“Let us remember that we are all in the same condition as Abraham. Our circumstances are all in opposition to the promises of God. He promises us immortality: yet we are surrounded by mortality and corruption. He declares that He accounts us just: yet we are covered with sins. He testifies that He is propitious and benevolent towards us: yet outward signs threaten His wrath. What then are we to do? We must close our eyes, disregard ourselves and all things connected with us, so that nothing may hinder us from believing that God is true.”
(Calvin’s commentaries: The epistles of Paul to the Romans and to the Thessalonians)

This is what it means to live by faith and not by sight. It means to trust, no matter what, the Word and promises of God, and to act accordingly. God is faithful and altogether trustworthy. He has given us His best and highest in the gift of His Son Jesus and surely He will withhold no lesser blessing (Rom. 8:32). We must believe it and be definitely sure of it. We only need to look at the cross for the guarantee of it.

The Christian is involved in unrelenting warfare with the world, the flesh and the evil one. Every step of progress in being Christ-like will meet with opposition. To overcome, we need a moment by moment trust in God, in His Word, in the goodness and perfection of His purposes, and in His ‘exceeding great and precious’ promises, which ‘find their Yes in Christ Jesus’ (2 Cor. 1:20).

Our progress in walking by faith and not by sight depends on us grasping this truth: the strength and glory of faith lies not in us or anything in us, but wholly in our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith looks out and up, not in and around.

Faith is self-abandoning reliance on and trust in Jesus Christ. The Christian life from the beginning to the end is a life of faith. God at times may give us tangible, even visible, tokens and expressions of His love and care (and even anger!). Faith focuses on Christ; it is nourished, not by looking in to find some ‘crumbs’ of spiritual comfort, but by looking out and feeding on the ‘Bread of Life’ (John 6). Jesus is our great encouragement. His love to me, not my love to Him, supports my soul. His faithfulness to me, not my faithfulness to Him, will bring me safely home.