1 Peter 1:8,9

“…whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.”

Having not seen

We usually rely on proof that is visible to us in order to believe that something is true. But faith isn’t about instant gratification. It’s about looking beyond into what is yet unseen (Hebrews 11:1).

The people that Peter was writing to had never seen Jesus. But the Lord had said, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). We hope for what we do not see, not what we do (Romans 8:24,25). A great example for us is Moses, who “forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27).

Today, like the people Peter was writing to, we are blessed to be able to have faith in Christ though we have never seen Him. And we can do this because His love towards us is real.

You love

The word used here is ‘agape,’ which indicates passionate, pure love that is without any malice. It is not cold, religious duty, but rather abundant love that flows from the heart. Peter had been with Jesus for three years, but had denied Him when persecution came. Here he is exhorting the believers, telling them that they are doing a lot better than he did.

Yet believing

Emotional fluctuations cannot be the driving force in the Christian life. Rather, it has to be belief that comes from complete trust. In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul said, “I know whom I have believed.” Paul was in prison when he wrote these words and he knew that God would raise Him even if he were killed by his captors.

You rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory

The word for rejoice here is ‘agalliasthe’ (the same word used in v6) that indicates being full of joy, or jumping for joy. Speaking of his ministry experiences, Paul spoke of being joyful in the midst of sorrow (2 Corinthians 6:10). Christian joy is built upon the truth of the resurrection of Christ. Because of our faith, the way we respond to problems is different from the way people of the world do.

Before going to the cross, Jesus told His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you… you now have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 15:11). Let us allow nothing to come in the way of our joy in Jesus.

‘Glory’ here is from the Greek word ‘doxazo’ which is also used for describing the glory of God. When we praise God in the midst of trouble, the joy we have in Him is an extraordinary joy that is out of this world and filled with the glory of God. We become partakers of the characteristic of heaven – glory. Charles Spurgeon said, “A little faith will take your soul to heaven, but a great faith will bring heaven to your soul.” Rejoicing is a safeguard God has given us in order to overcome. It is like a piece of heaven in our souls.

Receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls

Salvation will be received in its fullness at the end of our journey, the day when our names are found written in the book of life, even as we see God face to face (Revelation 22:3,4). But when we respond to trials with joyfulness that springs out of faith, it is as though we are receiving the end of our faith, our salvation, and experiencing it at the present moment.

So let’s rejoice in the Lord, being confident in Him for what He will do. Faith in God that is unwavering and joyful produces Christian maturity.