The eyes of our faith are not to be fixed on the outer man—his health, his wealth, his circumstances, or his religious performance, as these things may change, fade, or even deceive. But the inner man, renewed day by day, is where the Spirit works and where truth dwells.
Our faith is not grounded in what we see, feel, or experience. It is grounded in what we know—specifically, in the words of our sound doctrine: the gospel of Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, found in Paul’s epistles and rightly divided from prophecy. Not vague impressions, not mystical signs, not emotional highs. But the written Word of God rightly divided, believed with understanding, and held with assurance.
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). That renewal comes not through external effort or change, but through spiritual truth. And spiritual truth is found in our doctrine.
So, we do not chase the visible—meaning we do not pursue outward signs, worldly success, or emotional experiences as proof of God’s work. We do not anchor our hope in the physical. We set our affection on things above—that is, on eternal truth, on our position in Christ, and on the promises of grace revealed in heavenly doctrine. We feed the inner man with the words of grace, and we walk by faith in what God has said.
That is how the believer grows. That is how the believer sees.
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