BIBLICAL BRIEFS 88
The three opening verses of the apostolic letter of 1Joh. repeatedly emphasize the senses of the physical Son (of the invisible Father) who physically interacted with the disciples: “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands… ” John was one of those very blessed individuals (Luke 10:23-24) who believed because he saw and experienced through his senses. But Paul, who did not experience this privilege himself, explains in 2Cor. 5:16 (AMP) that it is not a standard to all believers: “Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Jesus from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh].” Even though some could have known Him in the flesh, we now can only know Him in the spirit. Faith is therefore the foundation of our spiritual walk. Like Abraham, we walk as if we can see the invisible (Heb. 11:27)! Seeing is NOT believing, as the proverb has it, anymore; believing is seeing! 1Pet 1:8 sums up on point: He, ” though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, … believe in Him”. The reality as you and I know it now, is full of decay and mortality, not as God intended. Therefore Rom. 8:20 says that the creation is subjected to futility. The WNT translates it succinctly: “For the creation fell into subjection to failure and UNREALITY …” Our seen reality is ruled by what physics calls the law of entropy – everything changes from a state of order to a state of disorder. This is actually then not true reality. What you and I consider to be reality is in reality “unreality”. Only by faith, paradoxically, true reality can be experienced.
Dr Tom Gouws
