"Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
The joy in verse eight seems to be a result of "obtaining the outcome of your faith." The outcome of faith is salvation. The outcome of salvation is inexpressible joy. Is the salvation referring to justification, sanctification, or glorification? I'm not sure if the passage has one particular moment in view. Surely all of them should result in inexpressible joy. I would think that our glorification would be a point of joy that is unquestionably inexpressible, even unimaginable. However, the other points in our Christian life should also be characterized by an unexplainable joy. And the emphasis on belief in and love of one whom we cannot see, would seem to indicate that the salvation mentioned refers to justification or sanctification (I'm inclined to lean towards sanctification). Whatever the case, we are overjoyed at the knowledge of what Christ has and will accomplish in us through the means of the faith that He has given us.
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