Christians Can Enjoy the Glory Now (1 Peter 1:8–12)

The Christian philosophy of life is not “pie in the sky by and by.” It carries with it a present dynamic that can turn suffering into glory today. Peter gave four directions for enjoying the glory now, even in the midst of trials.

I. Love Christ (v. 8).

8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

A. Our love for Christ is not based on physical sight.

Our love for Christ is based on our spiritual relationship with Him and what the Word has taught us about Him. The Holy Spirit has poured out God’s love into our hearts (Rom. 5:5), and we return that love to Him.

When you find yourself in some trial, and you hurt, immediately lift your heart to Christ in true love and worship. Why? Because this will take the poison out of the experience and replace it with healing medicine.

B. Satan wants to bring out the worst in us.

God wants to bring out the best in us. If we love ourselves more than we love Christ, then we will not experience any of the glory now. The fire will burn us, not purify us.

Peter’s readers located in Asia Minor never laid their eyes on the historical Jesus. Nonetheless, they “love him.” Peter was not exhorting the churches but commending them here. Their sufferings had not made them miserable. They are filled with love for Jesus Christ. He is precious and lovely to them.

II. Trust Christ

A. We must live by faith and not by sight.

Faith means surrendering all to God and obeying His Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.

Love and faith go together: when you love someone, you trust him. And faith and love together help to strengthen hope; for where you find faith and love, you will find confidence for the future.

B. How can we grow in faith during times of testing and suffering?

The same way we grow in faith when things seem to be going well: by feeding on the Word of God!

Our fellowship with Christ through His Word not only strengthens our faith, but it also deepens our love. It is a basic principle of Christian living that we spend much time in the Word when God is testing us and Satan is tempting us.

III. Rejoice in Christ.

A. Believers rejoice and exult in Jesus Christ.

You may not be able to rejoice over the circumstances, but you can rejoice in them by centering your heart and mind on Jesus Christ. Each experience of trial helps us learn something new and wonderful about our Saviour.

Abraham discovered new truths about the Lord on the mount where he offered his son (Gen. 22). The three Hebrew children discovered His nearness when they went through the fiery furnace (Dan. 3). Paul learned the sufficiency of His grace when he suffered with a thorn in the flesh

B. The joy believers experience is a taste of heaven.

The joy He produces is “unspeakable and full of glory.” This joy is so deep and so wonderful that we cannot even express it. Words fail us! Peter had seen some of the glory on the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus discussed with Moses and Elijah His own impending suffering and death

Peter’s main point in the verse is clear. Believers who suffer are not dashed to the ground by their troubles. They love Jesus Christ and rejoice in him, even though they have never seen him and do not see him now. Their lives are characterized by a hope that fills the present with love and joy.

IV. Receive from Christ (vv. 9–12).

9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

A. “Believing … receiving” is God’s way of meeting our needs.

If we love Him, trust Him, and rejoice in Him, then we can receive from Him all that we need to turn trials into triumphs. In other words, we can experience today some of that future glory. Charles Spurgeon used to say, “Little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul.”

It is not enough that we long for heaven during times of suffering, for anybody can do that. What Peter urged his readers to do was exercise love, faith, and rejoicing, so that they might experience some of the glory of heaven in the midst of suffering now.

B. God told the prophets that they were ministering for a future generation.

Between the suffering of Messiah and His return in glory comes what we call “the age of the church.” The truth about the church was a hidden “mystery” in the Old Testament period.

The Old Testament believers looked ahead by faith and saw, as it were, two mountain peaks: Mount Calvary, where Messiah suffered and died, and Mount Olivet, where He will return in glory. They could not see the “valley” in between, the present age of the church.

C. Even the angels are interested in what God is doing in and through His church!

If the Old Testament prophets searched so diligently into the truths of salvation, and yet had so little to go on, how much more ought we to search into this subject, now that we have a complete Word from God! The same Holy Spirit who taught the prophets and, through them, wrote the Word of God, can teach us the truths in it.

Furthermore, we can learn these truths from the Old Testament as well as from the New Testament. Believers also stand in contrast to the angels, for they also long to glance at and reflect upon these truths. The point is that angels reflect with delight on God’s saving actions. More specifically, angels do not experience the gospel in the same way as human beings since they are not the recipients of redemption.

Conclusion:

Yes, for Christians, it is glory all the way! When we trusted Christ, we were born for glory. We are being kept for glory. As we obey Him and experience trials, we are being prepared for glory. When we love Him, trust Him, and rejoice in Him, we experience the glory here and now.