Look Not At The Things Which Are Seen
By David J. Stewart | August 2013
2nd Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 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.”
What a wonderful Scripture. The Bible teaches for
us as born-again Christians NOT to look upon the visible things of this
world. That's a remarkable teaching!!! How many people do you know who live
by sight? Nearly everyone! But as believers we are commanded to walk BY
FAITH and not BY SIGHT. 2nd Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not
by sight.” I am greatly encouraged in the Lord every time I read this
wonderful passage of Scripture. The unsaved world only look at the visible
world in which they live; but as Christians who walk in the Spirit of God we
see the spiritual battle taking place in the world today. LOOK NOT AT THE
THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN!
Ephesians 6:12 teaches that our battle is not against flesh and blood; but rather, it is against the Devil (Satan), the demons (fallen angels), the spiritual wickedness in high places and against THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. 2nd Corinthians 4:4 teaches that Satan is the god of this evil world. As such the Devil uses occult secret societies to do his evil bidding. Behind nearly every evil agenda in the world today you'll find Freemasonry, Skull and Bones, Bohemian Grove or some other occult group. The word “occult” means hidden. They have to hide their deeds because their works are works of darkness and must be kept secret to avoid exposure by the righteous. LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN!
Here are some words of wisdom, from Saint Thomas Aquinas, a famous Roman Catholic priest (go figure!). Although Aquinas was unsaved and steeped in the hellish prisonhouse of Catholicism, he also made some remarkably accurate and great quotes during his lifetime as a prolific writer...
“...man’s happiness does not consist of wealth, honor, fame, glory, power, the goods of the body, or pleasure. In fact, man’s happiness cannot consist in any created good at all, since the ultimate object of man’s will, the universal good, cannot be found in any creature but rather only in God, who is the source of all good.” ―St. Thomas Aquinas
“Man’s ultimate happiness consists in the contemplation of truth, for this operation is specific to man and is shared with no other animals. Also it is not directed to any other end since the contemplation of truth is sought for its own sake. In addition, in this operation man is united to higher beings (substances) since this is the only human operation that is carried out both by God and by the separate substances (angels).” ―St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Contra Gentiles, book 3, chapter 37)
“The truth of our faith becomes a matter of ridicule among the infidels if any Catholic, not gifted with the necessary scientific learning, presents as dogma what scientific scrutiny shows to be false.” ―St. Thomas Aquinas
The Bible teaches in 2nd Corinthians 4:17-18 that the things which are seen are only temporal. This world and the fashion thereof passeth away. 1st Corinthians 7:31, “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.” But the things which are invisible (not seen) are eternal. God wants us to live for the unseen things. Hebrews 11:27, “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Isn't that beautiful? Moses didn't flee from Pharaoh because he was afraid; but rather, because he saw HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE. Moses saw God clearly, even though he hadn't seen Him physically. God did reveal Himself at a later time to Moses, physically, speaking face-to-face as a friend (Exodus 33:11). Do you see God Who is invisible?
The heathen world places God on trial, demanding proof of His existence or else they refuse to believe. The truth is that they'd still reject Jesus Christ even if zombies rose from the dead to warn them (Luke 16:31). We have the Word of God as our witness of the truth. My friend, look not upon this visible world, for the world will pass away and all that is in it—the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life (1st John 2:15-17). Only those who obey the Gospel by believing upon Christ's death, burial and resurrection from the dead three days later will be forgiven and eternally saved (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN!
I don't know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future. Amen! We are on the winning side in Jesus Christ. May we all look upon the unseen world, upon the things of God. Colossians 3:1-3, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” The immature and carnal believer walk by sight, failing to see and understand the race that is set before us. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (literally) to reach others for Jesus Christ, because there won't be any lost people to reach in Heaven. Everyone in Heaven will be saved, clothed in God's righteousness which is by faith in Christ Jesus. LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN!
Volumes of books could be written on this subject. Jesus taught that NO MAN can serve God and mammon (wealth). We will either love God and hate money, or love money and hate God. There is no middle ground. If we focus on the things which are not seen, then we will forsake the love of money and instead pursue the things of Jesus Christ. Young women today are pursuing secular careers to obtain money and acceptance by worldly peers, forsaking a marriage commitment and motherhood. 1st Timothy 5:14-15 teaches that young women ought to marry, bear children, guide the home and stay out of trouble. LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN!
Christians who fail to share the Gospel are only looking at this temporal world. I hear famous Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) singers saying horrible things like, “I'm a singer, not a preacher, I'm not trying to convert anybody.” Amy Grant said that. She has professed to be a Christian from the very beginning of her singing career; yet she has no desire to share to win her millions of fans to Jesus Christ. No wonder Hollywood gave Amy a star of fame. It is apostasy! We all have a duty to preach the Gospel. Psalms 126:5-6 speaks of GOING FORTH WEEPING, BEARING PRECIOUS SEED. That seed is the Word of God (1st Peter 1:23). Very few Christians weep these days over the lost, over sin and over the apostate condition of our churches.
Oh that we would pray and ask God to give us a burden for the lost, until we weep for them. The Bible says that our heart is where our treasure is at. If you don't have a burden for the lost. You just start investing your time to reach them, pray for them and preach the Gospel to them and THE BURDEN WILL COME as your treasure increases through time invested in winning the lost to Christ. Most people spend their time on hobbies, watching TV and personal interests; yet the world is going to Hell in darkness, blinded from seeing the light of the Gospel by the Devil (2nd Corinthians 4:4).
Living by faith means looking at the things which are NOT SEEN! Moses saw HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE and fled from wicked Egypt. When we as Christian believers see God Who is invisible, we will forsake the sinful world by faith. We must one day give account to God (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11). If we truly believe that, then we are going to fear God and live accordingly. The wicked world doesn't fear God at all, evidenced by their sinful ways. King David saw this. Psalms 36:1, “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.” I know that our nation's leaders do not fear God, because of the wicked things which they endorse, support and legalize; such as, abortion, same-sex marriage, casino gambling, tyranny, stealing, drunkenness and public nudity. Woe unto America!
The way we live is determined to the same degree that we LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN!
