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Jesus Is the Source Our Joy! (May 7, 2024)

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)

Christians should greet each new day with rejoicing and gladness because of the unimaginably great hope of eternal security that is ours, having received God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:2) Rejoicing is the expression of the heartfelt joy that is ours as saints of Christ. The deep, abiding joy within our hearts should be outwardly visible in the conduct of our lives regardless of what we might be experiencing at the time. Knowing Jesus personally is a matchless joy! Quite apart from happiness and other emotions that ebb and flow depending upon our circumstances, joy is that unshakeable inner delight that is among the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) divinely cultivated in us when we yield our free wills to the LORD and our transformation into new creations in Christ begins.

“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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Joy, in fact, is all about completely surrendering oneself to Jesus and becoming “a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) that puts obedience to the Word, the will, and the work of God in loving service to other people above our own self-interests. Despite the unspeakable suffering and shame that He endured at Calvary for our sakes, Jesus counted it a joy set before Him to faithfully give Himself in total surrender and obedience to His heavenly Father to complete His earthly mission of mercy to rescue mankind from the deadly bonds of sin. As a result of Christ’s supreme sacrifice, joyful believers can “Rejoice evermore” (I Thessalonians 5:16) in the blessed assurance of abundant and everlasting life that is ours from the moment of salvation throughout the incomprehensible vastness of eternity. Our joy is not of earthly origin; it comes from heaven. Jesus is the source of our joy!



 

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