
2. Jesus Notices Our Level of Faith
In the book of Matthew, we see two different people with
two different faith levels.
Matthew 15:28: “Then Jesus answered and said to her,
O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be to you as you desire.’
And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”
Matthew 14:31:
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him,
and said to him,
‘O you of little faith, why did
YOU doubt?’”
The woman was a Gentile who had faith
that
Jesus was the only hope for her sick daughter.
She wouldn’t take “no” for
an answer
from this Jewish Rabbi,
so Jesus – moved by her faith –
granted her request.
The man with little faith was Peter,
Jesus’s own disciple!
Jesus was walking on the water
and invited
Peter to come to Him;
Peter had the faith to walk to Jesus on the water,
but when his
eyes focused
on the wind and the waves,
on the seen and not unseen
he became afraid and began to sink.
We too need to
keep our eyes on JESUS
instead of our circumstances – this
will keep our faith strong
during difficulties
.
3. Faith Moves God to ACT
Why is faith important to God?
Because faith – not need, doubt or fear – MOVES God
Mark 2:5 says,
When Jesus SAW [his friends’] FAITH, He said to the paralytic,
‘SON, your sins ARE forgiven!”
The lame man GOT UP, grabbed his mat,
and
WENT HOME!
When Jesus saw the faith of the lame man’s friends,
He moved on their behalf and
healed their friend.
As Christians,
we often petition God, asking Him to meet our needs,
to heal our bodies or relationships, or to give us wisdom.
it's our Faith that required.
But as James 1:5-7 says,
unless we ask in faith
without doubting,
we won’t receive what we’re
asking for.
4. Faith Strengthens Us During Trials
Because we live in a sinful,
fallen world,
we will face difficulties. But -our faith-
is what
helps us -remain strong- during hard times.
We have an enemy,
and it’s our faith that ACTS as a
shield to protect us from his
schemes and plots:
“above all,
taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked one”
(Ephesians 6:16)
We should not be surprised
when our faith is tested;
James 2:3 says that
“the testing of your faith produces patience.”
As we stand firm in faith through trials,
God gets glory:
“that the genuineness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold
that perishes,
though it is tested by fire,
may be found to praise, honor, and
glory at the
revelation of Jesus Christ”
(1 Peter 1:7).
5. Faith Fuels What We Do
We demonstrate our faith in God by what we do and how we live. James 2:26 states,
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is dead also.”
Picture this:
Faith and Works are
each an
oar in your row boat of life.
They work together to move you forward.
Genuine faith
is validated by actions that follow;
likewise,
actions done without faith are useless.
We must always act in faith!
James explains it like this:
Thus also faith by itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’
Show me your faith without your works,
and I will show you my faith by my works”
(James 2:17-18).
6. Our Faith Can Encourage Others
Unshakeable faith is noticeable,
and it can encourage
others to be firm in their faith too.
Colossians 1:3-4 says, “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we
heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
and of your love for all the saints.”
It’s easier to stay committed to faith in God
when you see others doing the same.
Choose to stand strong
in your faith and inspire others to do the same!
Timothy was a young pastor who was being mentored by the
Apostle Paul. Paul states in 2 Timothy 1:5
"when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and
I am persuaded is in you also.”
When our faith is strong and
true
it can be passed on to others
including our family and friends
making a difference in their lives
as well.
7. Faith is the Foundation of Salvation
When Jesus walked the earth,
the Jewish people were sure
they had to keep all the rules of the law
in order to be acceptable to God.
But when Jesus came,
He redefined righteousness: “… a man
is
not justified
by the works of the law
but by
faith in Jesus Christ,
even we
have believed in Christ Jesus,
that we might be
justified by faith in Christ
and
not by
the works of the law …”
(Galatians 2:16).
We are made right with God through faith in
Jesus, God’s Son;
we are not made right
before God by what we do
or don’t do.
This was a radical shift for the Israelites.
They were so used to earning their salvation.
But as Ephesians 2:8-9 declares,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Finally, we must guard our faith.
1 Timothy 6:11-13 reminds us “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life,
to which you were also called ….”
We must be prepared
to fight to maintain our faith
during the storms of life which will try to derail us.
In fact, as we preserve our faith in God, it
will sustain us through the toughest trials,
for the
glory of God
1. Mary was faithful to God when she was chosen to be the mother of his son.
Mary trusted her God
and the role He had chosen for her.
"The angel answered,
'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the
Son of God.
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.' 'I am the Lord’s servant,'
Mary answered.
"May your word to me be fulfilled.'
Then the angel left her." -
Luke 1:35-38
2. Abraham had faith in God when he was called
to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering.
He set out the next morning after God told him where to go,
he had faith that God would
provide.
"Some time later
God tested Abraham
He said to him, 'Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied.
Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering
on a mountain
I will show you.'
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.' Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here,' Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?'
Abraham answered,
'God himself
will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,
my son.'
And the two of them went on together."
-Genesis 22:1-8
3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had
faith
when they were thrown into the
fiery furnace
by King Nebuchadnezzar.
They had no doubts that God
would save them.
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,
the God
we serve is able to
deliver us from it,
and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.
But even if he does not, we want you to know,
Your Majesty, that
we will not serve your gods or worship the
image of gold you have set up.”
-Daniel 3:17-18
"They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies,
nor was a hair of their heads singed;
their robes were not scorched,
and there was no smell of fire on them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the
God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!
They trusted in him
and defied the king’s command and were
willing to give up their lives
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God."
-Daniel 3:27-28
4. Esther had faith in going to the king unannounced and
exposing Haman’s plan to kill the Jews.
"When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer:
'Do not think that because you are in the
king’s house
you alone of all the Jews will escape.
For if you remain
silent at this time,
relief and deliverance for the Jews will
arise
from another place,
but you and your father’s family will perish.
And who knows but that
you have come
to your royal position for such
a time as this?'
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me.
Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.
I and my attendants will fast as you do.
When this is done, I will go to the king,
even though it is against the law.
And if I perish, I perish.'"
-Esther 4:12-16
5. Moses had faith when God asked him to
lead the Israelite’s out of Egypt
and across the red sea,
away from everything they knew.
"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up,
and there were the Egyptians
, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
They said to Moses,
'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that
you brought us
to the desert to die?
What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
Didn’t we say to you in Egypt,
‘Leave us alone;
let us serve the Egyptians’?
It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians
than to die in the desert!'
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.
Stand firm
and you will see the
deliverance the LORD
will bring you today.
The Egyptians you see today you
will never see again.
The LORD will fight for you; you
need only to be still.”
-Exodus 14:10-14
How Do We
Live by Faith and
Not By Sight?
Living in faith and not by sight means that
you are
willing to go into the unknown.
Faith is so important
because it is the means by which we have a
relationship with God:
"For by grace you have been saved
through FAITH”
(Eph 2:8).
Faith is how we receive
the benefits of
what Jesus -has- done for us.
5 Bible Verses About Faith:
- “And Abraham believed in the Lord, and the Lord counted him righteous because of his faith.” -Genesis 15:6, NLT
- “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith, we understand that the whole universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” -Hebrews 11:1-3, NLT
- “When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and his servant Moses.”-Exodus 14:31, NLT
- “Be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.” -1 Samuel 12:24
- “He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear into darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone.” -1 Samuel 2:9
When you hear the word
“faith,”
what do you think of?
Whether you realize it or not, faith is an essential part of life, not just Christianity. For example, every time you sit down on a chair, you have faith that the chair will hold you. You are trusting that the chair won’t collapse under you.
That’s faith
– being sure of what you’re hoping for –
being certain of what you don’t see or experience yet.
The Bible defines faith
as
"the substance of things
hoped for,
the evidence of things
-not- seen”
(Hebrews 11:1).
1. Without Faith, it’s Impossible to Please God
Why is faith necessary?
Because without it, we cannot please God.
Hebrews 11:6 states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Let’s face it – believing in a God we cannot see and believing that He is who He says He is takes faith! And it pleases God.
2. Jesus Notices Our Level of Faith
In the book of Matthew, we see two different people with
two different faith levels.
Matthew 15:28: “Then Jesus answered and said to her,
O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be to you as you desire.’
And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”
Matthew 14:31:
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him,
and said to him,
‘O you of little faith, why did
YOU doubt?’”
The woman was a Gentile who had faith
that
Jesus was the only hope for her sick daughter.
She wouldn’t take “no” for
an answer
from this Jewish Rabbi,
so Jesus – moved by her faith –
granted her request.
The man with little faith was Peter,
Jesus’s own disciple!
Jesus was walking on the water
and invited
Peter to come to Him;
Peter had the faith to walk to Jesus on the water,
but when his
eyes focused
on the wind and the waves,
on the seen and not unseen
he became afraid and began to sink.
We too need to
keep our eyes on JESUS
instead of our circumstances – this
will keep our faith strong
during difficulties
.
3. Faith Moves God to ACT
Why is faith important to God?
Because faith – not need, doubt or fear – MOVES God
Mark 2:5 says,
When Jesus SAW [his friends’] FAITH, He said to the paralytic,
‘SON, your sins ARE forgiven!”
The lame man GOT UP, grabbed his mat,
and
WENT HOME!
When Jesus saw the faith of the lame man’s friends,
He moved on their behalf and
healed their friend.
As Christians,
we often petition God, asking Him to meet our needs,
to heal our bodies or relationships, or to give us wisdom.
it's our Faith that required.
But as James 1:5-7 says,
unless we ask in faith
without doubting,
we won’t receive what we’re
asking for.
4. Faith Strengthens Us During Trials
Because we live in a sinful,
fallen world,
we will face difficulties. But -our faith-
is what
helps us -remain strong- during hard times.
We have an enemy,
and it’s our faith that ACTS as a
shield to protect us from his
schemes and plots:
“above all,
taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked one”
(Ephesians 6:16)
We should not be surprised
when our faith is tested;
James 2:3 says that
“the testing of your faith produces patience.”
As we stand firm in faith through trials,
God gets glory:
“that the genuineness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold
that perishes,
though it is tested by fire,
may be found to praise, honor, and
glory at the
revelation of Jesus Christ”
(1 Peter 1:7).
5. Faith Fuels What We Do
We demonstrate our faith in God by what we do and how we live. James 2:26 states,
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is dead also.”
Picture this:
Faith and Works are
each an
oar in your row boat of life.
They work together to move you forward.
Genuine faith
is validated by actions that follow;
likewise,
actions done without faith are useless.
We must always act in faith!
James explains it like this:
Thus also faith by itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’
Show me your faith without your works,
and I will show you my faith by my works”
(James 2:17-18).
6. Our Faith Can Encourage Others
Unshakeable faith is noticeable,
and it can encourage
others to be firm in their faith too.
Colossians 1:3-4 says, “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we
heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
and of your love for all the saints.”
It’s easier to stay committed to faith in God
when you see others doing the same.
Choose to stand strong
in your faith and inspire others to do the same!
Timothy was a young pastor who was being mentored by the
Apostle Paul. Paul states in 2 Timothy 1:5
"when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and
I am persuaded is in you also.”
When our faith is strong and
true
it can be passed on to others
including our family and friends
making a difference in their lives
as well.
7. Faith is the Foundation of Salvation
When Jesus walked the earth,
the Jewish people were sure
they had to keep all the rules of the law
in order to be acceptable to God.
But when Jesus came,
He redefined righteousness: “… a man
is
not justified
by the works of the law
but by
faith in Jesus Christ,
even we
have believed in Christ Jesus,
that we might be
justified by faith in Christ
and
not by
the works of the law …”
(Galatians 2:16).
We are made right with God through faith in
Jesus, God’s Son;
we are not made right
before God by what we do
or don’t do.
This was a radical shift for the Israelites.
They were so used to earning their salvation.
But as Ephesians 2:8-9 declares,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Finally, we must guard our faith.
1 Timothy 6:11-13 reminds us “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life,
to which you were also called ….”
We must be prepared
to fight to maintain our faith
during the storms of life which will try to derail us.
In fact, as we preserve our faith in God, it
will sustain us through the toughest trials,
for the
glory of God
1. Mary was faithful to God when she was chosen to be the mother of his son.
Mary trusted her God
and the role He had chosen for her.
"The angel answered,
'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the
Son of God.
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.' 'I am the Lord’s servant,'
Mary answered.
"May your word to me be fulfilled.'
Then the angel left her." -
Luke 1:35-38
2. Abraham had faith in God when he was called
to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering.
He set out the next morning after God told him where to go,
he had faith that God would
provide.
"Some time later
God tested Abraham
He said to him, 'Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied.
Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering
on a mountain
I will show you.'
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.' Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here,' Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?'
Abraham answered,
'God himself
will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,
my son.'
And the two of them went on together."
-Genesis 22:1-8
3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had
faith
when they were thrown into the
fiery furnace
by King Nebuchadnezzar.
They had no doubts that God
would save them.
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,
the God
we serve is able to
deliver us from it,
and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.
But even if he does not, we want you to know,
Your Majesty, that
we will not serve your gods or worship the
image of gold you have set up.”
-Daniel 3:17-18
"They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies,
nor was a hair of their heads singed;
their robes were not scorched,
and there was no smell of fire on them.
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, 'Praise be to the
God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!
They trusted in him
and defied the king’s command and were
willing to give up their lives
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God."
-Daniel 3:27-28
4. Esther had faith in going to the king unannounced and
exposing Haman’s plan to kill the Jews.
"When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer:
'Do not think that because you are in the
king’s house
you alone of all the Jews will escape.
For if you remain
silent at this time,
relief and deliverance for the Jews will
arise
from another place,
but you and your father’s family will perish.
And who knows but that
you have come
to your royal position for such
a time as this?'
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me.
Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.
I and my attendants will fast as you do.
When this is done, I will go to the king,
even though it is against the law.
And if I perish, I perish.'"
-Esther 4:12-16
5. Moses had faith when God asked him to
lead the Israelite’s out of Egypt
and across the red sea,
away from everything they knew.
"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up,
and there were the Egyptians
, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
They said to Moses,
'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that
you brought us
to the desert to die?
What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
Didn’t we say to you in Egypt,
‘Leave us alone;
let us serve the Egyptians’?
It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians
than to die in the desert!'
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.
Stand firm
and you will see the
deliverance the LORD
will bring you today.
The Egyptians you see today you
will never see again.
The LORD will fight for you; you
need only to be still.”
-Exodus 14:10-14
How Do We
Live by Faith and
Not By Sight?
Living in faith and not by sight means that
you are
willing to go into the unknown.
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