But first, let's observe that there are different kinds of faith:

First, there is what we could call common faith. This is the faith that is unconsciously exercised every day as we go about our business. This week, Peter, Jack and I will board a plane which will take us across the Atlantic to Europe, and then south into the great continent of Africa. We will not only trust in the quality of the machine, and the inspectors who we believe have made sure everything is working well, but we will place our lives in the hands of the pilots and air traffic controllers who will guide that plane to a safe landing. More commonly, we put this kind of faith into action when we walk into a room and flip the light switch, or when we swipe a credit card at the supermarket, or eat the food set before us in the restaurant, or click a mouse to send an email to a friend. We may have moments of worry, but we continue to make our way through the day, simply believing everything will continue to work and we will be safe.

Secondly, there is family and friendship faith, the confidence we have that even when we behave badly, these people will stay by us, or when we bare our soul to them, they will not betray our trust, or when we need their help, they will be there.

As Christians, we also know there is saving faith. We have an inner certainty that our sins have been forgiven, and that when we die we will not receive the deserved punishment, but because Jesus died on the cross, we will join Him with His Father in heaven.

And finally, there is what the Bible calls the gift of faith, a special God-given ability to anticipate the miraculous. As one of the "spiritual gifts," this is exercised during times of great need or when the Gospel would be advanced by means of a special display of God's power. As with all of the gifts, this kind of faith is administered by the Holy Spirit - it is not controlled by the will of man, nor should it ever be used for personal gain or attention.

So when we say, "We live by faith," which kind of faith are we talking about? All of them.

Faith in God is not unlike the common faith we employ when we board an airplane. The pilot is out of view, and we may make the entire trip and never even hear his voice. We can't see the electricity that apparently flows along wires hidden in the walls of our homes, yet we still flip the switch - I have never heard anyone say, "I can't see the electricity, so I'm going to keep reading by the light of my oil lamp."

Our faith in God is also like the faith we place in family and friends - even when we are away from them, we still believe in their love, and even when we behave badly, we believe that God's love remains constant.

It's obvious that our faith in God involves saving faith, and when the overwhelming problems press in on us, at the most critical moments, we believe there will be a special gift of faith provided to bring us through.

We also want to acknowledge that the words "faith . . . not sight" make it sound like we're talking about "blind faith" - not totally. There is blindness when it comes to physical sight, but this faith is not "ignorant" faith. We have the Bible which teaches us about the dependability of God, we have our own previous experiences as well as the testimony of others - these all help us live by "informed faith"

Francis Schaeffer, in his book "The God Who Is There," imagines a situation where a man is caught in a storm on the side of a mountain in the Swiss Alps. The swirling snow makes it impossible for him to see more than a few inches. The man, squatting on a narrow ledge, hears a voice urging him to leap off the ledge to a safe path below which will take him back to the village below. If an unknown voice is heard, the man will probably not want to take the risk of jumping into the unknown abyss. But when the voice identifies itself as belonging to a well known, experienced mountain guide, the man is willing to leap, and ultimately finds his way to safety.

The point of the story is this, we can trust in the "Voice", because we know from the reports of others, as well as from our own past experience, that He is trustworthy, and we can rely on Him to lead us out of this blinding storm.

On the other hand, rather than having a blind faith, ours is a bold faith.

Twice in our chosen passage, II Corinthians 5, we have the phrase, "we are confident." The word used here (tharrheo) means "to exercise courage:-- be bold, be confident, or daring." This particular expression is used often throughout Scripture.

When the people of Israel seemed to be trapped at the edge of the Red Sea, Moses called out to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:13, 14) Can you imagine the faith, the boldness, they needed in order to stand still at such a time?

A little over a month later, after God had given to Moses the stone tablets containing the law, we have this report, "When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, 'Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.'" Using the same language as before, Moses responded, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." (Exodus 20:18-20)

When the prophet Elijah asked the woman of Zarephath to provide a meal for him, he said, "Don't be afraid. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family." (I Kings 17:13-15)

During times of national upheaval, the Old Testament prophets proclaimed a similar message:

"But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. `Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, `and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. `This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'" (Haggai 2:4,5)

"The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." (Zechariah 8:12,13)

Jesus also used this word when speaking to the palsied man (Matthew 9:2), the woman who had the issues of blood (Matthew 9:22), the disciples when caught in the terrible storm (Matthew 14:27); and also later spoke to Paul when he was in jail, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." (Acts 23:11)

In these examples, the translations vary, but the meaning is the same. The exhortation is to be confident, be courageous. We believe that it is faith that enables boldness.

Another related story in the Gospels is that of Blind Bartimaeus found in Mark 10:46-52. This blind beggar at the entrance of Jericho heard that Jesus was coming near, and he began to cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The people around him tried to quiet him, ". . . but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'" When Jesus heard the cries of this desperate man, He told His disciples to bring the man to Him, which they did using these words, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." The translation "cheer up" may be unfortunate - better to say, "Be courageous."

By the way, when given the death sentence, the famous Greek philosopher, Socrates, told his student, Plato, that he can face death with boldness (confidence, "tharrheo") because of his awareness of immortality. Certainly, the same can be said of those who live by faith in the saving grace of the Lord.

There is a very close relationship between the two sentences, "We live by faith," and "We are confident." Those who have faith demonstrate it through their courage. Where did we ever get the idea that people of faith are wimpy and weak? The very opposite is true, people who have faith are courageous and daring. Does fear ever enter in? Of course it does, but it is overcome by faith.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident." (Psalm 27:1-3)

The sorely tested Psalmist cried out, "The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Psalm 118:6)

In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews reiterated this messsage, "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5,6) "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (I John 4:4) I believe in what I cannot see, the Spirit of God in me is greater than anything in the world outside.

In closing, let me tell you the story of a young pilot who found himself flying in extremely difficult weather conditions. Visibility had dropped to a matter of feet as the fog moved in. Putting total trust in the cockpit instruments was a new experience to him, for the ink was still wet on the certificate verifying that he was qualified for instrument flying.

The landing worried him the most. His destination was a crowded metropolitan airport he wasn't familiar with. In a few minutes he would be in radio contact with the tower. Until then, he was alone with his thoughts. His instructor had practically forced him to memorize the rule book. He didn't care for it at the time, but now he was thankful.

Finally he heard the voice of the air traffic controller. "I'm going to put you on a holding pattern," the controller radioed. Great! thought the pilot. However, he knew that his safe landing was in the hands of this person. He had to draw upon his previous instructions and training, and trust the voice of an air traffic controller he couldn't see. Aware that this was no time for pride, he informed the controller, "This is not a seasoned pro up here. I would appreciate any help you could give me."

"You've got it!" he heard back.

For the next 45 minutes, the controller gently guided the pilot through the blinding fog. As course and altitude corrections came periodically, the young pilot realized the controller was guiding him around obstacles and away from potential collisions. With the words of the rule book firmly placed in his mind, and with the gentle voice of the controller, he landed safely at last.

And so will we, for "We live by faith, not by sight."

1. Who are included in the "we" of the statement, "We live by faith, not by sight."

2. What is the basic meaning of this statement?

3. What are some different kinds of faith?

4. What are some examples of what is called "common faith"?

5. How is our faith in God like the faith we place in family and friends?

6. What is the spiritual gift of faith, and do all Christians have it?

7. If we truly live by faith and not by sight, does that mean we have blind faith?

8. What are some of the reasons we can live according to "informed faith"?

9. What relationship can be seen between bold faith and the stories of Moses at the Red Sea and Mt. Sinai, and Elijah and the woman of Zarephath?

10. What message were the disciples of Jesus to give to blind Bartimaeus, and what was his response?

11. Why do many people assume that believers are weak people?

12. What are some parallels between flying, and landing a plane in a fog and living by faith?