Words Of Truth

First Peter 1:8-9
Faith Without Sight With The End Result Being Salvation

I. Introduction:

A. There were those in the first century that could and did speak from a position of personal contact with Jesus (I John 1:1-3).

1. The saints addressed in this letter were not present with Jesus in the flesh. Therefore, their faith was arrived at the same way as we have come to faith today (Romans 10:8-17).
2. Such faith occurs through receiving the word of God (I Thessalonians 2:13) and allowing fruit to come from the word (Colossians 1:4-6).

1. That is not through “skillful preaching of men” (I Corinthians 2:1-5).
2. Like the first century however, there are those who are “I won’t believe what I can’t see” people (John 4:46-48).

1. Man did not know that God hung the earth on nothing (Job 26:7), until long after the Scriptures were recorded.
2. Man did not know that the earth is round (Isaiah 40:22), until long after the Scriptures were recorded.
3. Man did not understand the water cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7, Ecclesiastes 11:3, and Amos 9:6), until long after the Scriptures were recorded.
4. Man did not know there are water springs in the sea (Job 38:16), until long after the Scriptures were recorded.
5. In addition, there are eye-witness testimonies. Witness accounts which are commonly accepted as evidence among men. God’s standard is two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6, Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 18:15-17, and I Timothy 5:19).

1. The miracles of our God were witnessed and documented by many (Deuteronomy 11:1-7, Psalms 78:4, Acts 4:16, and Hebrews 2:1-4).
2. The witnesses for Christ have testified (Acts 2:29-32, Acts 3:13-15, and I Corinthians 15:1-11).
3. Think about credibility. They are credible as we can see by what they were willing to go through for and because of the faith (Acts 5:40-42, Acts 14:19-22, Acts 21:13, and II Corinthians 1:5).

1. Think about the relationship between faith and love (Galatians 5:6).

1. Faith produces action (Hebrews 11:7 and James 2:14-26).
2. Action is shown by love (John 14:15; 14:23-24).

2. The love of the Father is extended to those who believe in Christ (John 16:27).
3. Loving Christ also means you love the Father (I John 5:1).

1. The Father which NO MAN has seen (John 1:18 and I John 4:12).
2. By Christ we believe in the Father (I Peter 1:18-21).

4. One’s love for Christ has to be genuine (Ephesians 6:24).
5. By knowing they loved Christ, we can Scripturally know they the lived for Him (II Corinthians 5:14-15).
6. Faith and love go hand in hand (I Corinthians 13:13, Ephesians 6:23, I Timothy 1:12-14, II Timothy 1:13, and Philemon 1:5).

1. They were, like saints today, walking by faith (II Corinthians 5:7).
2. To walk by faith is acting as though you have seen (Hebrews 11:23-27).
3. What is faith (Hebrews 11:1)?
4. Think about what Abraham said to the rich man in torment (Luke 16:19-31).
5. The just live by faith which is obtained through the word of God (Romans 1:16-17).
6. Faith equips saints to stand (II Corinthians 1:24).
7. Seeing is not believing (Matthew 11:20-24 and John 12:36-37).

1. Think about Israel of old (Hebrews 4:1-2).
2. Listen, even being in the presence of Jesus, hearing His teaching, and seeing various wonders in the flesh for a few years was not enough for true, unwavering faith to be born (Matthew 28:16-17, Luke 24:10-11, and John 16:16-33).

1. The kind of joy you’d give anything for (Matthew 13:44).
2. The kind of joy that causes great pain to subside (John 16:21).
3. Joy that brought about rejoicing (Psalms 32:11).

1. “Full of glory” [δοξάζω] defined: “1) to think, suppose, be of opinion; 2) to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate; 3) to honour, do honour to, hold in honour; 4) to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour; 4a) to impart glory to something, render it excellent; 4b) to make renowned, render illustrious; 4b1) to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon; Strong’s # 1392).
2. Later in this letter, who is to receive glory on earth (I Peter 4:11; 4:14; 4:16)?
3. “He that glorieth…” (II Corinthians 10:17).
4. This is a very easy point to skip over. Think about why it is important not to.

1. Brothers and sisters in Christ, embrace the joy we have as Jesus told the twelve (John 15:11).
2. Just remember where our joy comes from (Habakkuk 3:18).

1. Salvation is to come for those who continue in faith so no Christian ought to think he or she is already there (Philippians 3:1-21).
2. The focal point of the faithful is on the end (Romans 6:17-23).
3. That is, the end of the world (II Peter 3:9-18).
4. Being among the “elect” (I Peter 1:2) didn’t mean they were already saved for all eternity (II Timothy 2:10).

1. Salvation involves waiting (Romans 8:24-25 and I Corinthians 1:4-7).
2. Thus, saints must continue in the faith (Colossians 1:23 and Titus 2:11-14).

5. When Christ returns, His people must be found doing His will (Matthew 24:42-51).