This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Focusing on Dying To Self”. A couple of weeks ago I introduced you to the following passage and we began to walk our way through it. Let’s get back to it today and continue.
The Apostle Paul said, “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone. So all have died. He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him. From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” (2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV).
We have been focused in on the line: “But we don’t think that way now.” Flowing in this vein, I shared several scriptures with you yesterday and I briefly discussed each. As we close out the week we will take a closer look at one of the scriptures I provided, 2 Cor 4:18. The Apostle Paul said, “We focus our eyes on what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Cor 4:18). While discussing this verse, in yesterday’s message I said:
“We are supposed to spend time looking at things we can see that are beyond our physical eye’s ability to look. In the Spirit we can see into eternity, from time, and come back equipped to live informed by that revelation. In the Spirit we can see into heaven, from the earth, and come back to LIVE OUT what we saw.”
Let’s “pull the string” on this thought today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things. Let’s get to it.
1. The unseen is the superior realm.
a) Living by faith is living your life based on a reality you cannot see in this world (with natural eyes).
b) Living by faith is living on the earth in sync with heaven.
c) Just because you cannot see something with natural eyes, it does not mean it’s not there. Actually, everything you can see in this world came from the world you cannot see. The writer of Hebrews said it this way, “Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen” (Heb 11:3).
d) The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is natural sight. That’s why Paul said, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor 5:7). As believers we choose to live our lives by faith; living off of a reality that cannot be seen with natural eyes.
2. The Father expects us to live our lives based on what He enables us to SEE in the realm of the unseen.
a) Faith peers into the realm of the unseen and makes decisions based on that realm in this realm.
b) We are not called to live only by earthly limitations. We are called to perform the impossible, by the grace of God.
c) The Spirit of God will enable you to see the invisible. Once you see it and believe it, the grace of God will empower you to perform the seemingly impossible.
d) We are not called to operate as mere men, trusting solely in the arm of the flesh. We are called to surrender to God and to allow His power to flow through us, so the world can SEE the manifestation of God’s love and light in the earth.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016. I spend time peering into the unseen by faith. I live by faith and not by sight. Everyday, I fix my eyes on the realm of the unseen. The unseen is more real to me that what I see every day. When I see healing in the unseen, I am not moved by sickness in the seen. When I see provision in the unseen, I am not moved by lack in the seen. When I see victory in the unseen, I am not moved by opposition in the seen. I choose to live in-sync with You, even if it means I am out-of-sync with people down here, because this is the only way Your will is going to be done, ON EARTH, as it is in heaven. It will be done BY YOU, THROUGH ME, for Your glory! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
