FreeTruth

I work at America's Keswick with men who have lived through the worst things a human being can experience. They have known every kind of sin and the darkness of addiction. Some have spent years in prison. Many of these men shouldn't even be alive today because of the dangers they exposed themselves to. But when they find Jesus Christ the transformation is wonderful.

A while ago I was listening to one of these men give his testimony. Stack up this man's life against mine, reveal a bit of our past, and ask the man on the street to judge us-- there would be no contest. I have a family. This colony man wrecked his family. I've been faithful to my wife, he has cheated on his. I have been honest in my dealings, and my wife and children love me. This fellow has burned every bridge behind him, and destroyed relationships through selfishness, lust, lies, and deceit.

As I listened to this man tell his story before about 500 people that night, I was struck by something; it was the humble, yet eloquent and unashamed expression of deep love for the One who had so recently saved him. He had sought the Lord from the hellish pit he was in, and Jesus Christ had loved him and lifted this broken man. It was so real, and so very believable this simple expression of love for his savior.

And there I stood in the back of the Activity Center watching and listening. And then God spoke to me, and I understood that the Lord was well-pleased with that man--more well pleased than he was with me in that moment.

My past didn't matter. His past didn't matter. In that moment, he was far better off than me. God is the God of the present, and the simple truth was that my heart was lukewarm, but this man's was red-hot with love and gratitude.

"Truly I understand that God shows no partiality..." (Peter in Acts 10)

Brothers and Sisters, pray for me, that my little love will somehow be fanned into flames of love like I saw in that Colony of Mercy man that night. I cannot coast on my past, or expect special favor or status simply because I have a long history with the Lord. I do not want to be the Pharisee, or the older brother in Luke 15.

God, help us to seek you with new strength this year, to know you, and to love you personally and passionately.

Labels: Affections, Growth, Guest Post, Loving God

Here are a few final thoughts on how to increase your joy:
1. See and celebrate the evidences of God's grace in yourself and in others (Acts 11:21-24). Barnabas rejoiced because he saw grace in others. Let's sharpen our vision to see the same, and then open our mouths to celebrate it. Never hold back your praise of God and gratitude to others for the evidence of God's saving and sanctifying grace in life. This will simply make you burst with joy.
2. Contemplate the promises of God. Be a promise-believer, and be filled with joy.
3. Anticipate the life to come. There is joy unspeakable in being a Christian whose eye is on the sky, and what lies beyond.
4. Gaze at God. When God wanted to comfort His people, relieve their sadness, and restore their joy in Isaiah 40:1, 2, He called them to "behold their God" (Isaiah 40:9). Nothing so fills the soul with joy as a steady gazing at God.

This by the way is the joy of heaven over which angels sing and saints dance. In Bible theology we speak of the beatific vision (the happy, joyful, blessed vision) of God in heaven. Seeing God in heaven will be what makes heaven heaven. Seeing God by faith here and now makes heaven touch down on planet earth, and gives us joy today.

I close this series with words from Jonathan Edwards:

The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams. But God is the ocean (Works, II, 244).

May grace, peace, and joy abound in us all, in the knowledge of God. Amen.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections

One of the major themes of Acts is the building and advancing of the kingdom through the conversion of souls. I've counted at least 23 church growth texts in the 24 chapters of Acts. I think Luke wants us to get it and feel it.

The early church was filled with joy because it was part of the expanding kingdom of God. People were getting saved, getting changed, getting transformed, leaving Satan's realm and entering God's (Acts 26:16-18). No wonder the church was alive with joy!

I have often said that in a local church's life there may well be no joy greater than a baptism. Baptisms represent the ongoing life-transforming, kingdom-expanding work of God's grace in the gospel. And believers can never tire of being a part of such spreading grace.

If you want joy to increase, think about your conversion in a fresh way, engage in evangelism to lead others to grace, actively reflect with wonder over every new believer that comes through the doors of your church, and do your best never to miss a baptism. These are fuel for the fires of your joy.

Be very, very happy, just as heaven is, every time a sinner repents.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections

Read through Acts and notice all the references to the resurrection, and the fact that the early believers had witnessed that event and/or felt the power and hope of it. No wonder they were full of joy.

I've often thought that C.J. Mahaney's book, Living the Cross Centered Life, needs a companion, Living the Resurrection Centered Life. The early church was a fellowship of the cross and of the empty tomb! Remember that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 that part of the main thing--that which is of first importance--which we need always to keep in focus is the resurrection of Christ.

The cross of Christ gives us peace; the peace of forgiveness. The resurrection of Christ gives us hope; the hope of power over sin, over death, over all! We would do well to fill our days with reflections on both, and to do so until they move our affections and fill us up with joy.

Have you meditated on the empty tomb, the triumph of the Crucified, and the death of death in the death and resurrection of Christ recently? "Christ the Lord is risen today; Hallelujah!"

Try thinking over this great triumph and all it means without at least having a moment when you're tempted to pump your fist in the air with a thrust of victorious joy and hope. That's one temptation I doubt you can avoid or resist.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections

Reconnecting to the book of Acts where we started in this series on joy, I note that the early believers sang while in prison (Acts 16:25) and rejoiced when they suffered (Acts 5:41). I've wondered why.

I'd guess that it's due in large part to what we read in Acts 4:24-28. The early believers had a strong confidence in the absolute sovereignty of God. They knew Who reigned, Who ruled and Who over-ruled in all the affairs of men. They had no reason to fear and every reason to rejoice, even in the hardest of times because they knew God was fully in control and working out all things for their good (Romans 8:28).

I heard a pastor say one time that God's-sovereignty-believing Christians are those who can walk around with a holy smirk on their faces--not in arrogance toward people, but in confidence toward circumstances. It's a smirk that says to all things that happen: "You cannot touch me, cannot harm me, cannot ruin me, cannot get to my soul. In fact you o trial, o suffering, o persecutor, o affliction are nothing more than a means of grace in the hands of God for the growth and gladness of my soul!"

Friends--hold firmly and deeply and unflinchingly to the reality that God is on the throne ruling over all, and over-ruling all, and you will be out of the reach of all harm and in the reach of all joy.

Take it from a man who's been through some very deep waters and tasted joy in it all.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections

As I wind down this series over the next 4-5 days, I want to suggest ways to increase joy in our lives, joy that will spill over into our worship, our fellowship, our ministry. I'm going to offer six or seven joy-increasing tips for our reflection.

First, I'd suggest that a growing awareness of forgiving grace will increase our joy. Jesus said of the woman who had been forgiven much that it was that very awareness of her great forgiveness that made her affections (love and certainly joy, too) great (Luke 7:47). She loved much because she was forgiven much. Surely she also rejoiced much because she was forgiven much.

Cultivate an awareness of sin and the ruin and sorrow it deserves, and then an even greater awareness of the atoning work of Christ which has purchased not only your forgiveness but also "all things" good (Romans 8:31, 32), and you will feel joy unspeakable and full of glory!

In recent years many of us have become familiar with a phrase--"I'm doing better than I deserve" which has impacted our daily awareness of grace. I have been heard often to say: "If I smile even once today, it is better than I deserve!" That is absolutely and humblingly and joy-givingly true.

And do you know what? It's 11:00AM as I type, and I've already experienced at least 50 smiles today. Tell me that isn't grace. Considering that all I deserve is never- ending tears, one smile is mercy. Considering that I'll experience 1000s of smiles in coming days is astonishing mercy--mercy worth singing and shouting and celebrating.

Think long and deep over forgiveness and all the new-every-morning-mercies of God, and you will be full of joy; have no doubt about it.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections, Worship

I know I said yesterday that I'd not have a post today to give you time to process all the info offered in my last post, but I want to add just a short testimony by way of further reflection, and hopefully inspiration.

A short time ago someone said to me that he has noticed a distinct increase in my joy in recent months, and he feels it has been used of God to increase the joy of the flock I pastor. My example of joy--he suggested--has led others into joy. This was a great blessing and a humbling moment for me. I was overjoyed and grateful!!

Later as I reflected on this brother's observation it hit me that it suggested something very interesting. I have long been a very happy and joyful man in Christ. By grace I have been able to experience joy--real and pronounced--even in the deepest trials of life, and burdens of ministry. Despite much sorrow, I have had very very few days (don't get me wrong: there have been some) in the past 25-30 years when I have not felt a real and deep joy in the Lord, in people, and in ministry.

Despite moments and occasional days of sorrow and burden, I have been a happy man and pastor for a very long time. Now, I will grant that as God has taught me the priority of joy in Him, I have grown in this even more, and I'm thankful to say that my joy has increased. But here would be my read on things: while my joy has increased it is my expressiveness of joy that has increased even more. I have seen the need more and more to express the joy that's within: in song, in tears, in verbalized praise for what God is doing in others and in the church, in clapping, in smiles, in greetings of people expressing my sheer gratitude for their presence and God's grace in their life, in lifting hands, and more.

I believe that what has impacted people,and led them into greater joy is the increase of my joy expressed, at least as much as the increase of my joy. It always confused me when people used to tell me that I was a melancholic, when inwardly I was rejoicing greatly in God and in what He was doing in people's lives. Now I have a better sense of what was going on: I was failing to show what I was tasting within. Inwardly i was singing and smiling, but outwardly I was serious and staid and subdued in emotion.

The more I have let out what is within, the more others have felt it and gained some of it themselves. All this is to say that expressiveness in joy is not only good for my soul; it is good for others'.

A bit more to think about.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections, Worship

As I proceed to some imperatives regarding expressiveness of joy (and other spiritual affections) in worship, I do so mindful of three concerns:

1. Please take a close look at yesterday's 10-comment conversation on this blog; it is loaded with significant interaction. I'm concerned that no one move ahead in this thinking without seeing those matters clearly.

2. I'm concerned that our discussion about joy make no one sad! There's a danger in considering the matter of joy, that those not experiencing or expressing it may feel even less joy, either out of guilt or fear (either of man or of excess), or envy or confusion or despair. I don't want to make the melancholic even more so! Please hear my heart in all this: it is to encourage joy, not quench it. I do not wish to rebuke anyone who is not getting fully what I'm discussing.

I have no desire to imply that if you are not experiencing the fulness of joy to which I've been calling attention, that you are experiencing no joy at all. You may well be rejoicing daily in God--and maybe more than me! Besides, remember the gospel: if there is any way in which you are not experiencing the joy of the Lord in full measure that is no reason to feel condemned, for Christ died even for our failures to rejoice in Him!

3. I am also concerned that as we move to imperatives, there be a spirit of Christian obedience as we do. One thing that has burdened me a bit through the years as I discuss these types of things (as well as commands like: "earnestly desire the spiritual gifts") is that people can be convinced theoretically that they should have more joy or that the Bible commands expressiveness of that joy (or that spiritual gifts are promised for today), but because such do not come easily to them or because they are afraid of excesses, they never actually get around to obeying the command of Scripture to pursue them. Their fears or temperamental struggles regarding such things keep them from actual obedience.

I remember when I first saw the repeated Bible imperatives re expressiveness in worship that my conscience would not let me go, even though temperamentally, culturally, and even theologically, I had been trained and entrenched in an entirely different way. So I had to force my hands up or my hands together or my knees to bend. Obedience required a "beating of my body into submission" to the will of my God.

I say this, not to burden the struggling, but to remind us all that whenever the Bible calls on us to do anything--no matter how hard, no matter how different, no matter how counter-intuitive or cultural, we must yield and do, even if by taking one baby step at a time. My first times lifting hands in worship amounted to a mere action of the wrists. I bent them upward around my waist, lifting my hands at waste height, until I could muster courage and faith to raise them higher!

Obedience starts somewhere, and keeps going from there.

Now that said, it may remain for me to convince that expressiveness is a matter of obedience, rather than temperament or style or culture. To do that let me simply garner a series of texts and stats for you (I'm going to have the following be my post for today and tomorrow, since it includes a lot and many texts you may want to check; I'll pick up on the question of how to grwo in joy next week):

1. Key texts include: Psalms 95, 149, 150 (for that matter, the Psalms are full of commands to worship and to do it with all manner of expressiveness. Being the inspired manual for worship that it is--and one we are commanded to make a part of NT worship in such passages as Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16--I think we can quite safely conclude that the themes, forms, and postures for worship that it commands and commends are ours to follow, unless the NT clearly says they are to cease).

2. Kneeling/Bowing: Genesis 24:52; 1 Kings 8:54; 1 Kings 18:4; 2 Chronicles 6:1; 29:29,30; Ezra 9:1; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 95; Isaiah 45:23; Daniel 6:10; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; 9:40; 20:36; 21:5; Ephesians 3:14; Philippians 2:10; Revelation 5:8,14; 11: 16.

3. Shouting/Joyful Noise (sometimes translated “sing”): Psalm 5:11; 32:11; 33:1-3; 35:27; 47:5; 65:13; 66:1ff; 95:1ff; 98:4(1-9); 100:1; 132:9,16; Ezra 3:11-13; Job 38:7; 2 Samuel 5/2 Chronicles 15.

4. Clapping: Psalm 47:1; 98:8; Isaiah 55:12.

5. Lifting Hands: 1 Timothy 2:8; Genesis 14:22; Leviticus 9:22; Exodus 9:29,33; 2 Chronicles 6:12, 13, 29; Ezra 9:5; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 28:2; 63:4; 88:9; 119:48; 134:2; 141:2.

6. Dance: 1 Samuel 6:14,16; 1 Chronicles 15; Exodus 15; Judges 11:34; 1 Samuel 18:6, 21:11; 29:5; Jeremiah 31:4,13; Psalm 30:11; 149:3; 150:4

7. Texts with multiple physical activities in worship: 1 Chronicles 16: 1-42 with 2 Samuel 6 and 2 Chronicles 15.

If one puts all of the Biblical references to standing, kneeling, bowing, clapping, dancing, shouting and enthusiastic singing accompanied by instruments together, one will compile an impressive list indeed. The length of the list should convince any student of the Bible that physical activity and expression in worship is considered natural, normal and praiseworthy by God.

Lord, help us to know and to feel both the majesty of Your being and the magnitude of Your love. So much may we feel these, dear Lord, that we will soon join Ezra on his face and David in the dance!

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections, Worship

I hope you won't mind if I delay the how to gain more joy posts for another day or two so I can connect us first to a few more thoughts regarding joy; thoughts touching on how joy is expressed in God's house in heaven, and in God's house on earth.

One thing I have learned is that joy needs to be expressed, and that often with exuberance, both in order for it to be biblical, and in order for it to be maximized. I think it was C.S. Lewis who observed that joy is not complete until it is expressed. We see this in our irresistable human urge--whenever we experience something happy or joyful--to tell someone about it. Joy is maximized and completed when it is released into the ears and hearts of others. This is worth pondering.

What is even more worth pondering is that biblical joy is consistently visible, outwardly manifested, and talked and sung and danced about. This is true even in God's eternal house, heaven itself. We know that joyful singing is the sound of heaven, joined in by all present, even by God, with a loud voice (Zephaniah 3:17; Hebrews 2:11, 12).

I think a pretty good case can be made that the joyful singing of heaven is attended with dance as well. I would base this case first on the general biblical encouragements we have to include dance in worship (e.g.-David's model in 2 Samuel 6:14, plus Psalm 149:3 and 30:11), and second on two descriptions we have of heaven's joy.

The first is in Luke 15 where in the story of the prodigal son returned home, we see the young man's father (who represents God, the One who welcomes repentant sinners home) throwing a huge party complete with music and dancing. Since Jesus' point in this and the preceding stories of Luke 15, is to show the joy of God and of heaven when sinners repent (see Luke 15:7, 10), there is at least good reason to conclude that every time a sinner comes to Christ, heaven breaks into celebration! The joy of heaven is loud, celebratory and effusive.

This is further supported by another text in Revelation 15:2-4 where we read that the inhabitants of heaven will sing Moses' song. What's instructive about this is that Moses' song which followed the deliverance of Israel from Egypt (found in Exodus 15:1-21) is in fact the Old Testament's most well known dance song (Exodus 15:20, 21)! That's one of the songs chosen for heaven.

If the Israelites could not help but sing and dance when delivered from Egypt into the promised land, how much more will heaven's throngs not help but sing and dance when delivered from hell into God's eternal home! So at the very least the Bible seems to connect joyful singing and dancing to heaven at least these two times.

So I conclude that for joy to be complete it must be expressed, and for joy to be heavenly and heaven-like it must be expressed exuberantly and effusively. We will see that this conclusion matches up with actual imperatives as we move forward tomorrow.

Of course we would be going too far to say that joy must always be effusive, but we would not be going nearly far enough if our joy is never or not very often effusive. Part of God's will that we are to pray is done on earth even as it is in heaven, is that our joy be so strong, so real, and so free, that it gets released in loud singing and celebration on earth, even as heaven's joy is.

And folks, take it from me (a guy who was as conservative and restrained as anyone--I was actually trained and taught not to be expressive because emotion was seen as dangerous and unspiritual): all of us can gain such a level of joy in God that we can learn to sing loud, and do at least a little leaping and dancing for joy.

Are we all ready to aim that high?

Labels: Affections, christian life, Heaven, Joy, Religious Affections

I've often said that when I'm asked how I'm doing, the answer depends on what aspect of life and ministry one wants me to talk about. This is because there is always much to rejoice in and always much to weep over. In fact, I do not think it's an exaggeration to say that if you were to engage me in deep conversation in either direction, I would probably be weeping within five minutes; weeping for sorrow or weeping for joy; quite possibly for both in the same situations.

As we consider the matter of Christian joy we need to nuance the conversation a bit by pausing to think about the call to Christian sorrow. A call to Christian sorrow?! Surely I'm overstating it. No; not at all. Part of godliness is weeping.

Jesus wept (as the Bible's shortest verse, John 11:35--as well as other texts--tells us). Jesus told us that mourning is blessed (Matthew 5:4). Jesus makes the call to weeping vs. laughing even more stark in Luke 6:21-25. God grieves over our sins (Ephesians 4:30). We are commanded to "weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). Paul experienced "great sorrow and unceasing anguish" over the lost condition of his fellow man (Romans 9:2). In fact Paul, while always rejoicing, was sorrowful (2 Corinthians 6:10). James turns the call to mourning into a stark Old Testament-prophet-like thundering plea (James 4:8-10).

What are we to make of this? We are to make of it that as Christians we must never forget that while we are drinking deeply of the joys of God and the blessings of the age to come, we are still here in a fallen world with remaining sin within and without. We are to weep over our own sins, and we are to grieve the sins of others. We are to mourn over human loss and grief, and we are to grieve the state of a fallen world in which "evil men go from bad to worse" (2 Timothy 3:13). We may rightly grieve bad illness and the terrible enemy called death (Philippians 2:27; Acts 8:2).

There is the now which is a perpetual mix of sorrow and joy, and there is the not yet, the reality that the fulness of our joy is reserved for a time to come when all tears will be wiped away. If a Christian can live in this world without ever crying, indeed, without crying often over the sins and sorrows of a broken world, he is simply either a hard-hearted man, or Pollyanna, a naive child who imagines that everything is happy when it's not.

Christians are called to weep. No believer can be truly a God- and people- and holiness-loving man or woman whose heart never breaks with sorrow. Weeping frequently for sorrow does not make us a melancholic; it may simply mean we are holy.

But this in no way negates my previous calls to joy. It only makes them more mysterious and might I say it, more profound. Ours is not a grief without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), therefore it is a grief with joy! Paul was perplexed, confused, sorrowful, and cast down--but never in despair, and always rejoicing! We are to rejoice in the Lord always and again--I will say it with Paul--rejoice (2 Corinthians 6:10; 4:7-11; Philippians 4:4). We know in experience what the song-writer calls "pleasing grief and mournful joy"; a mystery and a profound paradox to be sure, but true nonetheless.

The joys of having tasted of God and grace and the powers and joys of the age to come need to be so strong in us that every tear of sorrow is mixed with tears of hope, and joy and sheer exhilaration in the glories of our God. This is clearly the experience of the apostle, and of the Savior who went before him.

Will it be ours?

I will write tomorrow of how we may gain more of such joy, even through the tears.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections, Sorrow

I think we need to pause and try to get our minds around the idea of joy: just what is it? This is no easy task (as is the case when trying to define any of the emotions/affections of the heart; what is love, or anger, or peace?). But it's a worthy exercise to try to wrap our minds around the very nature of joy--though I'm not sure how well I'll do.

Dictionaries say things like: "Joy is an ecstatic or exultant happiness" or "Joy is great pleasure", "the emotion due to well-being, success, good fortune, or possessing what we desire." Often joy is defined simply by synonyms, which helps but doesn't get us all the way there, it seems.

It occurs to me that maybe a look at the roots of various Hebrew/Greek Bible words for joy might point us in a good direction. One Bible word for joy has its roots in the idea of brightness; that which shines. Joy connects to a shining experience of the soul, and often look on the face. Another Bible word finds its roots in the word for leaping and springing. Joy is that which makes the heart leap, dance, bounce. It creates a lightness on the feet of the soul.

Another word is rooted in the idea of exultation--triumph and success and the thrill of victory. The idea of desire is connected to another word. Joy is the experience of and satisfying of desire (this connects to C.S. Lewis' take that joy is "the intense longing of the heart for God" that will only be fully satisfied in "another world.")

A primary Greek word for joy is closely related to the Greek word for grace--which refers to a gift freely given, undeserved. I've often defined grace as a "free gift that brings joy". Joy is connected to receiving, in this case to receiving what we cannot otherwise obtain, receiving what we long for but do not deserve, receiving a free, unmerited favor.

Still another word for joy--normally translated blessed, connects to the idea of fullness and wholeness. It speaks of that emotion that arises from an experience of being full, having all, receiving much, being satisfied and satiated.

I'm not sure I can really define joy but I'd say that biblically joy is that inward state of well-being and fullness of soul--that despite circumstances and sorrows to the contrary, and because of relationship with God in Christ--feels good, feels content, feels exultant, feels on the undeserved receiving end of fullness and wholeness and the heart's truest desires.

Having paused in my blogging to take a three mile walk with the dog, I'd like now to revise the previous definition a bit (walks do that for me). Joy is the shining of the soul and leaping of the spirit that flow out of tasting freely of the fullness of God.

Joy is when, despite encroaching darkness, the soul shines, and despite sorrowful burdens, the spirit leaps, because one has tasted freely and undeservedly of the fullness of God's glory and grace and goodness. Joy in the heart is that which feels and perhaps says the familiar words: "it is well with my soul" and "I'm doing better than I deserve"--because I have tasted the free goodness of God.

This is not the final word to be sure; it may not even be a very clear word at all. But it's been a good exercise for my soul to ponder it. I wonder how you'd define it. Give it a shot, and let us know what you come up with. I am very anxious to see what God gives you.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections

1000.

That's about how many times joy is either commanded or commended in Scripture.

Perhaps surprisingly, this means that joy is commanded or commended four times more often than reverence (yes I've tabulated both). Don't misunderstand: I'm not pitting these two against each other as if one is better than the other. Indeed Christians are to be always marked by both. Theirs is to be a reverent joy and an exuberant fear--similar to the frollicking reverence that Susan and Lucy tasted with the recently risen and suddenly roaring Aslan (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)

The point I'm making is that while reverence is to be constant and while (as long as we live in a sin and sorrow cursed world) tears will be ever present, joy is to prevail. We are to be reverent and sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Corinthians 6:10; Philippians 4:4).

And might I suggest that one reason why this joy is to be so pronounced in us is because it is so present in God? I've counted up 90+ biblical references to the joy, the pleasure, the delight, and the blessedness of God! More than 90! Luke's two-volume history mentions God's happiness on several occasions: Luke 3:22; Luke 10:21 (see footnote); Luke 12:32; Luke 15:7, 10, 22-32 (where Jesus chooses a feasting, singing and dancing party image as a metaphor for the joy of heaven's God when sinners repent).

God is the happy God, blessed and pleased in all He is and does, and sharing that joy with us (for any wanting to look deep into the happiness of God, I recommend heartily John Piper's The Pleasures of God, and Sam Storms', The Singing God). God is so content in Himself and so sure of the outcome of all things that He is "blessed (i.e.-happy) forever" (Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 6:15).

Neither space nor time permit further development of this soul-awakening reality. I leave it to you to flesh it out in reflection and study. But here's one implication for life: since the Bible clearly teaches that we become what we behold, might I suggest that one of the surest ways to become full of joy is to behold with steady gaze the One Who is so filled? We can do few things more transforming than to gaze at the happiness of God and all that makes Him happy, if we would be happy ourselves.

While God grieves sin and weeps over the Jerusalems of this world, His tears are the tears of pure sorrow and compassion, not of fear or helplessness or defeat or weakness or despair. His are the tears of One Who is fully assured of full and final victory in all things, and of great good even in and through the grief. Joy triumphs over sorrow in God every time.

That's why He sings and breaks out the tamborines whenever a sinner repents and one more part of His perfect plan falls into place. And that's why He wants us to do likewise, even when life hurts. Weep? Yes. But always rejoice. Why? Because God does.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections

Forty-five references to joy in 52 total chapters; that's Luke's Luke/Acts emphasis. Pretty impressive I'd say.

And one of the more stupendous statements about joy is found in Acts 2:25-28. This is a Messianic prediction about the resurrected and ascended Jesus. Notice the words: "my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced" (Jesus' joy was both felt and expressed; what his heart felt his tongue sang). Also the risen Messiah is "full of gladness with the Father's presence"! Not somewhat happy or mildly pleased, but completely and thoroughly joyful!

But isn't Jesus the "Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief"? He was, but I don't think He is. As touching His first coming, which was a coming to die, He knew much sorrow; indeed a seemingly disproportionate part of each gospel is taken up with His passion and griefs. But this was but for a time, that time, the time appointed for death. He came to cry and die in behalf of sinners.

But that said we must make two observations:
1. That He was a Man of Sorrows does not mean that He was joyless. It is hard to imagine a sinner-befriending, wine-drinking, food-enjoying, child-hugging Savior being joy and and humorless. If He was, He'd be about the only human ever who could make people feel comfortable with a constant sad and serious look on His face. It seems apparent that he was full of joy; otherwise nobody would have wanted to hang with him the way they all did. So it seems that all those observations I used to hear in childhood, that Jesus is never recorded to have smiled (by implication, He was a very serious and sad man, and we should be like that, too) were both wrong and sadly mistaken.

2. We should also note that if Jesus was not full of glad-hearted and often expressive joy while on earth the first time, He failed to obey hundreds of Old Testament commands, and therefore was not a perfect Savior! If He never sang and danced and clapped His hands and celebrated the goodness and grandeur and glory and sheer kindness of God while on earth, He disobeyed countless OT commands to do so. That would mean he sinned, and that, my friends, would be the end of the gospel.

All that said, let's be sure to conclude with this: though a Man of Sorrows Jesus was full of joy while on earth the first time, and now--as the risen Lord--He is not a Man of Sorrows at all; He's the King of Joy!

We should take a cue from this: no matter how many may be our sorrows we should be full of joy. And on this side of the cross and the empty tomb we should reflect our Savior by having hearts permeated with joy and tongues that sing and tell and shout it everywhere! We should be pervasively and persuasively happy people. After all, we're called to be like Jesus.

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections

As promised a few days back, I am beginning a series of posts on the topic of joy. Joy is a distinct mark of biblical faith in relationship with the living God. I heard it said recently that "a joyless pastor seriously misrepresents God." It is true. It's also true that a joyless Christian does the same.

Someone has said that judging from the faces and lives of many Christians, one could get the distinct impression that they were baptized in lemon juice. This simply ought not to be--and if I have my way about it the reflections of the next few days will help us be full of joy in our God who is Himself full of joy!

I'm going to confine myself mainly to the writings of Luke in this series since that is where my devotional times have been of late and since joy seems to be a major theme of the historian. The fact is that if we looked at all the Bible we'd see that there are many hundreds of joy texts, maybe even a thousand or two. I'm not at all hesitant to say that joy is one of the most prominent themes in the whole Bible. It simply is everywhere!

This may surprise some of you since your take on faith may be more austere and melancholic. But let me say it: Lemon juice faith is simply unbiblical. A faith that is not genuinely, visibly and, yes, expressively joyful is simply deficient faith at least as the Bible defines and describes it. It is biblically safe to say that if our joy is not noticeable and pronounced, then we simply do not have enough of it.

I've found it interesting, convicting, and transforming, that Luke--as he aims to recount for us the history of the coming of Jesus and the birth of the church in Luke/Acts (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-3) reveals that joy was prominent in the hearts of those connected to these great events. By implication, he intends for us--who remain connected to those great events, by faith--to experience that same joy. I count up at least 45 joy texts in Luke's two-volume set.

One reference that is somewhat defining for the early church is Acts 2:46. Others include Acts 8:6-8 and 13:48. As I begin can I ask of each of us--and of the churches we represent: "Would observers of our lives say of us what observers of the NT churches said: 'They have glad hearts and they have much joy?'" Is joy a distinctive mark, a defining characteristic of our life as the church?

If this cannot be accurately said of us, then we have some soul-searching to do. Will you join me in the exercise? And if you're inclined why not ask a few friends who don't normally read the blog to follow along as we pursue joy together?

Labels: Affections, christian life, Joy, Religious Affections