1 Peter 1:8-9—Faith in the unseen Lord

…and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9

… though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and… though you do not see Him now…

“You can’t prove that Jesus is real. Have you ever seen Him? Can you see Him now?”

Ever talked with someone like this? Our generation is loaded with cynics, forever questioning your faith in Jesus, demanding proof. If you can’t produce evidence, then Jesus doesn’t exist, according to their rationale.

Even back in Peter’s day, although he himself had been a part of the Lord’s inner circle, the vast majority of souls to whom the apostle ministered had no personal recollection of Jesus Christ.

Did Peter consider himself superior to folks like this? Did he possess an “edge” around the “less enlightened”—those who had never known Jesus personally as he did?

No! Instead of constantly name-dropping about his earthly connection to the Lord, Peter marveled at the faith that pulsated in those who had never seen.

…and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and… believe in Him…

Peter wrote this with wonder, a glowing assessment of the genuineness of their faith. They who had never seen Jesus walked by love and faith not based on sight.

On the other hand, Jesus had said to Peter’s friend Thomas (the one who had demanded to see), “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:29).

There’s something extremely potent about believing without seeing…

… you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory…

This was no phony fanaticism. Pure joy bubbled up from within them despite the opposition they encountered on a daily basis. This joy was deeply rooted and uncontainable. Not based on circumstances, its source was from above and beyond their ability to express in full measure—but God’s glory saturated every manifestation of their joy.

…obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Faith is a state of being—being assured of the things you hope for and being convinced of the things you don’t see (see Hebrews 11:1).

And faith obtains. Always.

Hebrews 11:7-38 lists a sampling of all that faith obtained in the lives of those who went before us. By faith mountains move, bodies are healed, men are delivered, women are empowered, children are set free, and nations are turned to God.

But at the summit of all wonderful things which faith can obtain is this: Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your soul.

Nothing is more precious and nothing is more valuable than your soul. It cost the blood of Jesus to ransom you from the hater of your soul, the devil. Jesus paid an exorbitant price—a torturous death on the cross while bearing the sin of the world—to attain your freedom from the tyrant from hell.

And as you grab hold of Him as your Rescuer and Lord by faith…you obtain the best outcome available in the universe—the salvation of your soul.

Never downplay the magnitude of the faith that lives in your heart. Never dismiss the eternal value and significance of the salvation of your soul.

Because of your faith in Him whom you have not seen, you will have an inexpressibly joyful and glorious forever.

Dorothy

…Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. John 20:29

© 2015, Dorothy Frick