This scripture is usually used at funerals but Paul wasn’t writing to the dead. This is for the living. Those who left us left the rough life for a perfect one. People have heard these many times. There is an unseen view. Keep focused. We have no trouble with the seen things. The devil wants us to see all the bad going on. Don’t believe all you see. The devil will tell us to lay down the armor but don’t do that. We have the advantage by faith to see what we can’t see with our eyes…because our spiritual eyes can see.
II Corinthians 4: 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Most of the time we look for evidence that we can see. Everything taught by evolutionists is just theory yet they say it’s true. It is nothing more than an educated guess. There is no theory with God. If there ever was a sceptic, it was Saul of Tarsus. He saw the unseen when God took his sight. He heard the voice of the Lord. We heard it too and we know it. We know Jesus died. Everyone believes he died because they believe everyone dies. The problem is God tells us that he did not stay dead. His death was not in vain because he rose the third day. If they believe Jesus truly did this, the unbelievers must then believe they’ll meet him one day. There’s no running from him. Our sins put him on the cross but his perpetrators knew it was wrong. We’ll all answer to him and he’ll be there.
We can know the Lord. Because he rose from the dead, he will raise us. Praise God! If we have hope in this life only, we’d be of all men most miserable. Amazing grace saved us and it will take us home. The devil has no home in heaven, but we do because we believe and trust God.
I can feel the outward man perishing day by day. High blood pressure, a new ache or pain are almost daily occurrences. One day there will be no more—no more doctor appointments, no more doctor bills. We know the outward will perish but the inward is renewed day by day. David told us that the Lord restores our soul. Afflictions seldom seem light to us. Troubles and trials could cause us to throw up our hands yet they sharpen us with a greater longing to hang in there.
We need this every day. There is a world more real than what we see with our eyes. God is eternal. Time has no bonds on him. We operate by the clock. Even the timing of our body systems does it. It is all a miracle of God. There is an unseen world. The devil himself is an angelic being. The demons are working. It’s not all negative in the unseen world. On one occasion Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the Syrians; the servant was afraid. Elisha prayed and asked God to open the eyes of his servant to see what was there. After that the servant could see the host of God behind the Syrians; they were there to fight the Syrians. This gave him peace. Demons have a habit of ganging up on a person. Stories in the Bible show us there were often many, once even a legion of them. It was just as easy for the Lord to take care of a legion of them as it was one.
It pays to keep the unseen view. Point the vision of your soul toward God. We were drawn in his direction through the Word and led to the Lord. It turned us so we could see there is a God who died and will save. It’s all by faith. It gives us a vision for the truth. It would be like having a third eye. There is a bright side. Keep looking up and forward.
5: 1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
This earthly house—our body—will dissolve. We have a better body coming. The Lord has a form for us. He hasn’t asked us what kind we want but we’ll be ourselves in a celestial body. Being brought up poor we probably think more of all this. Through life there has seldom been a time without burdens. There’s a life without them. I can hardly imagine it. Life is a preparing place for heaven. The Holy Spirit caused us to be born again and is leading the way as our companion in this life. He’ll get us to the point of seeing Jesus.
We’re not there yet. Our desire and drive is to know him. When this body falls down we’ll quit walking by faith. The next step will be by sight. One step here and the next step takes us into heaven. We can keep going as we keep our eyes on him. Keep an eye on what you see but keep one on the unseen. It will be worth it all.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 