1 Peter 1:8
1 Peter 1:8
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:
Christian faith is not a way to view the world or improve one's status as a human being. Essentially, it is a matter of trusting and loving a person. There is no way to express the joy that comes with saving faith in Christ. Our choice to rejoice, even during the midst of our trials, is an act of faith. The act does not require soaring emotions, but it can certainly contribute to them. We experience joy as we grow in confidence in the Christ we love. We are reminded by Peter that as we walk through this Christ-rejecting, sinful world, our miracle of new birth guarantees that we are also being kept by the power of God. In heaven, we are being kept for a glory that has been set before us. Peter, however, emphasizes that all Christians are being prepared for glory through their sufferings. As Christians, we do not love Christ based on what we observe with our physical eyes. The love we have for Christ is rooted in everything we know about Him in our hearts by faith and with thanksgiving. For all that He has suffered on the Cross for us, for the life He has given us through His Resurrection, and for the glory He is preparing for us in heaven, we love Him.
Galatians 5:25
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
Psalms 40:1
I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Hebrews 12:1
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,