Joy

As we stated previously, love, joy, and peace are among the highest goods that people can experience. When Jesus returns He will bring love, joy, and peace to every person who has diligently performed His will. But those who have not obeyed His commandments, even though they have professed faith in Him, will not be given love, joy, and peace. They shall receive from Christ exactly according to what they have done during their lifetime. To teach or believe otherwise is to lead ones's self and others to certain prolonged suffering.

God has called us to joy. God desires that all the sons of God shout for joy continually. The creation is made for joy. It is sin that brings misery.

The reason we Christians who are seeking the Lord experience many tribulations, many chastisements, is that we might receive greater joy. If we are to have the marvelous, unhindered joy that God wishes us to have, the idols that bind our personality must be removed from us until all things are beneath us and only Christ is our Head.

The pursuit of joy, or pleasure, is one of the principal sources of our motivation. Some believers will not choose to become disciples of Christ because they fear such a commitment will cause them to lose their pleasures. Others will not enter the life of victory for the same reason.

This is true of so many churchgoers of our day. We in America are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Therefore we are to be chastened severely.

We cannot possibly receive the rewards we are hoping for until we are ready to postpone our pleasures, according to the will of Christ. There is no way in which self-will can be destroyed in us other than by prolonged imprisonment. We simply must deny ourselves and place our treasures in Heaven. If we do not deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow the Lord Jesus, we will not receive love, joy, and peace when the Lord returns.

There is false preaching in America today. It is that being saved by grace means we do not have to do anything but believe in order to receive the rewards assigned to the overcomer. If this were true it would mean numerous statements in the New Testament are false.

The Lord Jesus commanded us to put our treasures in Heaven. If we disobey the Lord, we will receive the reward of disobedience when He returns, even though we have taken "the four steps of salvation."

We have been promised joy.

Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. (Isaiah 61:7—NIV)

If we have borne the reproach of Christ in this world we shall receive everlasting joy at the coming of the Lord. If we have chosen instead to hold onto our present pleasures, not denying ourselves, not taking up our cross and following the Lord, we will not be filled with joy when the Lord returns. We shall not enter His joy because we have not been a good and faithful servant.

To be continued.