2 Corinthians 5:6-10: a reflection

6Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him. 10For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Paul describes the shape of the Christian life in a memorable phrase: we walk by faith, not by sight. We are always confident, he says, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight. Much of what we most deeply believe and hope for as Christians, the Lord we love but do not see, the home with him we long for, the promises not yet fulfilled, we do not yet see with our eyes; we walk toward them by faith, trusting what God has said rather than only what we can see. To walk by faith, not by sight, is to live trusting God's word and promises even for what we cannot yet see. We walk by faith, not by sight, trusting what we cannot yet see. Faith trusts God's promises for what the eyes do not yet see. The Christian walks by faith in what is unseen, not only by sight. We live trusting God's word, not only what we can see.

Notice the contrast Paul draws: walking by faith versus walking by sight. To walk by sight would be to live only by what we can see and touch, believing only what is visible and present. But the Christian life is not like that; so much of what we believe and hope for is not yet visible: the Lord himself, whom we love but have not seen; the home with him we long for; the resurrection and the fulfillment of God's promises, still unseen. We walk toward these by faith, trusting God's word about them, living as though they are real, because they are, even though we do not yet see them. This shapes how we live. We are not to let our lives be governed only by what we can see, the visible and immediate; we are to walk by faith, trusting God's promises about the unseen realities, and living in light of them. Faith lets us walk confidently toward what we cannot yet see, because we trust the God who has promised it. To walk by faith is to live by God's word about the unseen, not only by sight. We trust God's promises about unseen realities and live by them. Faith walks confidently toward what the eyes cannot yet see. Do not live only by what you can see; walk by faith in God's promises.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to walk by faith, not by sight, trusting God's word and promises about the unseen realities and living in light of them. We can let our lives be governed only by what we can see, the visible and immediate, believing only what is present to our eyes; but Paul says the Christian walks by faith, not by sight, trusting the Lord we love but have not seen and the promises not yet fulfilled. Faith walks toward the unseen. Do not live only by what you can see; walk by faith, trusting God's promises about what is unseen and living in light of them. Walk by faith, not by sight, trusting God's word and promises about the unseen realities and living in light of them rather than only by what you can see, as Paul said we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight; for much of what we most deeply believe and hope for as Christians, the Lord we love but do not see, the home with him we long for, the resurrection and the fulfillment of God's promises, we do not yet see with our eyes, and we can be tempted to let our lives be governed only by the visible and immediate, believing only what is present to our sight, but the Christian life walks toward these unseen realities by faith, trusting God's word about them and living as though they are real because they are, so that we do well not to live only by what we can see but to walk by faith in God's promises, confident toward what our eyes cannot yet see.

Lord, Paul describes the shape of the Christian life in a memorable phrase: we walk by faith, not by sight. We are always confident, he says, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight. Much of what I most deeply believe and hope for as a Christian, the Lord I love but do not see, the home with you I long for, the promises not yet fulfilled, I do not yet see with my eyes; I walk toward them by faith, trusting what you have said rather than only what I can see. To walk by faith, not by sight, is to live trusting your word and promises even for what I cannot yet see. Show me the contrast Paul draws: walking by faith versus walking by sight. To walk by sight would be to live only by what I can see and touch, believing only what is visible and present. But the Christian life is not like that; so much of what I believe and hope for is not yet visible: you yourself, whom I love but have not seen; the home with you I long for; the resurrection and the fulfillment of your promises. I walk toward these by faith, trusting your word about them, living as though they are real, because they are, even though I do not yet see them. This shapes how I live. I am not to let my life be governed only by what I can see; I am to walk by faith, trusting your promises about the unseen realities. Take that to my heart, for I am called to walk by faith, not by sight. Keep me from living only by what I can see, the visible and immediate; help me walk by faith, Lord, trusting your word and promises about what is unseen and living in light of them, confident toward what my eyes cannot yet see because I trust you who have promised it.