I'm sure the answer to this question is highly subjective. For me, however, the answer to that question comes from the pen of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians in his second letter. In chapter five Paul is discussing the difference between the temporal and the eternal. It is here in verse seven that he makes this statement, "for we walk by faith, not by sight -."
If you don't agree with me that this is an absolutely frightening verse, consider the example of a young man who lived by this ideal, one who walked by faith, and not by sight, Joseph.
We will not look at Joseph of the Old Testament, whose life would well illustrate the fear this verse can contain, but the first Joseph we are introduced to in the New Testament, the step-father of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:19 tells us that Joseph was a righteous man. The definition of righteous is "right with God." When we drop down to verses 20-25, we find Joseph being visited in his sleep by an Angel of the Lord, giving Joseph instructions. What was his action in response to these instructions? In verse twenty-four we find that, "And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, . . ."
The faith of Joseph was one of immediate, unquestioning, unconditional obedience!
We see it again in the very next chapter, verses thirteen and fourteen, and again in nineteen through twenty-three,. Verse 14, "And he arose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed . . ."and again in verse 21, "And he arose and took the Child and His mother, . . ." then in verse 22, "And being warned in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee."
Think about if you were in Joseph's shoes, what he did. He jumped up and left everything in the middle of the night, on more than one occasion. He was walking by faith, not by sight. He didn't call ahead and book hotel rooms along the way or make sure he had a place to stay when he got there. He was commanded to go, and he went. He didn't even know if there was a job available for him when he got there.
How many of us are commanded to go just a few miles to the building a couple times of week, and we can't be bothered to leave the comfort of our beds or EZ chairs, knowing they will be there for us when we get back.
How is your faith? Is 2 Corinthians 5:7 a scary verse now? Are you willing to; do you have a; do you want to have a; faith that is one of immediate, unquestioning and unconditional obedience to God?
God commanded us on multiple occasions to go, preach, teach, baptize, and evangelize the entire world! How many of us have a faith that is immediate, unquestioning, and unconditional in carrying out these commands? Are we going to go do what God said to do because He said to do it? Do we have this kind of faith at home, at work, with our family, with our friends, with the rest of the world?
If not, then I believe yes, 2 Corinthians 5:17 IS the most scariest verse in the Bible. If you have that kind of faith, that is awesome. That is awe-inspiring. WOuld you do me a favor? Can you teach me how to have immediate, unquestioning, unconditional obedient faith?
God Bless You where ever you are in your walk of faith. My prayer today is that we all develop the faith of Joseph, the faith that makes 2 Corinthians 5:17 not the scariest verse is the Bible! - Robert
Very well said Robert, we all need to think about these things.
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