“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Matthew 6:22
“And Peter answered him and said,
Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And
when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to
Jesus.” –Matthew 14: 28 & 29
It is not enough to make a one-time decision to follow Jesus, or a unique
profession of faith. A once decided and sometimes believing relationship
with Jesus is no relationship at all, and no salvation at all. Though we
may set our focus on Christ, when we lose our focus, we begin to lose Christ
himself. Focus, and following, is just as important as repentance and the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So important, that the scriptures teach us
that a man or woman who is totally focused and diligently “adding to their
faith” will “never fall.”
Take the text above for example, the story of Peter walking on water. We
find in this passage the disciples afraid while caught in a violent
storm. This storm is so violent that even Peter, a professional
fisherman, begins to fear. Then comes Jesus, walking the sea. Once
Peter knows that it is Jesus, and Jesus bids him “come”; he leaves the boat to
walk to Him on the water. Leaving that which is logical and stepping out
on faith. His faith and focus on Christ kept him safe. When he
doubted, lost sight of Jesus, and began to focus on the circumstances around
him, he began to sink. Consider in contrast the disciple Stephen (Acts
7). We read where he preached boldly to the Jews and was taken to be
stoned for it. While the Pharisees (Jewish scholars of the law) were
casting rocks at him with intent to kill he looked toward heaven and
steadfastly focused on the Son of God. He then cries “Lord, receive my
Spirit.” Stephen was not frantic or clamoring, he was at peace. He
was faithful until the end. Spiritually, what could they do to harm
him? What was there to dread when the vision of the Son of God standing
at the right hand of the Father was before his eyes? His focus was
steadfastly on Christ.
When we focus on the Son of God. “Looking unto Jesus”, so
says the writer of Hebrews. Completely, totally, diligently, and in that
we find a state of spiritual invincibility. There is nothing that can
overcome us because the overcomer keeps us. It is not of ourselves, but a
simple and constant dependency on the Master. We keep him ever before
us. The troubles come, tribulation surrounds, the dark nights, high
winds, and tremendous waves of life. Yet it cannot affect the peace
within because the focus is on the Master of it all. A Master who we
trust is in control. We are kept by Him, when we keep Him central in our
lives, totally focused and totally obedient.
