Faith and Sight by Epsilon

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 31, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 29.

Faith and Sight.

By Epsilon

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

But few strive to enter in at the strait gate; because the “great and precious promises” are things of faith and not of sight. Would our wealthy, worldly neighbor even deign to talk with us on the Christian’s hope? Let us approach him.

“Friend, your life and energy are being spent in amassing and enjoying riches. If these perishable things do not leave you, you must soon leave them to others, perhaps to their injury. Why should you not rather prefer to lay up treasure in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust can corrupt, and where no thieves can steal. This durable life, which the righteous alone will receive, will be attended with durable happiness.”

See on his face the mingled expression of contempt and derision. With an air of wisdom, he finally replies: “ ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; but your treasure in Heaven does not even amount to birds in a bush, for we can see birds in the bush, and we know that it is possible to catch them. You have never seen any one rise up from death to immortality, and all that you think you know about the resurrection of Christ is what you have read. Your fulfillments of prophecy may be only hap-hazard coincidences. Your ‘world to come’ does not yet exist, and may never exist. You would not work for a man, if you could not see the pay; then why trust in an unseen God, making promises of unseen things, and suffering you to remain poor, while I, who do not trust in him, stand right before your eyes a rich and honored man.’ Something whispers to us, ‘Ephraim is joined to his [visible] idols, let him alone.’

But, beloved brethren, “we walk by faith, not by sight.” “While we look not at the things which are seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The resurrection, immortality through Christ, the “world to come,” with the unending reign of Christ, are things yet to be revealed, eis tous aionas tou aionos, in the ages of the ages, or, as translated in our English Bible, these unseen things are to be realized in the future, “forever and forever.” We cannot give a purely scientific explanation of any of them. Those skeptics who ask us for a scientific reason for the possibility of the resurrection, cannot themselves scientifically explain how matter came into existence. To believe in God at all, is to believe in miracles. “But without faith it is impossible to please him [God]; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is [does exist], and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Now it is not possible for us to believe that God is, does exist, without believing in his miraculous power. The God who established laws of nature is not like us, a servant of these laws. He is master. He has not created for himself a master, laws of nature, and become a servant. His miraculous power still exists, as it did in the creation of all things. He is able, and will surely fulfill his promises. Do we believe it with all our heart? Then what encouragement we have to ever strive to walk in the strait and narrow way that leads to endless glory!

EPSILON.