REJOICING IN GOD

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:8-11)

Devotion 4 of 4

JOY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

Spiritual resources are administered by the Holy Spirit. Although this activity is transcendent to nature, it is not an intrusion into our lives that excludes our personal involvement. Working through the will and faith of the believer, the Spirit of Christ enables us to rejoice in spite of our immediate surroundings and circumstances. This is a most remarkable thing. Those who rejoice in the Lord are not oblivious of personal difficulties and hardships. Their joy does not blind them. It broadens their perspective! It allows them to rise above the influence of the mudane--to company with Jesus in the heavenly places. Believers remain fully aware of their circumstance, but superior to it. The Word of God is clear on this point. We must be courageous in our faith, appropriating the blessing. "And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 1:6). This "joy" falls into the category of "the fruit of the Spirit." "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith . . . " (Galatians 5:22). I do not know that these qualities are listed in order of their priority. If they are, joy ranks high in spiritual virtues. This is the result of the Spirit's activity, not of human creativity or discipline. It involves the submission of the believer: not quenching, grieving, or resisting the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19; Eph. 4:30; Acts 7:51). We must be careful not to lose sight of our subject; "Rejoicing in God." Joy--spiritual joy--is not just a happy feeling. It is not merely a sense of well-being, although that IS involved. True rejoicing finds its Object in God Himself. If there were no God, or if we did not have access to God, there could be no such genuine joy. This rejoicing depends upon a living, active, accessible God. It requires that His smile be upon us, and that we be welcome in His presence. Such awareness is infinitely greater than any circumstance, no matter how grievous it may be. The possession of this joy has caused men to sing in prison, and boldly stand before condemning councils. In a nutshell, THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS GOD TO US IN A MANNER CONDUCIVE TO JOY. He shows us the truth about His "great salvation" (Heb. 2:3). He opens to us the great proclamations of the Gospel, relating them to our need. He shows us that in Christ God is "for us," and not "against us" (Romans 8:31). Our text says, "Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received the reconciliation" (Romans 5:11, NIV). Do not miss the significance of this text. Get your bearings here! When the Spirit says, "Not only so," He is telling us that our joy is founded upon an existing situation. That condition is described in the preceding verses. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" (Romans 5:8-10). Allow your faith to exult in these things! 1. God has confirmed His love for you in Christ's death for you, while you were yet a sinner. 2. Now that you have been justified by the blood of Christ, you will surely be delivered from the wrath that is to come. 3. The arrangement conforms to sound reasoning. If we were reconciled to God when we were enemies, surely, now that we are reconciled, the interceding Christ shall bring the work to completion. These are the considerations that undergird our joy. We rejoice because our state has been changed from an enemy to a son. We have been completely absolved of guilt through the blood of Christ, and are no longer condemned. Christ's current ministry is devoted to bringing us to glory (Heb. 2:10), and we have been delivered from the wrath that will be revealed at the appearing of Christ (Eph. 5:6; 2 Thess. 2:8). The awareness and reception of this truth in the heart drives away the clouds of sorrow. It causes the Sun of righteousness to arise in the heart, shedding healing rays throughout our spirits (Mal. 4:2). We rejoice "in God" because He is the One behind this great salvation. He is the One that sent the Son. He is the One Whose love was confirmed by the death of Christ. He is the One to Whom Jesus represents us. He is the One to Whom we have been reconciled. He is the One from Whose wrath we have been delivered. Jesus is His Son. The Word is His Word. The Spirit is His Spirit. Rejoice in God, believer, rejoice in God! The world has nothing like this to offer to us. Relief from the oppression of circumstance is thought to be experienced by mere diversion, indulgence, or ignorement of one's situation. The Spirit gives us joy even when we are conscious of difficulty and hardship. He does so by enabling us to focus upon eternal verity rather than temporal circumstance. This is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." PRAYER POINT: Father, I do not ask for pleasant circumstances, but for transcendent joy; not for world ease, but for a sense of Divine security and blessing. Bless me by showing mne Your glory. I will then rejoice in You, and You alone.

-- TOMORROW: THE CENTRALITY OF UNDERSTANDING -- -- MONDAY: New Series, THE WORD BECAME FLESH --