History has recorded a letter which the Athenian philosopher Aristides wrote to the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Hadrian died in 138 AD, so this letter was written around the beginning of the second century. Aristides, describing the Christians he had observed, wrote: “Every morning and all hours on account of the goodness of God toward them, they render praise and laud Him over their food and their drink; they render Him thanks. And if any righteous person of their number passes away from this world, they rejoice and give thanks to God and they follow his body as though he were moving from one place to another. And when a child is born to them, they praise God, and if again it chances to die in its infancy, they praise God mightily, as for one who has passed through the world without sins.” Even though this quote it doesn’t use the word “joy,” it exudes the joy of which Bible writers express.
Of course, there is much in this world to enjoy, and our little corner of God’s creation has more than most. But obviously, there is a great deal of sorrow in the world as well. Despite not experiencing the disasters of tornados and hurricanes, Idahoans still see death and disease. And every week we hear of another murder, not just in some other state, but a few miles from our homes. Drunk drivers still kill people, even a second and third time. We have seen car wrecks and house fires. We see homeless people, people suffering from addictions, and others with debilitating injuries. And despite our own worldly blessings – evils and problems come our way too. Some of us are in the midst of major problems right now. Those difficulties, those trials, give us the opportunity to render a special ministry toward others. When trials are particularly severe, our ability to display joy, creates a ministry we wouldn’t otherwise have. I am talking about the “ministry of joy.”
Having said that, I need to make a clarification. Some people might hear the words “ministry of joy” and think of it in the same way as they do the “ministry of the word” or an “evangelistic ministry” But there is a difference. I am a Christian 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but I minister God’s Word only 2 to 4 hours a week. You might say that teaching and preaching is a part of my Christian life; it’s a Christian “add-on.” I pray to the Lord, and I rejoice in Christ, and rest in Christian hope, but I preach only once in a while. Joy is not supposed to be like preaching or evangelism. It is not an “add-on.” It’s not a smiley face we put on when we come to church. It ought to be a constant part of who we are as born again believers, not just a periodic service we perform. Aristides was telling Hadrian that there was something different about those Christians; they lived joyfully. Sadly that is not as common as it ought to be.
There are people, whom the psychologists call “sanguine.” These are people who are by nature upbeat, positive, generally happy. But not everyone is like that. In fact, those psychologists describe three other major human temperaments. And if that perspective is true, then only a quarter of us are by nature perpetually happy. But experience tells us that there are probably very few people born truly sanguine. It is not generally a part of our fallen nature to be upbeat and positive. And even if it is, it seems that the world tries to beat it out of us.
Nevertheless, Christians are EXHORTED to be joyful, highlighting the fact it may not be natural to us.
“Joy” and “rejoicing,” as generalities, are words which come up in the apostles’ letters to the saints. For example there is Romans 12 – “ Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; REJOICING in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. REJOICE with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another.” Even in the midst of tribulation, we are exhorted to be patient and full of joy. And, as Jesus told us, we are to bless them which persecute us.
As Paul concluded one paragraph to the Philippians, he said, “Finally, my brethren, REJOICE in the Lord.” Then in the same letter he said, “REJOICE in the Lord alway: and AGAIN I say, REJOICE. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” In both passages, he said “rejoice IN the LORD,” because it may not be possible to rejoice any other way. In I Thessalonians he wrote: “ Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. REJOICE EVERMORE. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give THANKS: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” What is the meaning of “rejoice evermore?” Doesn’t it mean: “always” or “at all times” and “from now on?”
We will look at a few other scriptures in a moment, but first let me ask: Just because these aren’t printed in red ink, do we have a right to skip over them and not apply them? Is “rejoice evermore” less important than “abstain from all appearance of evil,” or “abhor that which is evil?” Would I be going too far to say that God COMMANDS us to be joyful? Do we have any right to whine and say, “But, Lord, that is too hard?” Do you think the Holy Spirit wants to hear us say, “But joy is contrary to my weak and corrupted flesh?” Or, “God, if you knew what I was going through right now, you’d understand why I am not very happy.” Of course we can’t say these things. The Lord expects us, as children of His royal family, to be joyful.
As you know, the world has its counterfeit methods to bolster people’s flagging joy.
For example, there are a multitude of prescription anti-depressants to keep people’s spirits up. The potential side effects of most of them are terrifying, including increased depression and even suicide. When I googled “drugs to make you happy,” it immediately responded with: “Here is a list of the six most common feel-good drugs… Marijuana, adding, When marijuana’s most active ingredient, THC, reaches your brain, it can cause your brain cells to produce the feel-good chemical, dopamine. Then, without further explanations, it listed alcohol, magic mushrooms, ecstasy, heroin and… (wait for it…) caffeine.” By the way, I didn’t read the full heading to that list. What it actually said was: “Here is a list of the 6 most common feel-good drugs that will result in a crash.” In other words, no matter what chemical people use to encourage and uplift themselves, the effects eventually wear off, either bringing us back to reality or producing the opposite effect – an emotional crash.
Every Christian experiences those days – with those problems – when it seems impossible to rejoice. When those days come along, we can’t rely on chemistry to lift us. The ultimate problem is within us; it’s a problem of our heart; it is spiritual, and turning to fleshly things to cure spiritual problems is counter-productive.
Another common worldly solution to sadness, or a lack of joy, is diversion. Perhaps it is turning to our favorite hobby – just to take our mind away from the problem. Someone else looks for a feel-good movie or perhaps it’s a book. It might be music – good or bad. Many people resort to sports or to overt sin like immorality, or abusing themselves or others. And physical exercise, while a healthy diversion from the stress of day-to-day life, can also naturally increase levels of dopamine and serotonin in our blood, improving our outlook on life. Some of this is good, and some of it is horrible, but this isn’t my theme.
Does the BIBLE offer any thing to help us obey the principle, “rejoice evermore?”
I think that the Bible offers four things to help us with our mood problems. Please turn to John 15. Christ Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch, that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” I can see how, on the surface, that might not be a particularly uplifting scripture. Someone might say, “I am not bearing much fruit. Jesus says, I am going to be taken away. I am not bearing much fruit. I am going to be pruned and purged. It’s going to hurt.” It really wasn’t Jesus’ purpose to pour salt into our wound. He wants us to heal up and to grow. Notice verse 10 – “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that MY joy might remain in you, and that YOUR joy might be FULL.” Godly service and Christian obedience are exercises which can produce the spiritual serotonin our souls need to flourish in joy. Even before God’s intervention with His blessings, logically speaking, the more we minister to others, the less time we’ll have to fret over our gloomy situation.
A second help towards joy is prayer. I know that the context of John 16 is rather specific, but permit me to generalize it to make a point. John 16:22 – “ye now therefore have sorrow…” You are not “rejoicing always” as you have been exhorted. “Ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you… Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” Do you want to experience joy after joy? Then learn to pray. But this isn’t about praying FOR joy, even though there may not be anything wrong with that. This is talking about praying for others, for the glory of God, for victory, for your church, for your pastors. The more we see God answering our prayers, the more full our joy will become. The more we pray in faith, reaching for things hoped for and things not seen, then receiving them, the less we’ll depend on the things of the world, and the more joyful we will become. “Pray without ceasing.”
Learning to be content is another great help toward joy. Paul told Timothy, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Great gain! It’s better than a pay raise; it’s better than the cure of a terrible disease or a relief from pain. Godliness with contentment is one of the keys to living in the presence of the Lord. When we learn to be satisfied with the life and the things God has chosen to give us, the happier we will be. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Since joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit, to be filled with the Spirit of God, should mean contentment and joy. After all, aren’t we indwelt by the Holy Spirit, enveloped by the righteousness of Christ and we live and move and have our being in the omnipresent God?
With these things in mind I now come to my primary point.
FAITH may be the most important step toward living in earthly joy.
The Book of James hits us with some very hard lessons, and the first comes in the second verse. “My brethren, count it all JOY when ye fall into divers temptations.” The word “temptations” not only implies possibilities of sin, but it also speaks of the reason those temptations might come up. The Greek word is often translated “trials.” James, and other Biblical penmen, tell us to rejoice in the problems and testings of our lives. But that is counter-intuitive. That is not logical. How can we rejoice in something which is painful and bad? This kind of rejoicing is not possible until the special ingredient is added: faith in the sovereignty of our God and Saviour. If we are convinced that the Lord knows what He is doing… And when we believe that our Saviour is going to be glorified through our current temptation then we can rejoice in it. This confidence in God’s love and control comes from the Lord Himself – received by us through faith.
Peter suggests the same thing in his first epistle, chapter 1: In God’s eternal salvation, “ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet BELIEVING, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” By what means can we, in the midst of trials, temptations and even the persecutions of life, see the end and the salvation of our souls? Peter points to it – receiving the end of your FAITH.
John Foxe, not only wrote “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” but a much larger history called “Acts and Monuments.” In the larger book he wrote: “Let us now enter the consideration of the blessed martyrs, who although they suffered in their bodies, yet REJOICED they in their spirits, and albeit they were persecuted of men, yet were they comforted of the Lord with much inward JOY and peace of conscience (contentment?), that some, writing to their friends professed they were never so merry before in all their lives, some leapt for joy, some for triumph would put on their scarfs, some of them their wedding garments, going to he fire; others kissed the stake, some embraced the faggots, some clapt their hands, some sang psalms, universally they all forgave and prayed for their enemies, no murmuring or repining was ever heard amongst them.” From where did these ordinary people get that sort of joy and peace as they prepared to die? It was not natural. It was from God. And faith is the means to receiving any of God’s blessings.
In the Psalms we are exhorted to trust God for joy and to trust God in our joy. Psalm 5:11-12 – “Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them; let them that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous…” Not by not logic, and often not by observation, but by faith saints know that God wilt bless the righteous. There are ignorant people who sometimes say they are going through hell in their lives. There is nothing in this world which can be compared to hell, but they use the term anyway. If I might terribly misapply Psalm 10 just for them, David prayed, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell… Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is FULNESS of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more.” How can Christ, of whom this is a prophecy, or David, or any of us who are disciples of Christ, experience the joy of pleasures at God’s right hand while still suffering in this world? By faith. David said in Psalm 21 – “The king shall joy in thy strength.” He shall enjoy that strength by faith.
In Luke 6 Jesus said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven…” How can we leap for joy in the midst of day-to-day earthly problems? How can we rejoice about rewards that are awaiting us away off there in heaven? The answer is: by faith.
As strange as it sounds, Christ Jesus is our highest example of rejoicing by faith. Hebrews 12 – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” In Luke 10 we are told that “Jesus rejoiced in spirit” thanking His Father that He had given to him all things. But at that time His earthly problems were just beginning. As difficult as it is for my mind to grasp, Jesus rejoiced in His future blessings, by faith – omnisciently.
Again, where can you and I find joy in a cruel, sin-cursed world? By looking through that world and on into heaven; by looking beyond the things going on in and to our flesh. By setting our affections on things above where Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father. Paul did that in II Corinthians 6 – “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” Peter was looking into Heaven when he wrote, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding JOY.” The prophet Habakkuk was thinking along the same lines when he wrote: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” – Habakkuk 3:18.
Some people think that the more religion they have, the more miserable they will become. The more time they spend in church or with the Word of God, the less time they will have to look for happiness in the world. Sadly, they are miserable because they have a religion that doesn’t include our sovereign loving God.
Where can we find real, permanent and overcoming joy in this world? It is not in this world itself, despite all the blessings which God has put into it. Rather it is in the Lord who originally created this world without sin and all its resulting problems. It is in the Lord who govern all things for His glory, and who has said to us – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
This morning we sang the Biblically-based chorus: “This is the day. This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” The Psalmist reminds us to be determined to rejoice and be glad. Again, how can we do that? By trusting in the Lord who established this day. Nehemiah was right when he said, “This day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” There is joy available to every saint of God. But that joy is accessible only through faith. “This is the day which the Lord hath made. And I am going to make it holy unto the Lord by filling it with praise. I am going to rejoice in everything I possibly can, for His honor and glory.”