JOY UNSPEAKABLE. 1st Peter 1:8-9 (fourth superlative: inexpressible joy. 8-9) Peter would remember the words Thomas spoke when he believed after seeing and touching the living, resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Faith brings salvation now and a living hope for the future. Faith assures us that trials and suffering will end; justice will prevail; the Judge of all the earth will do right; and evil will not be dismissed as if it has no consequences.
We rejoice in the unseen Lord Jesus Christ, who has saved us with a great salvation, and in whom we find joy in obeying Him. Joy in trials is possible because of our relationship with Him in glory. We love Him and believe in Him. He is the focus of our love and faith. Biblical love is active in praise, worship, pleasing God, and obeying God.
We believe in Him by faith; Peter had seen Him. We have not, yet we confidently trust Him. Loving and believing in Him produces the response of “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” This is not in the future but now, when Christ is the focus of our lives. We lose it when the things of earth are our focus. The salvation of our souls indicates we can have full possession of all its benefits. Summary: Our rejoicing in Christ – we love Him [v.8]; we trust Him [v.8]; we grow in the joy of salvation [v.9]. How can I express something that’s beyond expression? How can I define a joy that defies description? Probably by lines that can’t be filled in when I consider the honor and glory that belongs to Him. So, I will just say, though I have not ___________________, I love Him because ____________________________. Also, I ___________________________ without hesitation and I _____________________ and __________________. It is beyond my ________________, to _________________and His ___________________ and __________________. So, with, a __________________ that is _______________I will continually _____________ to __________________. Glory that is limitless goes far beyond my scope, but in Him who is my life, I have placed my hope and trust and give Him any and all glory that might be mine that through a redeemed sinner He saved, His glory will shine. There are many things that go beyond my ability to express their meaning and value to me. The joy I have from God is truly beyond expression.
Our joy on earth is possible despite trials because of our relationship with the risen Christ in glory. We believe in Him; we live for Him; and we love Him even though we have not seen Him. “We love Him because He first loved us.” This love is not fuzzy feelings based on emotional stories but the full assurance of faith grounded in the written word of God.
Active faith and love for our Lord Jesus Christ lead us to praise and worship Him. We are committed to obedience and to a genuine desire to please the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. Love for Christ and faith in Him go hand in hand.
The result of our love for Christ and faith in Him is that we have joy inexpressible and full of glory. We greatly rejoice when we think of the future, but our love for Christ also brings joy to our daily lives now. That spiritual joy defies description because it is in Christ Himself, who is the focus of our lives. Sadly, we can lose that joy if we shift our focus to the temporary things of the world.
Until that time comes, our service to God is to be done faithfully for His glory. That will mean we will need to rise above and resolve conflicts. It will mean we will need to endure and suffer through hurtful situations that we will have to live with. It may mean we have to face a boss and coworkers who resent our Christian faith each day. We may have to deal with unruly, resentful children and perhaps endure rejection by a spouse. There will be times when we wait a long time for a matter to be resolved. We will have to wait patiently rather than go forward without divine guidance.
The result is not always seen when we first act in faith. We will be in glory before we can trace the full path. But there is a real reason to act upon the unknown. The One in whose word we have trusted is God’s eternal Son. So we won’t know every turn ahead in this life of faith we walk, and we don’t know the end result every time we talk with other souls who, too, are in this life of faith we take. But in trust, without serious question, this journey we will make.
In this life of faith, we have joy that God Himself has given. For our sins have been laid on Jesus, and we are now forgiven. But there is another part to this salvation God indeed provided, namely, the salvation of my life by the Spirit God imparted. And in a future day, when we are forever with the Lord, we will know another salvation promised in God’s Word, namely, the salvation of this body now earthbound. The fleshly attractions that now hinder will not be found in heaven.