Monday, October 2, 2023

           Our faith in Christ can often be expressed in some simple statements.  Christ was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. Christ died.  Christ was buried.  Christ rose again.  And Christ is coming again.  You can make a quick review of the gospel in I Corinthians 15:1-5.  We do not have to get lost in weighty theological arguments to know the Lord and walk with Him.  The gospel is simple to understand and God’s offer of salvation can be received by faith—not by winning arguments, mastering a lot of written material or making a name for oneself.  In his own words, Peter offered a simple assessment of the Christian faith that we can hold on and keep in mind.  These words can also be shared with others.  We read 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 end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”  There are some important lessons that Peter has for us to see in these two verses. 
            First, Peter stated the obvious.  We have not seen Christ (at least not in the same sense that Peter and the apostles had seen Him).  We have not shared a meal, a walk or a classroom with Jesus.  The vast majority of believers, from the resurrection to His Second Coming, will have lived their entire lives without ever having seen Jesus with human eyes and in human ways.  But as Peter stated, we do not have to see Christ to love Him.  We can still open our hearts and lives to Him in love and faith.  Remember what the Bible says about faith: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).  To believe does not require sight.  To know does not require an eyewitness encounter or testimony.
            Second, Peter noted that even though we do not see Christ now, we still believe in Him.  You may not see certain family members every day but you believe in them.  You may not see the moon every night but you believe it is real.  Abraham never saw the land that was promised to his descendants but he believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3).  If we demand to see Christ before we believe in Him, then we are setting the terms for salvation, trust and faith.  We make ourselves the final arbiter or decision-maker.  You may recall that Thomas refused to believe in the resurrection of Jesus unless he had some firsthand, visible evidence that was real enough to assuage all of his doubts (see John 20:24-29).  But Jeus is still Jesus whether we have seen Him or not.  In the aftermath of this situation with Thomas, Jesus said, “blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed” (John 20:29b). 
            Third, faith in Jesus produces “an inexpressible and glorious joy.”  Leaning on Christ and into Christ brings us peace, contentment and joy.  We know we are loved.  We know our sins are forgiven.  We know that eternity with Christ is promised and settled.  We can be confident that we never live a day apart from Christ or take a single breath without His presence with us.  When we have placed our faith in Christ, we have made the most momentous decision that we could ever make.  We have released ourselves to His care and trust.  We live with the joy of his lasting, daily presence here and the assurance of a place with Him mere milliseconds after we take our final breath in this world.    
            Fourth, salvation never depends upon what we can see with our eyes.  Salvation is a work of grace wrought by the Holy Spirit drawing us to Christ so we can respond, not by works, but in faith alone.  As Peter noted, the “end result” of faith is “the salvation of your souls.”  Salvation does not come in proportion to our sight or the amount of experiences we have enjoyed in life.  No, it is the end result of faith.  And faith does not rest or depend upon sight.  Faith is not the same as works or things we might do in human power and flesh.  The power of God’s salvation is so incredible that “even angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12b).  Imagine possessing something so extraordinary and amazing that angels wish to see it and look into it!  Salvation is a source or subject of curiosity to angels!  You might be curious about angels but they are even more curious about you and what God has done for you. 
            We can faithfully keep our minds focused on these things even though we do not see them.  We can possess them even though we do not handle them.  As Peter encouraged, “be alert and fully sober” (1 Peter 1:13).  We can be grateful that our salvation does not depend upon the human senses of sight, hearing and touch.  If those senses began to fade, we might begin to wonder about our salvation and relationship with the Lord.  But since salvation comes from beyond us and beyond human capabilities, it remains certain, everlasting and immutable.  Our bodies and minds may weaken and fail but salvation never does.  We may lose many things in the course of our lives but salvation is not one of those things.  Since it does not come from us or originate with us, it is not ours to lose.  We are safe and secure in God’s saving and loving hands.  As Jesus promised, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).  Have a great Monday!  Remember you can worship any time and share our worship with others at YouTube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.