“Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory”
Whom having not seen you love
Remember that Jesus challenged Peter to love Him in John 21. Jesus interrogated Him three times about this love. Now Peter expresses his love for Him many years later.
The Bible promises reward for those who love him:
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him,” (James 1:12).
We should love the Lord because He first loved us;
“We love Him because He first loved us,” (1 John 4:19).
Once we come to grips with the fact that Jesus died on the cross for our personal sins (in our place), we cannot help but love Him. It melts our hearts. No one ever loved us like the Lord Jesus.
PRINCIPLE:
We love the Lord Jesus because he took the initiative to die for our sins.
APPLICATION:
If Jesus does not mean anything to you except a name in a history book, then you are not a Christian. You may be religious but you are not a true Christian. A true Christian loves the Lord.
You can always tell when a person loves the Lord Jesus by the way he or she talks about Him. People do not talk about Julius Caesar the same way they talk about the Lord Jesus. Everything we have is because of Him.
“If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22).
Do you love the Lord Jesus, yes or no? You reply, “Well, I am neutral. I don’t know. I’ve never heard it put quite like that.” But the truth is that if we do not love the Lord, then from God’s viewpoint we are “accursed.”
