Joy From the Unseen Jesus
“…Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls.” -1 Peter 1:8-9
Hey, who stole your joy? Millions of Christians are moping around in defeat and discouragement when they could be living a life filled with joy. How? By believing in Jesus Christ. There is an initial faith that completes our side of the salvation transaction, but there is also a living kind of faith that brings to us the fullness of joy that is available in Christ.
Notice Peter says that the joy which should accompany the Christian life is an inexpressible joy - it can’t be described in human terminology! The word “glory” is almost always used to refer to that which belongs to the eternal, heavenly realm. It describes the clothing of the holiness of God, the resurrected state of Jesus, of the saints some day, and of the new heaven and earth to come. Yet we may enjoy a perpetually growing chunk of that glory today!!
The product of our faith is the salvation of our souls. That is, our souls (the psyche, the personality) have been redeemed, changed forever, and secured for eternity because of what Jesus did on the cross and our belief in His payment for our sins.
Would you describe your life as full of joy? full of glory? What’s the antidote to a joyless life? Just believe in Jesus. This is not a mere emotional experience, rather it is a volitional placing of our trust in Jesus moment-by-moment. If your life has been robbed of joy, bow and pray right now, “Lord Jesus, I believe in You right now, and I want to live out my faith and experience the fullness of joy You offer and experience an increasing measure of Your glory here and now.”
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