A NEW WAY OF LIVING

A NEW WAY OF LIVING

2 Corinthians 5:7: “…For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Giving your life to Christ introduces you to a new lifestyle. ‘Sight’ in our text represents living by the senses; which appears to be only logical. We all depend on our senses to guide us in our everyday choices. However, to rise above the natural and live the supernatural lifestyle that Jesus lived; we have to learn that our senses cannot be relied upon where they contradict the guidance of God’s Word and His Holy Spirit.

FEELINGS CAN BE FLAKY

How many times have we felt anger at a wrong assumption? This happens very often when we feel friends, family members or colleagues deliberately ignored us, made unpleasant comments about us, or acted unfairly. We get annoyed at the sense of injustice, betrayal or selfishness until we confront them or simply hear from them and realize our thoughts were wrong. Instantly our emotions change. This is positive proof that feelings cannot be relied upon.

Your feelings may not always be right. Living by faith requires choosing to believe God’s Word even when our feelings say the opposite. Choose to believe you are healed when you feel symptoms of sickness, that God is with you when you feel afraid and feel blessed when you feel like you are cursed. Let your feelings line up with God’s Word by lining up your thoughts with God’s Word. We often elevate our feelings to the level of conscience but emotions lack that kind of authority and power. Faith takes the Word of God as final authority.

Even where our feelings are naturally and medically verifiable, God’s Word is still to be chosen. Our feelings will always line up with our predominant thoughts.

FALSE EVIDENCE

Someone defined fear by using it’s spelling as an acronym. He defined it as False Evidence Appearing Real. This simply means sight can deceive. The life of faith requires a consciousness that as we have our physical sense of sight, so do we have the spiritual. 2 Cor. 4:18 says we should be looking at the invisible for it holds the power to change the visible. God’s Word is a spiritual reality capable of transforming physical reality.

It is however important that we mentally focus on God’s Word, filling our imagination with dreams and visions of its truth and ignoring the facts. Our minds must be so encapsulated by the thought of the reality of God’s Word that it affects our attitude. The disciples of Jesus were frozen with fear at His sight walking on the water. “It is a ghost” they said. But Jesus said, “it is I, be not afraid.” We ought to be positive in the midst of negative circumstances.

Many of the things we see around us are contraptions of Satan to deceive us into abandoning God’s Word for our circumstances. We don’t have to believe them. After His encounter with the father at Gethsemane, Jesus was so consumed with the mental picture of the resurrection that He could endure the cross and embrace His trial with a positive attitude (Hebrews 12:3). We should do likewise. Focus on the vision God gave you for your future and upon what God’s Word says concerning you and don’t trust false evidences.

FACT OR FICTION

We have been brought up to always believe and say the facts; but faith requires that we believe the Word as TRUE when the facts are contrary. A man of faith appears unrealistic and fictional in his confession. He like God; calls those things that be not, as though they were (Romans 4:17). How comical and ludicrous Abram and Sarai must have appeared to their Canaanite neighbours when on God’s instruction they officially changed their names to Abraham and Sarah (father and mother of nations); at 89 and 99 years of age. Dramatic, confused, insane, self deceiving etc. must have described the perception of the people about them. However, it wasn’t long when they began to notice changes.

Fiction began to turn to material fact. It won’t be long when circumstances around you will change for the better because you believe God’s Word and confess it even though it appears unrealistic. Even when you are struggling with believing the Word in your own heart, keep speaking it, for faith cometh by hearing (Rom. 10:17). It is scientifically proven that words spoken by us have the greatest impact upon our lives.

Korean scientists discovered years ago that nerves in the speech centre of the brain do exercise control over all other ones in the body. According to James 3; they influence our entire lives. If you will speak God’s Word in all situations, it is only a matter of time and every situation will line up with God’s Word.