Presbyterians Should Show Joy in Christ

Witnessing the Love of God For His Covenant People

Howdy!

Things have been kind of dour on this Tuesday prayer and worship help the past couple of weeks, and while circumstances dictated that, it would be good for us to turn on the sunny side this time around and spend a day meditating on the joy the Christian is to have in their savior Jesus Christ. I know it can seem a little oxymoronic to have a Presbyterian speak on happiness, but even we smile on the inside sometimes.

What is it that makes a believer joyous even in the face of the most difficult of circumstances? It is not simply that when we stack up what we should be thankful for next to those things that are bringing us down that one of Jesus is worth more than all the degradations of this life. While that is undoubtedly true, it is not the full story. We do not adore our Savior just because He does more for us than the world, that’s just pragmatism. There has to be a higher reason for our obedience born out of love than just “God works” and the flesh doesn’t. That’s what we’ll spend time exploring this morning in order that we might not struggle so much with all the things.

Our Lord, when He is speaking to the disciples in the upper room discourse of John 14-16 makes several statements about His love, the Father’s love, and our love. Some examples include:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” – John 14:1

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” – John 14:21

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” – John 15:9

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” – John 15:11

“Therefore 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 16:22

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

These of course are merely a sliver of the teachings of Christ in which we are to rest and then rejoice over as we consider His many manifold blessings to us. A common thread running through each of the verses is that the source of joy, love, peace, and faith is God alone. Whether we are talking about the first, second, or third person of the Trinity, each person is worthy alone of these emotional and mindful responses, and those replies are born not out of what the Godhead does, but in who they are. In other words, their work is secondary to their identity, or maybe better said is born out of their identity. The attributes of God like His sovereignty, His eternality, and His goodness are not things God does, but they are a reflection of His nature. When we come and worship we are not merely doing that as a return of thanks (though we are in a sense), but out of the excitement of being in the presence of the Almighty. All those benefits are an added bonus. Because God is love, we are loved. Because God is love, we love. Because God is holy, we are holy.

We could go on from here, but I think you get the point.

Here we see one of the major problems of the Pharisees. They seemed to want to keep the law out of faith in God, but as Jesus exposes their duplicity we see that while they obey, they do not adore. They want moralism and to be moral people, however, that’s not what Christ calls us to be and to do. To be sure, that doesn’t mean we get to sin and sin boldly if we are in grace (Rom. 6ff). The man born again is born again in love. That love then shows itself in obedience, not out of a heart wanting to be seen as good, but out of a heart which seeks to conform itself to God almighty. Our desire in this case is to be holy as God is holy, not to do good stuff so God likes us. We already have the love of God, which we know to be true because He has called us to be His. We have heard our Master’s voice and have come running unto His loving embrace. Due to this free offer and free gift of faith and life our minds and souls then seek to be conformed unto Him, to forsake sin and witness His wisdom and truth. We do not repent of our sin in order that we might become attractive to the Lord and capable of salvation. The redemption purchased by Christ at the cross and made real at the empty tomb then is made ours by the inward work of the Holy Spirit in justification. When we receive that new heart of flesh and the heart of stone is removed our chests then beat with a hope and a will to obey. This is the gospel, the good news we preach.

In closing, one of the great dangers we can fall into as we think about all the wonders to be found in the goodness of God is that we come to faith and then sit at the station waiting for the end of days. A Christian who loves Jesus will seek to grow in Jesus. Paul’s encouragement to the people at Corinth is important here. He says to them, “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.” (1 Cor. 3:2). As those who spend time in the word and in worship it should be paramount to us as we learn more about our Savior to want to know more, to be hungry for the knowledge of truth. Because as we do grow we realize that what we are actually wanting to know is not stuff about Jesus, for even the demons know that, but Jesus Himself, as He is, and as He will always be forever.

Last word:

https://www.reformationscotland.org/2022/05/05/ways-to-increase-our-longing-for-christs-coming/

Blessings in Christ,

Rev. Benjamin Glaser

Pastor, Bethany ARP Church