Love, Faith, Joy

1 Peter 1:3-9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. 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.”

In a commentary about this 1 Peter passage, the commentator points out that Peter had seen the Lord, but he was writing to those who hadn’t, including us. Like them, we can have a personal relationship with the Lord, even though we haven’t physically seen Him. In John 20:29, the Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”. Also like them, we can have terrible trials (nobody is immune to them). Their responses to Christ while in the midst of trials, as given in our text, are likewise appropriate for us.

They loved:

“We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35).

He loves us too much to abandon us, and we love Him in return.

They believed:

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts [or believes] in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

“Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Our faith is well founded.

They rejoiced:

“But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:13).

The commentator concludes that the proper response to trials brings godly love, unshakable faith and inexpressible joy. The end of such faith as explained in this passage of Scripture is the complete and ultimate salvation of our souls, with many victories of faith along the narrow way that leads to life.