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"For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7).

Does God call people to follow Him in "blind faith?"  Does Christianity demand a "blind faith?"  At first glance, this verse might seem to imply so.

The matter of "blind faith" has much to do with the creation v. evolution debate.  After all, most Darwinians accuse Christians of having a blind faith, while they claim to be the sole possessors of evidence-based science.  Simply put, evolution is based on reason, they say, while religion is based on faith.

To fully examine this topic, however, we need to do two things.  First, we need to define "blind faith."

Typically what we mean when we use the term "blind faith" is a dumb faith, or a belief that rests on something that simply is unreasonable, illogical, and non-evidentiary.  This kind of dumb faith is clearly not what Paul had in mind, nor does any other Bible writer.

The Apostle Peter wrote in his letter, "But set apart Christ the Lord in your hearts, always being prepared to make a defense [a reasoned argument or logical defense] to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).

No dumb faith here.

The Apostle Paul also employed well-reasoned, logical arguments when he presented the gospel to people (Acts 17).  Luke made it a point to tell his reader that he carefully investigated all the truth claims of which he wrote in his Gospel (Luke 1:3).

So, it is obvious 2 Cor 5:7 is not a call for a dumb, blind faith in something that has no evidence or logic to it at all.  If that were the case, we would not expect the New Testament writers to go to such pains to offer eye-witness proofs of Jesus' resurrection from the dead (1 Cor 15).  As Paul argued before King Agrippa, "for this [Jesus' life, death and resurrection] has not been done in a corner" (Acts 26:26).  Faith in the Risen Lord Jesus is anything but dumb.  Nor is Christian faith blind.  Quite the contrary, Christians of all people have been graciously given "eyes to see" who Jesus really is (Matt 16:17).

Second, then, we need to think carefully through what Paul did mean by 2 Cor 5:7.  To that task we now turn:

• Context, context, context!  Paul is addressing the issue of persecution and suffering among the saints at Corinth (4:16-18).  He says the motivation  to endure physical hardship is the hope of heaven, eternity, which cannot be physically seen.  (It is worth noting how at odds this is with the "health and wealth" false gospel so popular in some circles.)
• Paul continued the line of thought into chapter 5, verses 1-5, and shifted his focus specifically to the contrast between our present physical flesh and our promised resurrection body.  He says here God actually designed us for eternal life in an incorruptible body (v. 5).  God always begins with the end in mind, doesn't He?
• In verses 6-8, Paul discussed the conflicting emotions of a Christian that arise from knowing so long as we remain in our physical bodies, we simply cannot be with our Lord.  This makes us long (in a weird, non-suicidal way) for death.  That is, we long for removal from this corrupted, sin-scarred life because we understand it's the only way we'll get to live with and "see" the Lord!
• This, then, is what the phrase "we walk by faith, not by sight" directly refers to in this passage.  Right now, we cannot physically see God.  But one day, by grace, we will see Him.  Until then, we press on with a burning desire to please this God who we cannot presently see with our fleshly eyes.  But we do now see Him with our spiritual eyes given to us by grace through faith. 
• Our hope is one day we will see Him just as He is, which is both a joyful and fearful thought (vv. 9-11).

So, it is clear Paul's point is not that Christians have no good reasons to believe in God and His Christ.  Rather, his point is things that are not seen are actually more real than temporal things we can now see.

And this truth, dear friends, flies in the face of the materialism and naturalism of evolution. 

I contend it is the Darwinist that has blind faith.  Stay tuned for more reasons why I simply do not have enough faith to be a Darwinist!

by Keith McWhorter