"That the trial of your faith ... might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; Whom having not seen, ye love" (1 Peter 1:7).
The Apostle Peter, who had seen Jesus Christ in the flesh with his own eyes, passed along to every believing Christian the assurance that it is possible for us to love the Saviour and to live a life that will glorify Him even though we have not yet seen Him!
It is as though Peter is urging: "Love Him and work for Him and live for Him. I give you my testimony that it will worth it all when you look upon His face - for I have seen Him with my own eyes, and I know!"
In his epistle, Peter, who had known Jesus in the flesh, was moved to write to the strangers scattered abroad - the Christians of the dispersion - to remind them that they should love Jesus Christ even though they had not seen Him in the flesh.
The Lord Jesus Himself had set His own stamp of approval and blessing upon all Christians who would believe, never having seen Him in the time of His own flesh. He told Thomas after the resurrection, "Because thou hast seen me, thou has believed: blessed are hey that have not seen, and yet have believed."
God has seen fit to give us wonderful and mysterious faculties, and I truly believe that God has ordained that we may actually know Jesus now, and love Him better never having seen Him, than Peter did when he saw Him!
~A. W. Tozer~
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