"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:11.
Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines joy as: "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires." When an athlete is successful in their event they express joy. When a mother holds up her newborn for the first time she expresses joy. When a student earns an 'A' on their final exam they express joy. When a boy sees his dad coming home from an overseas tour in the military he runs up and hugs his dad expressing joy. There are many events in life that can bring joy.
Joy is also had when someone that has been prayed for many years finally comes forward at the end of a church service and accepts Jesus as their Savior. This level of joy often comes with great tears, tears of joy. Jesus spoke to His disciples on the way to the cross about their joy being full. The word translated "might be full" carries the idea of being made full, being fulfilled, or being made complete. In essence then when joy is made full, fulfilled, or made complete it is maxed out. This is not the world's joy. It is far greater!
The joy that Jesus is talking about is not the simple joys that are experienced in life. This joy is a joy that God provides to those that know Jesus as Savior. This joy is so great that it is capable of existing when the circumstances of life are far from pleasant. In fact, Nehemiah 8:10b tells us, "the joy of the Lord is your strength." The joy that the flesh provides at certain times in life may provide a temporary boost but it won't last. In order for joy to last and have a constant positive affect on life it must be "the joy of the Lord." Jesus told His disciples that He wanted His joy to "remain" in them. God has joy that never goes away. It is always a part of who God is for it is bound up in love, God's love.
Jesus spoke of God's love when praying aloud to God the Father in the presence of His disciples in John 17:23 which reads, "I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved Me, and hast loved them, as Thou has loved Me." God loves each believer with the same love that He loves His Son, Jesus Christ. God gives the believer the same amount of love and the same strength of love that God the Father gives God the Son. David speaking of himself and the Savior in Psalm 16:11 declares, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." The love God the Father has for the Savior and for each and every believer also provides fullness of joy.
Philippians 4:4commands, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." This command seems impossible. How does anyone rejoice or express ultimate joy when disaster strikes? When a loved one passes the believer is commanded to rejoice. When a friend dies without Jesus the believer is commanded to rejoice. When a family member is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer the believer is commanded to express ultimate joy. Is Paul off his rocker? Jesus wanted the disciples' joy to remain and be the joy that Jesus has. The joy that Jesus has is infinite!
It would seem then the thing to do is to obtain the joy of Jesus. The Apostle John wrote, "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." 1 John 1:4. The Apostle Peter said, "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." 1 Peter 1:8. Upon reading these statements one might start searching through the books of 1 John and 1 Peter to find out how to obtain and keep this joy that is "unspeakable and full of glory." Let's look, though, at the statement of the Apostle John and see what is there.
Upon looking at the Greek text a rough translation of 1 John 1:4 would read, "And these things we are writing to you, that the joy is that which has been made full." A smoother statement of the last part of the verse would be, "that your joy is being that joy which has been made full." This is the same as the statement expressed in most translations today. The problem is that the English language doesn't present thoughts in the same way as the Greek original. Therefore, to smooth out the translation so that it can be read and understood it is stated, "that your joy may be full."
This does not mean that this unspeakable joy that is "full of glory" has to be earned, sought after, or somehow acquired. The Greek says that this joy has already been applied, made full or complete. It is already there and fully available. The believer receives this joy and all that is theirs at the moment of salvation. Why is it then that the believer goes around looking sad and forlorn when life goes foul? It is due to a lack of faith. However, faith is already given at the moment of salvation the same as all the other gifts that is received.
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17. The Word of God is how one hears and then has faith. When the believer looks at the Word of God, or looks at the Savior, the believer has faith. When the believer has faith and realizes that the Lord's joy is theirs they through faith experience the joy of the Lord. When the believer is in the midst of one of life's many difficulties and looks at the difficulties there is no joy. However, when in amidst of life's difficulties the believer looks to Jesus in faith there is joy, the Lord's joy which has already been received. The believer needs simply to acknowledge that the Lord's joy is theirs and accept it by faith the same way they accepted salvation. It was given at the time of salvation and is always available if the believer will simply go to the Lord and depend upon Him for it.
God loves the believer so much that He has guaranteed that all that happens to the believer is for their ultimate best. Romans 8:28 speaks to the believer with, "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." The joy of the Lord can be maintained in faith because the believer is guaranteed that everything that comes into their life is for their ultimate best. God loves the believer so much, as much as He loves the Son, that God will not allow anything in the believer's life that is not that which is the very best that can happen to the believer, causing the believer's ultimate good.
There is no need to go around life without the joy of the Lord. "The joy of the Lord is your strength." It is the joy of the Lord that provides the victory over all of life's difficulties. When the believer expresses the joy of the Lord amidst serious difficulties in life the world looks on and says, "I want what he/she has." The joy of the Lord is the weapon God gives us to break through to the heart of the unsaved as the Holy Spirit works through us. If you know Jesus as your Savior, claim what is yours, the joy of the Lord. Keep your eyes on Jesus!
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