Walking by Faith in Times of Change and Uncertainty
Paul's declaration "we walk by faith, not by sight" [1, 2] anchors Christian teaching on navigating uncertainty. Written to the Corinthian church amid his defense of apostolic ministry, this verse establishes faith as the operative principle for believers whose present experience remains incomplete and whose future remains veiled.
The Nature of Faith-Walking
Faith in this context functions as more than intellectual assent. The phrase describes "a realizing, working faith; not 'in word only,' but in one continuous chain of 'work'" [3]. This active dimension distinguishes biblical faith from passive belief—it produces tangible effects in conduct and perseverance. The Methodist tradition emphasizes that "faith supplies the place of direct vision" during earthly existence [5]. Where sight would provide immediate certainty, faith operates on the testimony of God's word, trusting what cannot yet be empirically verified.
The contrast between faith and sight marks a fundamental distinction between present and future modes of knowing. Adam Clarke notes that "in the future world we shall have sight—the utmost evidence of spiritual and eternal things; as we shall be present with them, and live in them" [5]. The current age requires trust precisely because believers lack the direct perception that will characterize the age to come. This temporal structure shapes how Christians approach uncertainty: not as an obstacle to overcome through human effort, but as the normative condition in which faith operates.
Faith's Relationship to Hope
The triad of faith, love, and hope appears throughout apostolic teaching as the characteristic marks of Christian existence. Faith and hope function in tandem, with hope directing faith toward future realities. The phrase "who have before hoped in the Christ" describes those "who before the Christ came, looked forward to His coming, waiting for the consolation of Israel" [4]. This forward orientation distinguishes Christian faith from mere optimism—it rests on specific promises regarding God's redemptive purposes.
Hope does not eliminate present difficulty but reframes it. The believer walks by faith through circumstances that remain opaque, trusting that God's purposes will be vindicated. This posture requires sustained confidence in divine faithfulness when immediate evidence appears contrary. The "earnest of his Spirit" provides "a foretaste of glory" [5], offering present assurance of future completion without removing the need for faith in the interim.
Practical Implications for Uncertainty
Walking by faith during periods of change means proceeding without comprehensive knowledge of outcomes. The biblical pattern shows believers acting on God's word before seeing results—Abraham departing for an unknown land, Israel crossing the Red Sea, the early church expanding amid persecution. Each instance required movement forward based on divine promise rather than visible confirmation.
This principle applies to both individual and corporate life. Decisions about vocation, relationships, and stewardship often must be made without certainty about consequences. Faith does not provide a blueprint for every choice but establishes trust in God's character as the foundation for action. The "work of faith" [3] manifests in obedience that persists through ambiguity, maintaining fidelity to revealed truth when circumstances remain unclear.
The distinction between faith and sight also guards against false expectations. Believers should not anticipate the removal of all uncertainty in this age, nor should they interpret present confusion as evidence of God's absence. The normative Christian experience involves trusting God's goodness and sovereignty precisely when those realities are not immediately apparent. This framework prevents both presumption—demanding visible proof before acting—and despair when such proof is withheld.
Faith-walking thus describes the characteristic posture of Christian existence between Christ's first and second advents: confident movement forward based on God's promises, sustained by the Spirit's presence, oriented toward a future that remains partially hidden but certain in its fulfillment.
Sources
- II Corinthians “II Corinthians 5:7 (Rotherham) — By faith, are we walking, not by sight;—”
- 2 Corinthians “for we walk by faith, not by sight. -- 2 Corinthians 5:7”
- 1 Thessalonians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Thessalonians 1:3: work of faith--the working reality of your faith; its alacrity in receiving the truth, and in evincing itself by its fruits. Not an otiose assent; but a realizing, working faith; not "in word only," but in one continuous chain of "work" (singular, not plural, works), Th1 1:5-10; Jam 2:22. So "the work of faith" in Th2 1:11 implies its perfect development (compare Jam 1:4). The other governing substantives similarly mark respectively the characteristic manifestation of the grace which follows each in the genitive. Faith, love, and hope, are the ”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 1:12: (Eph 1:6, Eph 1:14). who first trusted in Christ--rather (we Jewish Christians), "who have before hoped in the Christ": who before the Christ came, looked forward to His coming, waiting for the consolation of Israel. Compare Act 26:6-7, "I am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come." Act 28:20, "the hope of Israel" [ALFORD]. Compare Eph 1:18; Eph 2:12; Eph 4:4.”
- 2 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 5:7: For we walk by faith - While we are in the present state faith supplies the place of direct vision. In the future world we shall have sight - the utmost evidence of spiritual and eternal things; as we shall be present with them, and live in them. Here we have the testimony of God, and believe in their reality, because we cannot doubt his word. And to make this more convincing he gives us the earnest of his Spirit, which is a foretaste of glory.”