Jesus and Joy

Reality of Joy Through Jesus

Long ago, I was searching for the joy promised in the New Testament, as described in Galatians 5:22. At the time, I wasn’t very joyful; I was unhappy and had a bleak outlook on life.

However, I began a lifelong study of Jesus and God’s grace. I was definitely missing the boat. What I found, over time, in the New Testament, was personal joy on a higher, deeper level. As the old hymn says, “a higher plane.”

Truthfully, I’m not happy all the time. That’s an honest accounting. Things still confound me and irritate me, and many are downright bummer (I grew up in the ’60s — I use bummer a lot). But that’s normal. No one is happy 100% of the time. Life is a sinful place after all, replete with tormenting life issues.

Happiness, though, is not what I’m talking about. I’m talking joy — the joy that comes from a great relationship with Jesus. Joy and happiness are two different things. Only He can bring us transcendent joy. Should I break my arm, for example, I can still have the joy I share with Jesus.

For one thing, Jesus came to this earth for you and me; see Luke 10:27. I was deeply entangled in what the Bible calls sin. Should I die in that state, my actual life (the soul) would be eternally tormented. I didn’t like the sound of that. But that’s why Jesus came, to save us from sin and ourselves. Society as a whole deteriorates where there is a lack of respect for God. It’s obvious that life without Him can be yucky. Just see the news.

I tied my future to Jesus. You should, too. The life after this life promises joy beyond compare. Christians have joy here on earth, right now, in Jesus. Look at Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” You did see that Christians experience love, joy, and peace, among other attributes.

2 Peter 1:3-11 presents great laws for a joy-filled life. Verse 3 has this: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

Did you catch the point of verse three? God has given us everything that about an eternal and godly life. Of course, Peter is writing to Christians, and he tells them that faithful Christians have God-given promises. He tells them that through the promises we might share in God’s divine nature. Are we going to become gods? No, that’s not what He means. Peter tells Christians that we’ll be in God’s nature as spirits. He’s spirit and we’ll be spirits in heaven.

Revelation 21:4 has this about heaven: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Just joy, now and forever. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3).

Seek Jesus now while you can.

By: Garland Van Dyke

Where: Matthews St. church of Christ, Bay City, TX 77414

On the web: www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist

Contact Us

Follow us On Facebook

Sign Up For Our Weekly Devotional