By Janie Baer
Using faith you cannot look at the natural circumstances.
2 Cor 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man (the flesh) 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. KJV
When living by faith you must realize there is outer man of the flesh and the inner man of the spirit. You are not to live your life entirely connected to the outer man of the flesh and what the senses relate to you or you will never live by faith. You are told not to look at things you can see when in adversity. Paul tells you not to look at things that are seen for they are subject to change but you must instead look at things that are not seen which are eternal, the promises of God’s Word to you and it is only then your affliction will be light and will only be momentary.
Here’s how it works. Let’s say you are sick or have some financial problems. That is something you can see. They can be picked up by your five physical senses but God is asking you to not give your attention to them. When you give them your time and attention they will be magnified in your eyes instead of God and His might and the power of His Word. He is asking you to instead give your attention and focus to something that is not yet seen naturally which is what the Word of God says about you and your situations or the promises of God to you in these situations.
God says all the things you can see are temporal. Temporal has to do with matter in this three dimensional world. So things in this world are subject to change. Everything you see, hear, smell, taste and touch are subject to change but that is not true with the unseen realm of heaven where you can operate out of and receive from it everything that is eternal.
Sense knowledge or knowledge gained by the five physical senses is a destroyer of your faith. Sense knowledge and intellectual knowledge is what you believe because you have experienced it. You must judge all things by the spirit rather than by intellectual knowledge and sense knowledge if you are to live by faith.
The things that are seen do exist so you cannot deny their existence. You can’t deny the existence of sickness that comes on your body or debt incurred in your finances, but you must not give them first place in your thoughts. You can’t deny the existence of these things but you can deny them the right to remain in your life. Get the Word of God about divine health and divine provision for you and declare them and take authority over sickness and debt and command it gone from your life now. Declare the blessing of God on your finances (Prov 10:22). Declare the power that raised Jesus from the dead on your body now (Rom 8:11).
You must look at the things that are not seen, which is the Word of God or the promises of God to you and declare them.
2 Cor 4:18 reveals to you there are some things that you cannot see and yet they exist and they exist outside of the realm of matter or what your five physical senses can pick up. You know they are there because the bible tells you they are there. The bible gives you knowledge of what exists in the unseen realm. So now you are seeing there are things that exist you do not see and that it takes faith to access these things. Hebrews 11 tells,
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. KJV
So faith is the substance of things you hope for, the assurance, the very proof of what you cannot see that’s in the realm of heaven.
With your faith you replace the things that are seen, sickness and debt, with divine heal and divine wealth, which are not seen. The way you can do that is you must make sure that you are not looking at the things that are seen, giving them first place. Keep God’s Word flooding your heart and your thoughts, and keep it before your eyes constantly. Most people don’t do this because they haven’t put their flesh under and they want to talk about how bad the problem is. The flesh likes to have pity parties. So you will have to make the decision that you are going to put the Word first place and believe that the Word of God is changing everything.
You must see Jesus is Lord, Supreme Ruler and that Jesus and the Word are one. So Jesus and the Word are sufficient to bring you out of any situation you face no matter what it is.
Heb 11:1 tells you that you need faith and hope to work together to get results. Hope is expectation of what you believe for. Hope is the blueprint or what you desire to receive by faith and faith gives substance to it.
Everything that you see on this earth is temporal and that means they are subject to change. But as 2 Corinthians tells you, the things you can’t see are eternal, existing forever. Your body is temporal but your spirit is eternal. See the promise and not the problem. See the victory and feel the victory in your spirit. This is the way to grow up in the spirit and in faith. You have emotions but they must always follow faith instead of respond to the problems.
Focus on and get your faith in the truth that God has already made a way of escape for you. The scriptures plainly tell you that with every temptation, test or trial God has already made an escape route for you. Begin to look by faith for the Lord to get you out of every situation. Let Him do it. Let faith go to work for you and get you out today.
When things get tough and look their worst, don’t start crying and wringing your hands but instead start praising the Lord for His way out of it. Know for sure what He has promised you He will do for He is not a man that He should lie to you.
Num 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? KJV
Praise is hard on your flesh and carnal mind and its thinking but put those feels and thoughts down and your spirit filled with faith will rise up and faith will continue its work and finish with your victory.
Remind yourself there is no time and space between you and heaven. Ephesians declares you are already seated there with Christ having access to the resources of heaven. To receive them requires you walk after the spirit and take them by faith that is aided by the Word of God, the Spirit of God and the heavenly host of angels that are assigned to assist you if you just ask. (Check out my blog, “Expect The Supernatural Ministry of Angels”, http://www.godswordalive.com/blog)
Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? KJV