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CHRISTIAN LIFE: “Joy Unspeakable”
How the Christian believer can find joy…..
“The fruit of the Spirit” (described in Galatians 5:22-23) consists of nine different qualities – not nine different fruits. The second quality featured in the list is joy. Just as love and peace ought to characterize the life of a believer, joy should also be visible. Most believers will know from experience that there are times when joy is absent. It is difficult to rejoice when life is tough and circumstances are against us. Nevertheless joy is still one of the ingredients of the fruit of the Spirit, so how can this particular quality be cultivated? The Word of God provides the answer to that question.
Near the beginning of his first epistle Peter wrote about the “heaviness” being experienced by his readers, brought about “through manifold temptations” and “the trial of (their) faith” which resembled gold being tested under great heat (1 Pet.1:6,7 KJV). Against such adverse circumstances, surely there could be no place for joy? Yet Peter wrote of those same believers rejoicing “with joy unspeakable and full of glory” as they thought of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pet.1:8). This verse is significant, for it unlocks the truth for us. Our joy is in the Lord and depends entirely upon Him. If joy is missing from our lives, we must turn our attention to the Lord.
WHAT HE HAS DONE
To help us grasp this truth, a wonderfully uplifting verse in the Old Testament is worth quoting. “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isa.61:10). Verses in the New Testament develop these themes and explain how they can be applied to believers now. Why is there such rejoicing? The answer is found in salvation. The individual believer can say, “I am clothed with the garments of salvation. Once I was far from God, dressed in the filthy rags of my own unrighteousness, but God has clothed me with the righteousness of Jesus Christ which has been put to my account.” The pinnacle of this joy is that the Lord has done it – not me. “He hath clothed me … He hath covered me.” The rejoicing is great because it is in “my God” and depends upon what He has done.
Personal circumstances may change, and life has its ups and downs. Trials and difficulties may seem more than we can bear, and the burdens of life can be heavy. At such times we need strength to continue – and where can that strength be found? The simple answer is “in the Lord”, for the Scripture tells us plainly, “The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh.8:10). Life was difficult for God’s people in Nehemiah’s day. They felt weak and overwhelmed with what faced them. How encouraged they must have been by the words of their leader! We, too, can find encouragement in this verse of promise.
“LOOKING UNTO JESUS”
The New Testament book of Hebrews presents a similar picture. The believers receiving this epistle were experiencing “afflictions” and had great “need of patience” in their trials (Heb.10:32,36). Hebrews 11 describes the pathway of faith and does not ignore the sufferings of many of God’s peoples in centuries past. Some of their experiences (such as those described in Hebrews 11:37) are harrowing to say the least. Yet those believers were to carry on and to “run with patience the race” which lay before them (Heb.12:1). How could they do that when they were being cruelly persecuted? Only by “looking unto Jesus” (Heb.12:2).
The Lord Jesus Himself is our great Example. We may well be “wearied and faint” in our minds (v.3). How can we be inspired to continue? It is by “looking unto Jesus”, where He is now, and remembering what He went through in the past. He “endured the cross,” but He did so “despising the shame” (v.2). We may wonder how that was possible. The pains He experienced at the cross were more than we can imagine, and the shame heaped upon Him was beyond measure, but the secret of His triumph is unfolded here. It was “for the joy that was set before Him” that Jesus Christ was able to endure the cross and despise the shame. He was looking ahead to the time when His work would be complete and His sufferings all over. In anticipation of that finished work and of the redemption of His people, He rejoiced.
The example of the Lord Jesus is brought before us for our encouragement. If the “contradiction of sinners” against us is great and we feel “weary and faint” in our minds, we need to remind ourselves that though our trials may seem to be excessive, they are nothing when compared to those experienced by our Saviour (Heb.12:3). When we feel the heat of the battle, we must “consider Him”. We, too, can be sustained by the joy which comes from contemplating our future with Him.
JOY IN PHILIPPIANS
If we were asked to suggest one New Testament book in which the theme of joy is prominent, perhaps Philippians would come to mind. “Rejoice in the Lord!” Paul exclaimed, and at once repeated his exhortation with the words, “And again I say, Rejoice” (Phil.4:4). The apostle’s exhortation was not abstract but originated from within his own being. His prayers sprung from a heart that was filled with joy (Phil.1:4). He readily anticipated further fellowship with his readers with whom he would experience “joy of faith” (1:25). Notice how such rejoicing was characterized by being “in the Lord” (3:1). Earlier references have shown us how believers can rejoice in knowing the Lord and in appreciating what He has done for us.
Paul wrote to the Philippians of the joy he knew through serving the Lord. He rejoiced to know that Christ was proclaimed – even when the motives of some preachers were suspect (1:18). Such was Paul’s own commitment to the Lord, that should his life end in martyrdom, he would rejoice that it had been poured out in sacrifice to his Master (2:17). He rejoiced too as he saw how others were responding to the Lord by supporting one of his servants in practical ways (4:10). As the recipient of their giving, it gladdened him to see the Lord at work in their lives.
Fellowship with others can also be a source of joy. In his epistle Paul wrote about the need for unity among the people of God. As they demonstrated “the same love” for one another and were “of one mind” (2:2) it would result in the apostle’s heart being filled with joy. Epaphroditus, who was known to the Philippians, was an example of selfless service. He had been “sick nigh unto death” on account of “the work of Christ” (2:25-30). Paul wanted the believers at Philippi to “receive him … in the Lord with all gladness” and to “rejoice” in him being with them (2:29,28). Do we know anything of this joy through our fellowship with other believers? Paul loved the believers at Philippi and regarded them as his “joy” in the Lord (4:1). He longed that they might stand together, serving the Lord in unity and with purpose.
FINDING JOY
As we bring this meditation to an end, we might well ask, “Where can such joy really be found?” Psalm 16:11 furnishes a helpful answer by saying: “In Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore”. Do we want fulness of joy in our lives? If we do, it is to be found in God’s presence. Perhaps we are longing for the time when we will be with Him, away from the presence of sin and the trials of life here on earth. If so, we need to correct our thinking, for it is possible to enjoy being in the presence of God now. In His Word is the invitation, “Let us draw near” (Heb.10:22). We are also assured: “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” (Jas.4:8). Don’t wait for heaven! Draw near to Him now and discover the joys which are in His presence.