Looking At What Can't Be Seen

Everyone understands that a huge portion of physical reality can’t be seen with the human eye.  Perhaps most importantly, we can’t see the air we breathe.  Isn’t that amazing, we can’t even see something that our bodies depend on constantly.  This natural realm, all that consists of what we might perceive with our physical senses, contains many other important substances we can’t see.  But there is another entire realm that we can’t see or perceive with our natural senses, the spiritual realm. 

I know even the phrase “the spiritual realm” sounds weird and you’re thinking about skipping this teaching, but the importance of spiritual reality cannot be overstated.  The spiritual realm is actually the higher realm, the more important realm, with authority and power over the natural realm.  Even a basic understanding of the spiritual realm will dramatically improve your life and faith journey.

I’ve heard people discuss the spiritual realm before, but I’ve never seen a teaching from any prominent Christian directed entirely to it.  Recently I read 2 Corinthians 4:18 again, and the obvious importance of its words inspired me to study this spiritual, unseen realm.  What I’ve learned will shape my thinking and focus for the rest of my life, possibly the rest of my eternity.

(2 Corinthians 4:18 KJV) - “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.”

This study reminded me about the importance of meditation.  To meditate a verse we should read it over and over again, out loud, and even going over the verse in our minds.  This helps us notice different parts of the verse and receive revelation from God’s Spirit.  I spent some time meditating on this verse.

The verse’s instruction to “look . . . at the things which are not seen” caught me by surprise.  How do you look at what you can’t see?   The Greek word for “look” is “skopeo”, meaning to take aim at, to mark or to regard.  The word is not simply referring to physical vision.  We must focus on, regard, and aim at that which is not seen. 

In this amazing passage God tells us that we must focus on what we can’t see.  We should also remember the context here.  In these chapters Paul writes about his Christian life generally.  In the natural realm he and the other first Christians experienced hardships and struggles most of us can only imagine.  But Paul tells us that one of his life’s guiding principles was keeping his attention focused on what he couldn’t see, rather than what he could.

We would all likely agree that Paul referred to, at least in part, the Trinity and His eternal salvation as the unseen realities which commanded his focus.  As the most basic understanding we could take from this study, we should pause here and get it.

Your primary focus in life should be God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and your salvation.  They should be the Foundation and Guiding Light of your existence.  In fact, when you correctly prioritize God and your salvation, you can then correctly prioritize, and succeed in, every other area of your life.  God teaches us how to be a spouse, how to parent, work, serve, study, and do every other aspect of life correctly.  Actually, only with God’s guidance from His Word and Spirit can you do any part of your life correctly.  For some that’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s still true.

Before we move on let’s look at 1 Peter 1:8-9, in which Peter briefly mentions this subject when talking about Jesus.  We must focus on our unseen Savior and our salvation in Him.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

So with our entire lives we must look to God and our salvation in Christ, as our singular focus.  Doing so will create perspective for all other aspects of our reality and bring us joy.  Focusing on God and your salvation gives you a “big picture” perspective that helps in every area of your life. 

But while we must focus on God and our salvation, there are many other important realities in the spiritual realm.  Focusing on those realities, as applicable to your specific situations, will help you always succeed and receive God’s will.  In every situation, you should assess the seen and unseen realities, properly focusing on the unseen to change the seen as needed.

(2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV) – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

We are now going to talk about the intersection between these concepts, the ideas of walking by faith and focusing on the unseen.  They are closely related, and they help us understand a framework for living by faith.  While I do truly focus my existence on God and my salvation, I must also focus on the unseen, spiritual reality in every area of my life if I will have all that God has for me.  Let’s discuss how these principles work in our daily lives, using the story of the Israelites going into the Promised Land. 

You will recall that God promised the Israelites that He would bring them into this good land, and He also promised that He would drive out the inhabitants of the land before them (see Exodus 23, for example).  Then they arrived at the border and sent 12 spies to inspect the land.  

The 12 spies all agreed about the goodness of the land.  You see, it’s usually not the idea of the promise that scares us.  When God tells us to do something or that He wants something for us, the idea sounds good most of the time.  Most often, we want what God wants for us.  The problem is actually obtaining it, which usually involves difficulties in the natural realm, and that’s where the Israelites stumbled.

The 12 spies differed greatly when discussing the natural obstacles to obtaining the Promised Land.  While Joshua and Caleb focused on God and His promises of victory, the other ten spies focused on the giant inhabitants and their defenses (see Numbers 13).  The ten spies then caused all the other people to fear what could be seen, rather than focus on God’s presence and help, which couldn’t be seen.  Their fear angered God, and He refused to go with them.  When they decided to fight, they were defeated. 

God ordered them to remain in the wilderness for forty years, at which point they were allowed to try again.  If anything, the natural circumstances looked worse.  The land still had giants and big walls.  Moses, Aaron and all the other Israelite leaders had died except for Joshua and Caleb.  But this time God’s people focused on what they couldn’t see.  They trusted God’s promises and believed He would help them.  What then really happened (and we can’t take the time to explain all of this today) is that God miraculously gave the Israelites the most valuable real estate on the planet, and God helped them defeat the mightiest armies in the world. 

We should note that Israel’s enemies also couldn’t see spiritual reality, the most important reality.  Sometimes people will stand against what God wants for your life, but they can’t see everything that’s with you.  If they clearly saw all of your spiritual reality, they wouldn’t just stop fighting you, they would join you, rejoice for you, and worship God with you.

This instruction to focus on unseen spiritual reality is a fundamental teaching, one we must remember for as long as we exist.  When the Israelites focused on the seen and ignored the unseen they lost.  When they ignored the seen and focused on the unseen they won, they obtained the promises, they inherited the land.  In everything we do, in everything we pursue, in everything we want, we must focus on what can’t be seen.

In the unseen, spiritual realm we find God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God’s angels, God’s promises, the complete reality of God’s Word, and the righteousness, authority and power we have as Christians.

Let’s look at Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14:28-31.

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

Peter was walking on water!  Jesus told him to do it, just like God told the Israelites to take the land.  When God tells you to do something, no matter how crazy it sounds, you can do it.  Faith in God’s Word (walk on the water, take the land) literally makes the supernatural possible in our lives. 

The moment God tells you to do something, all the resources and power you will ever need are released in the unseen realm.  The entire Kingdom of God has your back.  You must go forward, knowing these unseen realities are there for you and that they will manifest in the natural realm as needed. 

But this only works while we focus on these unseen realities.  Focusing on walls, wind, waves, or whatever contrary natural circumstances may exist, weakens our faith to the point God’s Word won’t produce in our lives.  This must be understood.  Focusing on what they could see, the Israelites had no faith to take the land, and they couldn’t do it.  Focusing on the wind and the waves, Peter started to doubt, and the supernatural power holding him up on the water disappeared. 

Faith in God’s Word and the unseen reality is required for God’s miraculous power to work for you.

When Peter stepped out on the water, an unseen force or power or substance manifested in the natural realm that supported his weight.  That unseen reality, now present in the natural realm by Peter’s faith, overcame the laws of nature and miraculously supported Peter.  This is the same unseen force that destroyed the walls of Jericho as the Israelites finished marching.

Some version of this miraculous substance appears every time you step out on God’s Word in faith.  This same substance will destroy heathen armies (look at the story of Gideon for another great example).  It will destroy towering walls.  It will move mountains.  It will heal injuries and sicknesses.  It will bring wealth.  It will heal relationships.  It will even overcome social media algorithms to help Godly messages reach billions (ok yes that one’s personal). 

When you focus on God’s Word and the spiritual realities, when you have faith in their reality, there is a force that moves from the unseen realm into the natural realm to miraculously change your situation.  That force will create, destroy, move, heal, or take any other action necessary for you to obtain what God has promised you.  That same force will overcome anything, even the very laws of nature, to manifest God’s will in your life.  This is what faith in God’s promises causes to happen.  And it will keep working until God’s will for our life is completely manifested, so long as we stay focused on the unseen and we don’t allow the seen to weaken our faith.

(And just because we’re friends I want to tell you that I think those are some of the most important and powerful words I’ve ever written.  I know God is teaching us how these things work.  I know He wants us to use these truths to do exploits for Him.)

We’re going to continue with this subject next week, and we are going to continue learning how to apply these principles.  I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving week, that you enjoy time with your loved ones, and you take a few minutes to thank God for all He has done for you.