| “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” |
| —1 Peter 1:8-9 |
One of the amazing things about Christianity—and this is something that totally confounds people outside the faith—is how we followers of Jesus can be so devoted to someone we have never seen. We have no photographs, no videos or movies, no portraits, no actual images of any kind. We do not really know what Jesus looks like, what His voice sounds like, or what His eyes convey when He looks at us.
In spite of all of this “mystery,” we love Jesus with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. Why? Because, before the foundation of the earth, God has chosen to call us to Himself. God has sent His Holy Spirit to convince us of the fact that we are sinners in need of a savior, and to introduce us to the great gift that God has given us in salvation from the penalty of our sins through the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of His only Son, Jesus. The Apostle Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 1:8-9:
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
These words come from one who not only saw Jesus, but was one of His inner circle. Peter does a good job of representing most of us—a flawed man, but one whose heart has become bent, by the Holy Spirit, toward mercy, grace, and love. Oh that we all could be more like the person Peter became. To think that Peter insisted on being crucified upside down because he did not think himself worthy to be sacrificed in the same way that his Lord and Savior was killed.
As we look out into the beginning of another day, let’s feel an inexpressible joy within us that the great “mystery” of the Christian faith continues to be revealed in and through us. Because God chooses to use us as His ambassadors, let’s gratefully share with others—in the most kind and gentle way possible—the glories of the good news about Jesus.
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, November 6, 2017
