Love & Joy In Believing

I. "WHOM NOT HAVING SEEN, YE LOVE; ON WHOM, THOUGH NOW YE SEE HIM NOT, YET BELIEVING, YE REJOICE GREATLY WITH JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF GLORY"

A. In the preceding verses the apostle has been speaking of the exceeding joy of the

apostolic believers:

1. This in spite of bitter persecution and great trials

2. That their attitude was one, not of despondency, but of marked joy

B. And the great reason for this joy centers in the person of the Son of God:

1. Who loved us and gave Himself for us - Gal. 2:20; Rom. 8:34

2. It brought joy to those believers because they looked into the future with great hope

and they had good reason for that joy

II. LOVE AND JOY IN BELIEVING

A. Love to the unseen Christ:

1. Love to Jesus Christ is independent of sight; it is based upon Christian experiences, as he sets his hopes in the Son of God

2. The eye that sees Jesus is the mind and the heart that loves Him as well as the mind

3. We love Him because of what He said and what He did for us, and what He

promises to us in the future

B. It is no hardship to love an invisible Saviour:

1. To read His teaching makes Him most attractive; "Never man spake like this man"

John 7:46; Matt. 7:29

2. To meditate upon the high moral principles He enunciated makes a person love Him

- Matt. 7:12; Matt. 5:1-48; 22:34-37

3. To think of His infinite sacrifice is reason enough to love Him fervently - I John

4:7-12; Gal. 2:20

C. Joy in the unseen Christ:

1. This joy is described as (a) unspeakable, and (b) full of glory. Why?

2. Because it is too deep and sacred for words

3. That is why the apostle Paul exclaims, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith

that ye, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and the length, and the depth, and the height and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with the fullness of God" - Eph. 3:17-19

4. Because it is full of glory - the joy in Christ in infinitely higher than the joy of the world. Someone has said rightly, "The joy of the world is too often like the iridescent scum on a stagnant pool or pond, fruit and proof of corruption"

III. FOUR SPECIFIC BLESSINGS THAT MAKE THE UNSEEN CHRIST A REAL CAUSE OF GREAT AND UNSPEAKABLE JOY

A. We know what He did for us:

1. He saved us from the guilt of sin, "There is, therefore, no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" - Rom. 8:1; Matt. 1:21

2. This knowledge, alone, impels one to say, "My Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou are mine"

B. WeknowfromtheBiblewhatHeisnowdoingforus:

1. He is in the presence of God the Father, making intercession for us – I John 2:1-3; I

Tim. 2:5

2. He is our peace with God and assures us that His peace is the gift of heaven - Eph.

2:11-16; Rom. 5:1-6

3. He is preparing a place for us, that when the end comes He will take us into the

heavenly mansions - John 14:1-3

C. We cannot over look the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which gift was made possible for us through Jesus Christ our Lord:

1. Jesus went back to heaven to send the Holy Spirit to guide us – John 16:12-13

2. And what would we do without that Divine Comforter - John 14:26; 15:26

3. It is He who plants the Divine nature into our lives - 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Gal 5:23-25; 2 Pet. 1:2-8

D. Then, let us take a brief look into the future:

1. There can be no future for the human race outside of Jesus Christ