One of the biggest enemy’s in “fighting the good fight of faith” is what is called “sense-knowledge.” “Sense-knowledge” is the kind of knowledge that is based on physical evidence. This enemy forces us to concentrate only on those things that can be perceived by our five senses. We only believe those things that we can see, taste, smell, hear, or touch. “Sense-knowledge” requires us to rely upon physical evidence as the motivator for our belief system, which in turn drives our faith in God. By allowing this enemy to grow within us, we in turn, place our trust only in “the witness of the senses or what the senses are telling us.” But is this the kind of faith that God requires of us?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
We know from scripture that faith actually provides substance or assurance and then evidence. There is not a lot of difference between assurance and evidence other than the qualifiers for each of them, which involves hope and realities that are unseen, respectively. Everything in our life that we have learned has come through our five senses or through “sense-knowledge.” However, “the God kind of faith” is not at all perceived by the senses. Faith is actually the evidence of the thing hoped for, the evidence that the thing exists but it is not the thing itself. Faith is the substance or the tangibility of hope. While hope cannot change your circumstances, it can change your attitude about the circumstances. Hope is a goal setter and faith is the way to achieve the goal. You see, we do not need evidence to believe in something that we can physically see, taste, smell, hear, or touch. The thing itself provides the evidence of the thing’s existence. Faith is the evidence that something does exists regardless of the witness of the senses or what the senses are telling us. Again, “the God kind of faith” is not perceived by any of the senses.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7). “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” (II Corinthians 4:18).
In order to walk by faith, we must leave the world of the senses. As we walk by faith, we leave behind what our senses are telling us and completely trust God. This is key component to “the God kind of faith,” completely trusting in him. When we take up this walking by faith, our mind is not focused on the things that can be seen. Our mind is not focused on the troubles around us. The things that are seen or perceived by our senses are temporary in nature and can only be seen for a time. When we walk by faith, our mind should be focused on those things that cannot be seen, for the things that are not seen or perceived by our senses are eternal and everlasting. Some people will disagree with this assessment because their faith is based one hundred percent on their “sense-knowledge” or what some would call “head faith.” Again, this type of faith requires one to rely upon physical evidence as the motivator for his or her belief system, which in turn drives his or her faith in God. When we walk by faith, we are not walking by our senses when it comes to the things of God. This is the kind of faith that God requires of us, this is that “God kind of faith.”
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (I Timothy 6:12).
In all of this, we see that faith contingent upon “sense-knowledge” or “head faith” has several limitations and can become a hindrance to our faith. Focusing our mind on only those things that we can see, taste, smell, hear, or touch or physical evidence will limit or hinder our faith and is just another one of the many enemies to our faith that we need to overcome in our efforts to “fight the good fight of faith.”
Today’s inspirational message just might give you a new perspective on what it means to “fight the good fight of faith.” We pray that this message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it. If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well. Amen.
Enjoy your blessings. - KW
No comments:
Post a Comment