Introduction: It tells a story of the First World War that needed more pilots, a captain was in the cockpit of a bomber training a young man and that day he had to fly the plane, and the load they carried was important and very necessary.
Before taking off they had to wait for the landing of a plane piloted by a companion of the young pilot. As they watched, they see that when turning the plane it tilts hitting its left wing and explodes on fire…
The young pilot does not know what to do, frightened and paralyzed, he looks at the captain, who tells him: “Take off, the ambulances will take care of him. Take off, they are waiting for us in the battle line. There is no time to regret. Takes off”. Finally the bomber took off to fulfill its mission.
This reminds us that although the stage is difficult we must continue. Despite the obstacles we need to persevere. Faith in God makes us strong to continue and achieve what the Lord has designed for us.
Theme: true faith in God (2 Corinthians 5:7).
1) Faith in God makes the kingdom of heaven evident on earth. 2 Corinthians 5:7.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight”
a) By considering the context of the second letter to the corinthians we can see that this epistle originates because the ministry of the apostle Paul was being attacked and slandered. Although he was the founder of that church, his enemies tried to undermine his image and authority. His enemies pointed to him as a false apostle, one who was affecting the true faith in God.
b) Paul exposes the difficulties of the ministry, its battles, the multitude of obstacles overcome, its integrity, and teaches that it has been possible because he does not walk by sight, but by faith. The apostle was more aware of spiritual truths than of earthly calumnies, for him accountability at the judgment seat of Christ was much more important than the applause of men.
c) True faith in God certainly affects our lifestyle, as the seed of the word (foundation of our faith) is powerful and is designed to bear abundant fruit when it falls on fertile ground. Paul’s supernatural life, his testimony, his faith in Christ to the end, the churches and ministries he left established, are certainly evidence of walking by faith and not by sight.
two) The word “walk” indicates: move over the obstacle.
a) In this text the word “walk” is translated from the Greek term “peripateo” which is a compound word, where “peri” means: “through” and “pateo” means: “to walk, step on, trample, conquer”. So we talk about walking over obstacles, or stones, or difficulties,
it is a living that advances and subdues its own enemies, conquers its difficulties.
it is a living that advances and subdues its own enemies, conquers its difficulties.
b) So the word “we walk” here has nothing to do with: go back, stop, go back, or give up, words that the devil sends to our mind many times. But the word of God speaks to us here of a walk with authority (“to tread”), of a life that conquers its obstacles and overcomes its difficulties (“conquer”).
c) The text tells us “we walk by faith” so faith becomes that “engine or generator” of our progress. Since faith is based on the word of God, then the darkness resorts to many strategies so that the Christian does not feed on the word of the Lord and thus stop his advance (the person does not congregate regularly, does not read the Bible in house, nor listen to the teaching of the word of God, etc).
d) To trust someone it is necessary to know him, nobody believes in a stranger. It is necessary to grow in our communion with God, to know him through the revelation of the Holy Spirit and Scripture. That is why the devil also uses his distracting system so that the Christian and the world take care of many different things and do not spend time getting to know God.
and) In this way the faith is weak and vulnerable, not resistant to the attacks of darkness, and it is not a faith that advances, rather it often stagnates and regresses. Weak faith prevents bold and confident progress, failing to believe that God is greater than the obstacle ahead.
F) What usually ends in murmuring against God, in unbelieving conclusions, and in the loss of the blessings designed by the Lord (was what happened to Israel through the desert). For all this it is necessary to nurture our faith through communion with God and the study of his word.
3) By faith the ancients achieved great victories and conquests. Hebrews 11:1-2.
“Faith, then, is the certainty of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Because by her the ancients obtained a good testimony.
a) Because of their faith the ancients (that is, our ancestors of faith) achieved great things, they believed with certainty and convinced of the word of God and the Lord honored their faith, because he did with them as he had said.
b) By faith Enoch was translated so as not to see death; by faith Noah prepared the ark; by faith Abraham being called, went out not knowing where he was going; By faith Sarah herself, being barren and old, gave birth because she believed that he who had promised was faithful. And there would be no time and space to talk about all those who through faith achieved great things for the glory of God.
c) By faith in God Daniel did not stop praying to the Lord, although the king’s decree was not to do so, by faith in God the lions could not harm him. Even though the army of Israel was full of fear, young David defeated the giant Goliath. Faith in God gives you victory over the lion and his giants. That is why Jesus said, “I have not told you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God.”
d) Fear is used by the enemy to impede the advancement of the Christian. Fear also feeds on words, as well as faith. The Bible teaches us that the devil throws his fiery darts, words of doubt, disbelief, discouragement, temptations, and that is why the Scripture says: “Take the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one.” Ephesians 6:16. Just as fear paralyzes or makes you flee, faith makes you advance and conquer.
and) Faith in God strengthens you, drives you, makes you brave, faith enlivens your hope and your spiritual life, faith feeds your vision of life in Christ. Faith in God generates security and trust even if the environment is complicated.
F) Faith requires growing and strengthening our friendship with God, it implies trusting him. It is much more than a confession with our lips, it is a sure and full certainty in the care and power of God. It is a trust in the faithfulness of his promises, heaven and earth shall pass away, but his words stand forever.
4) Natural senses often affect or oppose faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
a) The apostle Paul clearly expresses “we walk by faith, and not by sight.” Natural senses often affect or oppose faith. Since faith is the conviction of what is not seen, faith does not need to see to believe, rather we see because we believe. Spiritual realities are much more real than natural ones. They are the ones that really impact and affect the natural world.
b) When we focus only on the natural problem, and therefore we only think about that, little by little, much more chaotic images are generated in our minds with a sad ending. Hope disappears and faith weakens.
c) In contrast, when in the midst of adversity we strengthen our faith in God, through it we can see victory, we can see blessing, we can see and believe in an excellent ending. We can see and believe in the intervention of God. Let us remember that Moses stood up to difficulty because he was seeing the Invisible One: Hebrews 11:27. His heart would be ruled by fear or by faith, he chose to trust God.
“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; because he stood as seeing the invisible” Hebrews 11:27.
d) On one occasion the Israelites complained about the desert saying: “and now our soul dries up; for nothing but this manna our eyes see” (Numbers 11:6), They could not see that ahead there was a land of milk and honey, a land of abundance, they only looked at the mountains of sand and with contempt they looked at the provision of the desert. But for those of faith in God, the desert was only a stage on the way to the promised land, it was a temporary period, it was not their destiny.
5) God’s truth will always be more powerful than the difficult reality. 2 Kings 6:14-16.
“Then the king sent there horsemen, and chariots, and a great army, which came by night, and besieged the city. And the servant of the man of God got up early in the morning and went out, and behold, the army besieged the city, with horsemen and caravans. Then his servant said to him: Ah, my Lord, what shall we do? He said to him: Do not be afraid, because more are those who are with us than those who are with them.
a) The king of Syria had war against Israel, and every time he tried something against the people of God, Elisha revealed to the king of Israel the plans of the Syrian king and therefore that did not prosper. The Syrian king concluded that he had a Hebrew spy among them, but someone told him: “It is the prophet Elisha who declares to the king of Israel what you speak in the most secret room.” So the king sent for the prophet Elisha.
b) A large Syrian army came by night and besieged the city where Elisha was. When Elisha’s servant got up he was scared when he saw the great army surrounding the city, there were many soldiers on horseback and in chariots. Verse sixteen allows us to see the contrast between fear and faith. Faith sees spiritual truth, fear was a reaction to a natural reality.
c) 2 Kings 6:17 tells us “And Elisha prayed, and said: I pray you, O Lord, open his eyes that he may see. Then the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he looked; and behold, the mountain was full of horsemen, and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
This reminds us of the importance of praying when fear strikes, it also teaches us the importance of believing God’s promises. The Lord has promised not to forsake or abandon us. What the servant saw was the spiritual reality, the mountain was full of soldiers on horseback and chariots of fire around Elisha. Remember that God sent one of these to pick up Elijah, but now many chariots of fire were there.
When we manage to look with the eyes of faith we will be able to see that God is on our side, and if God in his mercy opens our spiritual eyes we will see his glory and power displayed in favor of his children. Spiritual truth is more powerful than the reality we live in, and God’s truth tells us that in Christ we are more than conquerors.
d) God gave victory to his people again, the enemy could not even touch…