Focus: 1 Peter 1:8-9 - KJV
8. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
John 20:24-29
It is by faith that we are saved through faith and not by works lest any should boast. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Faith is not based on seeing God but by hearing about Him who is not seen and yet believing in Him. It is they that hear about the work of salvation carried out by Jesus Christ and believe it without necessarily seeing Him that are blessed. They are those that are of faith. Putting confidence in someone we see because of his size, power or might is not much of faith. For instance, if we see a piece of furniture that appears solid and we sit on it, that is not so much of a big deal because even some nit-wit would do that without blinking. But when we are told to sit without seeing the thing we are to sit on and we do attempt to sit, then can we be said to have faith in the existence of the furniture we are trying to sit upon. The same is the case about the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are of Christ do not wait to see Him before having faith in Him. Indeed, He has had to show up to some before they believed; but it is more blessed to believe without first seeing.
The fathers of faith did not see God before they trusted Him and to many of them, it became righteousness. Saul of Tarsus had to be stopped by Christ for him to believe. He had his issues in ministry that probably most of those who believed without having to first see did not have. Thomas Didymus was a follower of Jesus and listened to Him first hand, hearing all His saying about how He must be killed and would rise again. While they were together, he never showed that he did not believe the part where He would rise on the third day. Then he received information that Christ had risen and showed Himself in person and he doubted it and would not believe except he saw and felt His wounds. Had Christ not returned to help his faith, he might have ended in perdition for his lack of faith. The believers that have come after the first crop of followers have not had the opportunity of seeing Christ in person, but have believed. Nonetheless, whether seen or unseen, those who believe have salvation and joy unspeakable, full of glory, and it shows.
Today, the Lord is reminding us that we should not forget where we first believed. Even though we did not see Christ when we were preached to, we loved, believed and trusted Him. Now that some charlatans and nay sayers have taken over the world to deceive many, including the elect as predicted by the Lord, we appear to also doubt even in a worse way than Thomas. It is now that we feel it is wrong for Christ to be presented to be of a race that we do not belong and therefore ought not to be believed; or that pastors are doing what they do for their self-benefits and all other manner of gibberish. Ours is to continue to love the one whom we have believed and through whom we have enjoyed for so long, the benefits of salvation of our souls with joy unspeakable and boldness, in the hope that our tomorrow will be alright. When we fail in the place of faith, it is worse a situation than where we were before we believed at all.
SOLUTION: Stay in your faith in Jesus Christ: every information sent to shake your faith is launched from the pit of hell and aimed at derailing you. The Lord Himself had wondered if He would meet faith on heart when He returns. And this day must have been what He saw then before He made His comment. Arise to contend for your faith. Do not let the devil, or any of his agents, steal your joy and send your soul to death in hell.
Please pray:
Thank you, Lord for the heart you have given to me to love and believe you even without seeing you. Yes, I know you exist and a rewarder of them that diligently seek you, even though I do not see you. Let the blessedness of those who believe without seeing you be mine as well, in Jesus’ name. Let every lie of the devil regarding your being and the sacrifice you made for us in love, be exposed so that many people may be returned to faith from today, in Jesus’ name. Help me and a chunk of believers to remain in faith no matter what, dear Lord, in Jesus’ name.
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name
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