So, at a glance, there seem to be a number of passages in the New Testament that describe faith as seeing. To have saving faith is just like having the ability to see something that not everyone sees. This is exciting when we consider that it is God Himself who has cracked open vast heavenly mysteries upon which we may feast our eyes of faith. I said we would come back to Hebrews 11 before moving on to some other considerations. I do this because Hebrews 11 has some thrilling teachings on this truth of seeing the beauty of God and His kingdom through the eyes of faith.

If, as I have contended, Hebrews 11 shows something of the results of saving faith, it simultaneously shows something of the results of being able to see God and His kingdom. The point I would like to make here today is the foundation-shaking, life-changing, effects this seeing has on the life of a person to whom God has given the ability to see. Like the man born blind in John 9, his life was radically changed, not only from receiving his physical sight, but from receiving spiritual sight. In fact, John 11 is a perfect analogy of this transaction as well. Just like Lazarus, a dead sinner is raised to life by God so that he can function in the land of the living. When he was dead he couldn’t do that, but now that he is alive, he has the power and ability to engage in the thrill of life. Spiritual sight—saving faith—is like that.

So let us have a look at some of the results of this ability to see through the eyes of faith.

In verse 1 (Hebrews 11), the person who can see God and His kingdom is left in no doubt that the God and kingdom he is able to see really are there. This person looks at this glorious God and naturally sees no other explanation for the creation of the world (v3) and the reality that he will personally be received into God’s eternal kingdom regardless of what happens to this impermanent material universe (meditate on Psalm 102:25-28 in this regard). What I am saying is that a person who sees God and His kingdom is in no doubt that they exist, and regardless of where his mind goes, the reality of God and future glory with Him completely colours his perception. He can no longer think as if God is not there and as if God’s existence makes no difference to the way he lives.

Because he can see God and His kingdom in this way, he has a solid sense of security in God. He can see that the blind masses around him with their ideas of meaning in life, are lost because they can’t see! Consider Elisha’s confidence in 2 Kings 6. His servant is panicking about being surrounded by a hostile army, but Elisha isn’t. What is the difference? Elisha can see and his servant can’t. What a delight it was for that servant to have this measureless new world burst upon him in that instant. The cesspool of fear and uncertainty instantly turned to unshakeable confidence in the LORD, the instant God granted him the ability to see.