Resource Detail

We Live By Faith, Not By Sight

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Key Verse 5:7

Read verse 1. What does “the earthly tent we live in” refer to? What does it mean that the tent “is destroyed”? How is “a building from God” described? Why is it important to know we have it (a heavenly building)? 

Read verses 2-4. What does it mean to be found “naked” (or “unclothed”)? (Genesis 2:25; 3:7) What would it be like for one to be “clothed” with a heavenly dwelling? 

Read verse 5 and compare this verse with verse 4 (especially the expression “what is mortal may be swallowed up by life”). What is a “deposit” for? What does verse 5 tell us about God in securing what he has in mind for his children? 

Read v. 6. What does it mean to be “at home” in the body (or anywhere)? The Bible says we are to be with the Lord, and the Lord with us. (Matthew 12:30; Mark 16:20) Yet, what causes us to be “away from” the Lord? 

Read verses 7-10 and think about two exhortations: “We live by faith, not by sight”; and “we make it our goal to please him.” How are the two related? Why is it necessary for us to go by these exhortations? (10)

We Live By Faith, Not By Sight

(A Journey to God’s Freedom)

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Key Verse 5:7

We live by faith, not by sight.

The title of our message is, "We Live by Faith, Not by Sight." We subtitled the message, "A Journey to God’s Freedom." The New Testament Scriptures can be divided into two parts: the fulfillment and the illustration. The first four gospels constitute the fulfillment part, and the remaining 23 books illustrate what Jesus fulfilled. One of the promises Jesus came to fulfill is to open the way for man to come to the freedom from slavery [to what is limited]. Jesus opened the way by himself rising from the dead and ascending into heaven to the Father’s side. Speaking of this truth Paul says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." (Gal 5:1)

The Apostle Paul preached to the Corinthians the good news of God’s freedom. But they did not accept the message. As a result they remained tied down to what is limited. For example, they still remained materialistic. Instead of being able to use the money they had for good causes, such as covering the Apostle Paul's travel expenses on his evangelistic journeys, or for the relief mission for the poor in Jerusalem, they held onto their material possessions, saying: "No, we are not going to make offerings." 

Paul saw that they became slaves to what does not give life to man, not because they were inherently bad but because they were ignorant of the way of freedom. Paul saw that they needed to be enlightened. Thus in the passage Paul shares the way to freedom in four ways. 

First, we know what we have (1-4).

Look at verses 1-4. "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life."

This passage talks about the hope we have in the Lord, that is, the hope to receive a resurrected body. The earthly tent we live in is what we inherited from the first man Adam. The resurrected body we are going to receive is a new body from Jesus the last Adam. The body we now live in is tainted by sin. But the new body we are going to receive is not tainted by sin: it is free and clear of sin; naturally, it is no longer mortal. In it what is mortal has been swallowed up by what is life. The risen body which is built by God comes with pristine glory. It comes with the perfect eco-system in which one can have life and have it to the full. It is the ideal state in which one can spend eternity in the eternal presence of God. 

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." Notice the expression "Now we know... we have..." Do we know now that we have an eternal house in heaven waiting when our journey in this body is over? Paul says, "Now we know that we have it." 

Once upon a time a pastor I know used to maintain two places to live in: a two bedroom apartment he rented on Wilshire and Bundy and a studio apartment on 8th Street and Irolo. He dedicated the two bedroom apartment as a Bible center, while he used the studio apartment as his living quarters for his family. When he first checked into the studio apartment he was very happy for it was for free: in exchange for managing an apartment building the owner of the property allowed him to stay in one of the studio apartments rent-free. But he soon grew increasingly unhappy, for each night his family was invaded by cockroaches and rodents. But at least during the weekends he could escape from Irolo Street to the two bedroom apartment on Wilshre and Bundy. There at the two bedroom apartment he could have fellowship with believers, study the Bible and worship the Lord. 

Figuratively speaking, the body we live in is like the studio apartment on Irolo. Just as the man was happy to think about the two bedroom apartment to get out of the cockroach infested studio apartment, so also the Apostle Paul was happy to just think about an eternal house in God’s kingdom, for he knew that upon completion of his journey in this physical body, a heavenly mansion was waiting for him. This knowledge of his heavenly dwelling helped Paul to live the life of freedom, the life as a holy pilgrim which is free from the attachment to the mundane things of this world.

Second, now God has given us the Spirit (5). 

Again Paul says, "Now we know that we have a heavenly mansion waiting for us." How then do we know? Here is how: "Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." This passage talks about God's purpose and God's provision. God’s purpose is to clothe his children with the best clothes he has in mind. God’s provision for now is to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in them. Now, God's purpose for his children is that they be clothed by him with the best clothes as they come to the home the Lord prepared. Figuratively speaking, God is like a mother who always makes sure that her child wears the best clothes. [Today is Mother’s Day; let us say to all the mothers here, “Happy Mother’s Day!”] In Downey UBF I see mothers bringing their children to the center. And each mother makes sure that her children are clothed with the best clothes. And what mother wants her children to go out wearing dirty clothes? 

In verse 5 the Apostle Paul says that God has gone one step further, that is, in order to assure us of his will to clothe us with a heavenly dress as we come home, God has given us the Spirit while we are still in the body as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. So let us think about the Spirit as a deposit. Who has made the deposit? It is God. Let us note that the deposit is not for God, but for us. It is to convince us of God’s purpose to clothe us with the heavenly dwelling. This indicates that each time a doubt arises in our hearts we can remember the Spirit he has given us, for as we consult the Spirit, the Counselor, the Spirit can assure us of the hope we have in the Lord. 

This truth also tells us that we are to live according to the desires of the Spirit, rather than the desires of man’s sinful nature. This is important because although the Spirit is from God and He himself is God, He never forces his children to do anything against their will. 

We can easily understand this concept when we think about what Abraham's servant in Genesis 24 did to bring Rebekah to his master’s house. Abraham's servant left Abraham's house for Padan Aram on a mission journey to find a wife for Abraham's son Isaac. When the servant arrived at the place where Rebekah lived he prayed to the Lord to meet a suitable wife for Isaac. Then at the well he met Rebekah. After much prayer and close observation he became confident that Rebekah was the person. But he did not force Rebekah to go with him. Rather, in the hearing of Rebekah, he said to Rebekah’s family all the good things about Abraham and Isaac. Then he asked them, "Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn" (Gen 24:49). The next morning Rebekah’s parents said to the servant, "Let's call the girl and ask her about it." So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?" "I will go," she said. In this way it was only when Rebekah said, “I will go,” that the servant was able to take Rebekah to the house of his master. This is just like the way the Spirit works for us. Working like Abraham’s servant in Genesis 24, the Spirit works within us to persuade us to go to the house of our Heavenly Father for a spiritual union with Jesus Christ. What then should our response be? Just as Rebekah carefully listened to what the servant said, and then said, “I will go,” so also we need to listen to what the Spirit says, and then when he asks, “Will you go,” we say, “I will go.”   

Third, we live by faith not by sight (6-9).

In view of God's good purpose and provision how should we live our life here on earth? Let us read verses 6-9. "Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." 

This passage, especially verse 6, alludes to the present state of a Christian who is like a woman pledged to marry a husband. In Luke 1 we see Mary and Joseph pledged to be married. During the period of the pledge, they were still called a wife and a husband although they did not come together. They were only preparing themselves for the wedding day to come. During the interim period they longed for the day of the wedding to come. According to the Jewish custom of Jesus’ day, when the wedding day arrives the husband goes to the house of the bride. He then brings the bride to his house. There they hold a wedding ceremony. 

In a way, Christians living in their mortal bodies are in the same position of Mary who was pledged to be married to Joseph. (John 3:29; Matthew 9:15) By the power of Jesus’ blood, we have received the privilege to live as the Bride of Jesus Christ. Yet, the complete union with Christ is not going to come until we take off our bodily tent, are at home with Jesus Christ. And receive a heavenly dwelling.

In the meantime we are called to live by faith in the Lord, not by sight. In the Bible, the idea of a righteous man living by faith is repeated in many different places. And it has many different meanings. But as used in this passage, it refers mainly to the life of a believer who is called to be faithful to the Lord, just as a wife who is married to a husband is meant to be faithful to her husband. We know that Jesus is absolutely faithful to us. The question for us is, “Are we always faithful to him?” Paul found that not many believers in the church of Corinth were faithful. Rather they lusted after something or someone else. In this way although they were called “Christians” they were not loyal to Jesus Christ. 

In verses 8-9 the Apostle Paul describes in more detail what it is to live by faith in the Lord, rather than by sight. Look at verses 8-9. "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." Here Paul says that we can live by faith in the Lord, by making it our goal to please the Lord. How then can one please the Lord? How can one overcome all the temptations of this world and remain faithful to the Lord? We find an answer to this question in the Bible verses we just read. In verses 6 and 8, we find that the Apostle Paul uses the word “confident.” The word "confident" means, "believing in something with certainty." What is Paul certain of? It is this: to be away from the body and at home with the Lord is far better than to be at home in our body and thereby away from the Lord. Why does the Apostle Paul stress this point? The answer is obvious. Some of the brothers and sisters in the church of Corinth thought the other way around. They preferred to be at home in their physical body than at home with the Lord. Simply speaking, they were carnally minded. No wonder that in 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul had to rebuke them for all kinds of unfaithful practices, especially sexual immorality. [Read 1Co 7 in particular.] 

Based on the truth that it is far better to be with the Lord than to be at home in the body, the Apostle Paul exhorts them to make it their goal to please the Lord. [For a practical guide on the way to please the Lord, please read Romans 8.] 

Fourth, what will be the outcome of the life that lives by faith, not by sight? (10) 

Look at verse 10. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

This passage, especially the idea of judgment, may be foreign to many. But we can easily understand this concept when we think about the simple truths that whatever we do or do not do while in a physical body come with consequences. For example, faith comes with consequences just as the lack of faith comes with consequences. Dr. Samuel Lee believed that Koreans can also give others something good. So by faith he challenged Korean students to live as missionaries. The Lord blessed his faith. As a result, more than 1,500 missionaries went out to more than 87 counties in his lifetime. And his faith is still bearing fruit all over the world. Unbelief also bears fruit. Just think about how Adam’s unbelief resulted in him eating the forbidden fruit, and how his disobedience caused him to forfeit the privilege to live in the perfect paradise. After that his lack of faith resulted in Cain murdering his brother Abel in cold blood. Consider then how Cain’s unbelief affected Tubal-Cain to make a living out of making weapons for violence, and how sins multiplied until the winds of violence swept the race except for Noah’s family through the great flood of Noah’s time. 

In the same way when one sows his life in the Spirit, the Spirit reaps out of his life good fruit, such as love, joy, and peace. When one invests his energy in the flesh, by living according to fleshly instincts, one will reap all kinds of ill consequences such as adultery, rape, murder, or even a civil war, as seen in the history of King David.

But if we live by faith in the Lord, and if we make it our goal to please Jesus, Jesus will bless us with all kinds of good fruit. At the time of judgment Jesus will give what is due each of us, all in accordance with what we have done while in the body. 

In conclusion, in the passage we learned that we have the hope of receiving a heavenly dwelling. To assure us of this hope the Lord gave us the Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. For this reason we choose to live by faith in the Lord, making it our goal to please Jesus. Then when the journey of our life on earth is over, Jesus will give each of us what is due him. 

One word: we live by faith not by sight