2 Corinthians 5:6-10

⁶Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷For we live by faith, not by sight. ⁸We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Stoic

         How do you normally express your gladness? How about when you are sad? Does your facial appearance display your emotion? Whether they excited or not, stoic people maintain an ordinary facial expression. They may simply express their emotion internally without any facial change.

         A stoic student came home with long face. He was serious and silent. His mother asked, “Hey Kid! You look sad. How is your exam?” Without glancing the stoic kid said in a soft voice, “I did not get passing grade in the exam!” “Ow that’s ok child. Perfect score is good enough!” his mother smiled. “How did you know, I perfected the exam?” the stoic kid asked. “I just guessed. I know you did your best effort to study,” his mother replied.

         Truly, it’s amazing that parents can sense their children’s well-being. Children may not say it loud, but parent can sense when their children have discomfort. Possibly, it’s parental instinct that Lord bestowed to mankind.          There are endless mysteries of the Lord. But we should be aware that the Lord watches our behavior always. Together, let’s reflect on what it declares in   2 Chronicles 16:9, ⁹For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

         Fully committed to the Lord is not one time activity. It’s living by faith.

Whether by survival or riches, subsistence or affluence, living by faith is to actively depend on God for his provision and guidance. Living is not one time eating or drinking. It is continuous moment by moment, day and night.

         Do you live at daytime and die at night time? No! Likewise, living by faith is not intermittent. It’s ongoing, unceasing, nonstop 24-hours trust in the grace, love and goodness of God. Faith is expressed in obedience to his instruction. Faith demands action. We surrender to God our limited understanding. We choose to depend on his wisdom and provision. Faith is trust beyond the physical and tangible realities not quantified by sight. The favorite statement of dependence on sight is “To see is to believe.” If you demand to see the result first before you believe it, that is living by sight.

1.  Sight

           ⁶Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from                               the Lord. ⁷For we live by faith, not by sight. 

         Apostle Paul and his mission team exemplified how they lived by faith and not by sight. They persevered in preaching the gospel of Christ despite many difficult concerns they encountered. Even in suffering from deadly circumstances, they rejoiced, and they were called martyrs for Christ.

         If they were more concerned about their safety and indulgences, they were away from the Lord. If they prioritized on their personal necessities, they cannot expect rewards from the Lord. They’re confident in the Lord.

         Someone suggested that our prayers reveals, if we are living by faith or not yet. Some are praying like the pagans, how? Let’s internalize what it warned in Matthew 6:31-32,³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

         Could our prayers expose our spiritual maturity? We pray for financial stability, safety, health, relationship, studies or career. Food, clothing and other practical things we need to survive are usually what pagans pray for. Pagans pray also for those essentials in life, but they do not believe in God.

         The Lord wants us to trust him even with little things. He wants us to pray for practical things also. But how do we live more than pagans? We live by faith when we personally apply what it teaches in Matthew 6:33-34.          ³³Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

         Seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness is our priority prayer. The kingdom of God pertains to the authority of God. When we allow God takes control of our activities or career, we seek his kingdom. We prioritize godly behavior and perform righteously. And also, living by faith involves being attentive to our mandate and proclaim the good news of Christ.

No Purpose

         Someone testified of her encounter with problematic person who was obviously confused and dejected. When asked about her concern, “I was diagnosed with terminal illness. My doctor said that I may live for just few years the most. So, I just wished to enjoy the rest of my life with my family. I want to travel the world and indulge myself,” the troubled person admitted.

         Obviously the said person has no eternal purpose and needs Christ. She did not hesitate to share the gospel of Christ and lead the person to pray and trust Jesus Christ. That’s divine appointment she was attentive to.

         If it’s divine appointment, we don’t hesitate to share our faith in Christ.

         Indeed, it is very encouraging to hear testimonies of how believers come to know and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God situates us exactly where he wants us to testify for Jesus Christ. Certainly, there’s celebration in heaven when sinners repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

         Reflect on what Jesus Christ declared in Luke 15:7, ⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.

         How is that? Christ declared that rejoicing happens in heaven over one sinner who repents, more than the rejoicing over 99 righteous persons. Of course, heaven rejoices over 99 righteous persons. A repentant person rejoices to enter heaven.  A repentant person and the 99 righteous persons enter heaven, and that’s 100 rejoicing more. It’s mathematically correct.

         Did you get it? Obviously, 100 rejoicing are more than 99 rejoicing. What else? If you lead people to Christ, you rejoice also. When you share  the gospel and they trust Christ, you’re added to the rejoicing in heaven of 99 righteous persons and the repentant sinners. But it’s not about numbers that matters. It’s the assurance that we rejoice in heaven forever.

         When we share the good news of salvation in Christ and more people accept him as Lord and Savior, there will be more rejoicing in heaven. More people will eternally thankful that we did our part in leading them to Christ. Pray for wisdom and confidence. God presents divine opportunity to testify for Christ anytime anywhere. The Holy Spirit prompts when or what to say.

2.  Say

          ⁸We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 

         To say that we aim to please God, it’s confidence from him. We also live by faith when we testify for Christ, but witnessing is complicated. To be silent or say nothing is the safest way to avoid conflict. Aggressive people are very sensitive and find ways to accuse us of racial prejudice.

         If we warned them against possible eternal punishment, they readily accuse us of condemnation for disaster. They do not want to hear about the grace and love of God for them. They want us to be silent about our faith. What should we say so that we won’t be misunderstood then?

         Pray for them if you’re bothered when they do not listen about Christ. The Lord knows his sheep, and we obey him. Christ says in John 10:27.

         ²⁷My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

         Do you recall the first time you heard the good news of salvation? Did you sensed some sort of eagerness to know more about Christ and his love for you? Certainly, similar eagerness can be sensed by potential believers. But for those who are perishing, they would ignore a warning against hell.

Country Bumpkin

         A fictional movie featured a country bumpkin. He warned everyone, “Don’t enter the hotel because it will explode anytime!” There were security guards in the hotel. So what explosion can possibly happen? The manager dismissed him. Clients ignored, laughed and mocked him, “Hillbilly loser!”

         However, a dignified woman was amused how the man persistently warned against entering the hotel. So, she asked the man what he knows. The man said, “I don’t know how it may explode, but please stay away from the building.” While others entered the hotel laughing at his warning, the dignified woman and her entourage stood outside the hotel. A few moments later, a loud explosion shattered the hotel building. They were shocked.

         The movie illustrated indirect warning of possible disaster for those who reject and laugh at God’s gift of salvation. In Matthew 7:13-14, Christ warned. ¹³Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

         Christians can visualize the horrible torture in the lake of fire. We are gifted with vision about wonderful heaven, and we want to enter the narrow gate and follow the narrow road that leads to heaven. Christ declared that the wide gate and broad road leads tragic destruction. Can you visualize it?

         Can you visualize the horrible and painful agony of eternal torture?

         Can you imagine how amazing life adventure in heaven would be? It prompts us testify for Christ if we could envision the amazing adventure in heaven or eternal torture in hell. Anyway, we could also invite ridicule and mockery from those who are perishing when we share the gospel of Christ.

         Nevertheless, we would prefer to make it our goal to please the Lord. We want to be found faithful in our calling. And when judgment day comes, we hope that the Lord will reward us before the judgment seat of Christ.

3.  Seat

          ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for                                  the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

         Certainly, we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And the Lord will appropriately reward us for the good things we do while in we live in our mortal body. But what had the Lord prepared for the bad things we have done while we live in this mortal body? It’s not explicitly revealed.

         Together, let us reflect on 1 John 2:1-6, ¹If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. ³We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

         Until Christ returns and takes us into heaven, we still commit sin but when we sin, we should readily seek the Lord to remove sinful behaviors. The Holy Spirit inspires us to avoid sin. The rewards given for good things we do while we live in this mortal body are not secretive. But what believers may get as appropriate for sinful behavior, it was not revealed clearly.

         Sin prevents earning rewards for God. We should be more focused on obeying the Lord instead. Read the Scripture meditatively to clearly hear instructions from the Lord. Most often, we resist instructions from the Lord and don’t readily obey him when sin is in control of our mind and heart. The Lord warned us to avoid sin. But if we sin we must repent and return to him.

King David

         We can learn from King David. King David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Then, he planned for the death of her husband. The Lord sent Prophet Nathan to inform King David his punishment. Reflect on how David repented in 2 Samuel 12:13, ¹³David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin.” 

         David repented, and God forgave him. That immorality of King David has stained his great life story. We should be aware of our behavior always. The Lord wants us to be alert always and pray to avoid temptation. Sin can blocked our opportunity to explore the life adventure the Lord prepared for us. Sin takes away our opportunity to store up treasures for ourselves.

         With unpredictable situations happening around the world, we are not very sure how long could peace prevail in our midst. Are you bothered and confused by the current disturbance somewhere? You’re not alone! Always seek to be filled with peace from God. Seriously pray to live by faith always.

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