[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Floving-without-seeing":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Floving-without-seeing-surround":76},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":12,"columnName":58,"date":59,"description":18,"extension":60,"image":61,"meta":62,"minRead":63,"navigation":64,"path":65,"postType":66,"publication":67,"publicationUrl":61,"seo":68,"stem":69,"topics":70,"__hash__":75},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Floving-without-seeing.md","Loving Without Seeing",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11],"1 Peter","1 John","Revelation",{"type":13,"value":14,"toc":54},"minimark",[15,19,27,30,33,36,39,42,45,48,51],[16,17,18],"p",{},"When my son Matt was a toddler, he was curious about the Lord. He asked questions like, “Where does Jesus live? Can we go see him?”",[16,20,21,22,26],{},"A child’s questions sound simple on the surface, but they raise challenging theological issues. Where ",[23,24,25],"em",{},"does"," Jesus dwell? In Heaven, yes, at the right hand of the Father. And here on earth in the hearts of individual followers. And more broadly, in the church as a whole, which is his body. Wherever two or three gather in his name, he’s there in the midst of them—genuinely, but not visibly. The invisible part can be hard to explain.",[16,28,29],{},"The apostle Peter interacted with Jesus for more than three years. They walked, talked, and ate together. Peter knew the tone of Jesus’ voice, the subtle expressions on his face, the firmness of his handshake, the gestures he used when he taught the crowds. Years later Peter wrote a letter to encourage Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor who were being persecuted for their faith. Unlike the apostles, they hadn’t rubbed shoulders with Jesus, but Peter insisted, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).",[16,31,32],{},"How can we love Jesus when we haven’t seen him? How is it possible to rejoice because of someone we never have seen?",[16,34,35],{},"What We Can See",[16,37,38],{},"Although we haven’t encountered Jesus’ physical presence firsthand, he is recognizable to those with open eyes.",[16,40,41],{},"We can see the testimony of Scripture about Jesus. His unparalleled personality shines through the Gospels written by eyewitnesses guided by the Holy Spirit. Scripture confronts us with Jesus’ wise words, his sacrificial love, and his miraculous power. By reading the Bible we perceive that he “bore our sins in his body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24) and “he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection . . . from the dead” (1:3).",[16,43,44],{},"We can see the result of Christ’s influence. Nature displays his handiwork. And how impoverished would our world be without the schools, hospitals, children’s homes, counseling centers, and mission works established in his name? Libraries and museums display fine art and literature inspired by faith in the Son of God. Much of the greatest music ever composed was created to honor him. We can see Christ in others who live by faith and die with hope because he dwells in their hearts.",[16,46,47],{},"What We Will See",[16,49,50],{},"Now in his thirties, my son Matt is an inner-city minister who serves with the poor, the sick, and the broken. Each week he visits prisoners at a local correctional center, and he has baptized several of them. You can sum up his ministry in a single sentence: He helps people see Jesus.",[16,52,53],{},"QUESTIONS:",{"title":55,"searchDepth":56,"depth":56,"links":57},"",2,[],"Revealed and Relevant","2014-10-19","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Floving-without-seeing","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":18},"articles\u002Floving-without-seeing",[71,72,73,74],"Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Christian Unity","Holy Week and Resurrection","Ge1fvr8p_MHZ4YcJFI4Ze6NuMQ1stxGqkUO_b8zYaJc",[77,81],{"title":78,"path":79,"stem":80,"description":55,"children":-1},"Love’s Persuasive Power","\u002Farticles\u002Flove-s-persuasive-power","articles\u002Flove-s-persuasive-power",{"title":82,"path":83,"stem":84,"description":85,"children":-1},"Loving Your Imperfect Church","\u002Farticles\u002Floving-your-imperfect-church","articles\u002Floving-your-imperfect-church","What’s wrong with your church? You can probably list a number of irritating flaws. Your preacher’s off-putting habits. Uninspiring music. Inadequate communication. Perhaps you dislike how the church allocates its money, or you wish the leaders put more emphasis on (choose one): youth, senior adults, married couples, singles, doctrinal instruction, local needs, or global missions. Maybe your congregation includes some individuals who deserve the label “E.G.R.” (Extra Grace Required)."]