The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Not By Sight"
Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ trust a Savior we have never directly seen, heard, touched, or contacted with any of our physical senses. We nevertheless know a glorious reality that transcends all sight, sound, or tactile experience.
"The Spirit of God beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16).
Note the Apostle Paul declares that God's witness illuminates and assures our "spirit," that part of us - the very heart of us - far deeper than earthly, fleshly reality. Conversely, our minds, emotions, and physical bodies do not always sense the presence of God and His working in our innermost being. Paul spoke of this when mentioning his ministry to the Corinthians:
"I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling" (I Corinthians 2:3).
No less than God's chief apostle felt the earthly sensibilities of soul and body that often conflict with the Heavenly realities of our Christ-inhabited spirits. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit" (Galatians 5:17). Of course, Paul did not allow the "weakness… fear… and much trembling" of his earthly frame to hinder the spiritual fulfillment of his responsibilities to God and people: "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (I Corinthians 2:4). Paul realized "we have this treasure in earthly vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (II Corinthians 4:7). Sight, sound, touch, and human reasoning said one thing. The Word of God said quite another. The Apostle's ministry to the Corinthians, and to all, flowed with the current of the Spirit that often flowed against the sensibilities and thoughts of his flesh. "We are perplexed, but not in despair" he testified, vividly portraying the conflicting realities of flesh and spirit known by every believer (II Corinthians 4:8).
In a life wherein "we walk by faith, not by sight," the presence and working of God's Spirit in us must be known as a matter of conviction, based on our Lord's promised witness and our faith whereby we overcome contrary thoughts, emotions, and sensations (II Corinthians 5:7). Indeed, Paul affirmed that "the power that worketh in us" is "exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). Do we always realize, remember, and sense such enabling? Hardly. As he testifies, Paul himself did not. In fact, we live most of life not thinking of such power, and sometimes even being tempted to doubt it. God works nevertheless, and as we take opportunities to affirm the truth and overcome temptation, sight and sensation bow before the greater realities of God and His truth. "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24).
The salvation that began by faith in an unseen, unheard, and untouched Savior continues as we walk with Him by faith in this present world. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians 2:6). Such experience provides great opportunity to know the faithfulness of God's heart when we cannot see the working of His hand. This is a good thing, albeit greatly challenging. And this is the life to which our Father presently calls us, believing His Word in the face of anything and everything that may contradict. Yes, life in Christ began in this way of "seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27). And so it will continue until that day when faith gives way to the glories of our Lord's direct presence…
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."
(I John 3:2)
Weekly Memory Verse
"Ye are risen with Him through faith in the operation of God."
(Colossians 2:12)
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