The phrase "walk by faith, not by sight" is a common saying among Christians, but what does it actually mean?
Our faith is reasonable, but there are aspects of the gospel we accept on faith and are unable to see. What are these invisible things? And what is the walk of faith?
Biblical Meaning of Walk by Faith
The phrase comes from 2 Corinthians 5:7, which says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." This means that Christians should not rely on their own understanding or experiences to guide them in life. Instead, they should trust in God's promises and guidance.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Closely related to the quote by Apostle Paul is when Jesus stated, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
Importance of Walking By Faith, Not Sight
There are several reasons why it is important for Christians to walk by faith, not by sight.
First, our senses can deceive us. We often see and hear things that are not really there, and we can misinterpret what we do see and hear.
Second, our experiences can be misleading. We may have had negative experiences in the past that make us doubt God's goodness or power.
Third, the world is full of distractions and temptations that can lead us astray. If we rely on our own understanding, we may easily be led astray.
Bible Examples of Walking by Faith
There are many examples of people in the Bible who walked by faith, not by sight. Here are a few:
Abraham: Abraham was willing to leave everything he knew and go to a land that God promised him, even though he didn't know where it was or what he would find there. (Genesis 12:1-4)
Moses: Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, even though he faced many obstacles and challenges along the way. (Exodus 3-14)
David: David was a young shepherd boy who defeated the giant Goliath, even though he was outnumbered and outmatched. (1 Samuel 17)
How to Apply it Today
So how can Christians apply the phrase "walk by faith, not by sight" in their daily lives? Here are a few suggestions:
Read the Bible regularly. The Bible is God's revelation to us, and it is the most important source of information about God and his will. By reading the Bible, we can learn about God's character, promises, and ways.
Pray regularly. Prayer is our way of talking to God and seeking His guidance. When we pray, we can tell God what we are going through, and we can ask Him for his help and wisdom.
Trust in God's promises. God has promised to be with us, to guide us, and to provide for us. We can trust in these promises even when we don't understand why things are happening the way they are.
The Second Letter to Corinth
Here is some context for 2 Corinthians 5:7. Paul’s relationship with the church at Corinth was a difficult one.
Paul had led them to faith with the assistance of mature believers in Christ, but when Paul was gone, the church was easily swayed by outsiders who opposed his teaching.
In Paul’s absence, they fell apart, and it was easy for opponents to convince the church that his suffering was a sign that Paul’s faith was actually folly. If Christ has really come to save sinners, how could the apostle’s life be so horrendous?
To Paul’s mind, his way of life represented faith. How else could someone suffer so much, if not for the reasonable expectation of eternal gain? (ESV Study Bible, Introduction to 2 Corinthians).
The Corinthian church was struggling, and Paul’s letter suggests a big part of the problem was trusting the Holy Spirit to work in their lives and trusting in the promise of Heaven. Faith is trust.
Walk by Faith in Eternity
What does the gospel tell us that we cannot prove by way of anything other than faith? For one thing, we cannot see what awaits the faithful — eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
Paul is confident: “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God” (v.1). That building is the individual body, the church body, and a real Kingdom, invisible to us for now. “We know,” says Paul; not “we believe,” or “we imagine.”
The original Greek uses “eidó,” which means “be aware, behold, consider, perceive.” “Knowing” in this sense combines knowledge with an intelligent perception of an idea, which cannot be physically represented — yet.
Paul based his belief in eternal life on sound, objective evidence as well as his subjective, personal experience of Christ. His suffering could have become a distraction from this truth — it certainly was for the Corinthians.
To Paul, his immediate suffering was supposed to demonstrate his deep trust in what could not be seen and provide a reason to hope.
Christians “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
A Connecting Faith
Christ’s message of eternal salvation through his death and resurrection was explosive. Saul, before becoming Paul, had originally sought to persecute these blasphemers, until he realized that the Old Testament had been leading Israel to the empty tomb all along.
When Paul described the body as a “tent” (2 Corinthians 5:1), he was also connecting the new church with the Old Testament. God’s people had frequently been sojourners, both in the days before Solomon and during Jesus’ ministry.
Moses and the Israelites followed a pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire, setting up temporary shelters to cover themselves against cold desert nights. They had nowhere to permanently call “home” until Solomon built the temple.
The body as a “tent” evokes the Israelite’s trust that God would meet their needs day by day. A tent is impermanent, just like a body is temporary, but once this covering is shed God provides something better.
Faith in the Spirit
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
As believers, to some extent, we already see more than those who choose to turn their faces from God. We have an “unveiled face,” although we only see “in a mirror dimly” for now, it is by faith we believe we will one day see Christ “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Meanwhile, we have the Holy Spirit. Here is one aspect of the Christian life we cannot lay hands on and inspect up close.
There are ways to detect the Spirit in us; evidence of “fruit.” Galatians 5:22-23 describes this fruit: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” When one has grown in any of these ways, the Holy Spirit is responsible, and we are invited to recognize this gift living inside of us and in others.
The Spirit is not a virus or an implant; it cannot be scrutinized with the naked eye or under a microscope. Everyone holds a belief in something, and Paul says we can be confident.
That is the word used in the NIV and KJV for “courage” so “we are always of good courage” (2 Corinthians 5:6, ESV) is a statement of certainty. Faith is not blind; it merely sees in other ways.
Every Faithful Christian
Every faithful believer sees something that is not visceral but still real — much of our knowledge is like that. We believe someone is trustworthy based on actions, which demonstrate their character.
We know that an event took place in history based on statements of witnesses and on physical remains. We must examine the evidence and be ready to give our testimony, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
We all live by faith in something, although not the same things. “It is theologically accurate to say and to insist that the Christian must always seek to live by faith and trust in God and his promises, and not be motivated by only what he or she can see and hear in their present circumstances,” wrote Bill Combs, but Paul says the church at Corinth is already doing that. Paul “directly and unequivocally says that we, all believers, do, in fact, live by faith.”
This faith must also stand firmly by the strength of internal reasoning, against external forces, and without an apostle to hold one’s hand in a spiritual sense.
The Corinthians’ faith was strong in the presence of mature disciples such as Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:18) but blindsided by “partisanship, with the Corinthians factionalizing behind rival leaders.”
Paul knew what made “considerate and appropriate relating especially hard at Corinth,” which was an “unusually diverse” and tough, working-class culture. Paul sought to “overcome the tensions that these differences were bringing into the community” by talking about how to love one another in Christ-like ways.
What Does it Mean to Walk by Faith?
And what about the action of walking in faith? “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” wrote Paul (Ephesians 4:1). Combs says, “the word walk in 2 Corinthians 5:7 is [...] used in the metaphorical sense of ‘live.’”
Our walk as Christians should be identifiably different from the walk of one who does not believe and has been saved by grace. There is a practical element, which must not be overlooked, for if we love God there will be an outpouring of that love towards others.
Jesus embodied a unifying love for the marginalized and Paul taught that their Savior was the best example of “what a Christian leader should look like. It could hardly be more dramatically countercultural, and Paul lived out this leadership style in person.”
Yet walking, or living, by faith, is also about our relationship with Christ “God is looking for not only a clinging bride but also a walking partner.” When we walk with him, we recognize that worship of Christ is not so much a “catalyst” to action but “an everyday walk of unbroken communion with our Lord and friend.”
Jesus calls us “friend,” and we are called to live our lives close to him, confident and worshipful. This is personal and real — other people cannot fill in for Jesus, whether pastors or mentors. Such individuals promote growth, but they are not the vine. Only Jesus is the vine (John 15).
Is Sight Coming?
Will we see Jesus when we die? Paul says it himself: We see dimly today, but the mist will lift one day revealing his face. The veil between God and man was torn when Jesus died on the cross.
So, while we cannot fully see him right now “this does not mean that we are cut off from fellowship with the Lord.” Living by faith, explains Bill Combs, is “no hindrance to communion with our Savior.”
For further reading:
Walk by Faith: A Misused Verse?
What Is the Spiritual Gift of Faith?
What Is the Meaning of the Body of Christ?
Did Paul Know His Letters Would Be Scripture?
What Is a Profession of Faith?
What Are the Marks of a True Believer?
What Does it Mean to Have Faith in Jesus?
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