How Can You Have Faith in God You Cannot See?

1 Peter 1:8-9T

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, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

As Peter encourages these new believers amidst their difficult circumstances. He helps them to remember three things.

1. They love him. They have experienced a love they have never experienced before. This is the unconditional love the world could never offer. When we realize what love God has shown us through Jesus' death on the cross, we learn how to love someone we can't see. We can love because He first loved us.

2. They believe in Him. It was easier for Peter, who had spent three years with Jesus to have faith, but these believers had never seen him. They believed through the testimony of the apostles. And through believing in Him they discovered life in His name . They experience that He was is with them through thick and thin. He will never leave or forsake unlike some of the friends in this world.

3. What was the result? They were filled with an inexpressible joy. A joy they had never experienced because it was from God. It is the same joy God experiences and shares as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God shares this Trinitarian joy with us as part of this heavenly community. It is literally out of this world.

And so one day our faith will become sight, but as we experience these gifts now, we are now receiving the salvation of souls. Since we know him and love him though we don't see him, we experience salvation now. And then when he returns we will see him and we will know his voice when he says, "Come with me to the place I have prepared for you and all those who believe in me."

So as we go through our light and momentary trials, let us remember that they are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

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