Joy

Joy

Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22. Let us take a look at the roots, the source of this fruit. There is always a cause for joy. In order to partake of this joy, it is not enough to know that there is something that is called “joy.” We need to know how to obtain it. We shall not pursue joy as a treasure in and of itself—joy is the mind’s pleasure over that which has been obtained. Therefore we shall not pursue joy; on the contrary, we are to pursue the things that are pleasing to God, and this will give us joy. Paul says, “Pursue righteous­ness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” 1 Tim. 6:11. It is futile to seek joy apart from these things. It is like harvesting fruit from a tree without roots. However, wherever these things are found and are grow­ing, God’s pleasure will rest over the heart, and that is precisely the believer’s joy.

There are many people who want this joy without these roots. But that would only be pursuing and striving after a joy that will never go beyond that which is human. This kind of joy has nothing to do with the joy that is a fruit of the Spirit. This striving for joy under a cloak of spirituality car­ries the greatest dangers with it. The preacher does his utmost; and the feelings of the entire assembly are set in motion to produce joy. This will result in a joy in the body instead of in the Spirit. This kind of joy that is worked up in the body carries with it all human lusts that most often end up in the most carnal forms, whose manifestations have lately caused great pain to God’s people. To get the assembly into a transport of joy is a goal for many conceited preach­ers, whose glory and fame depend on how many “rejoicing meetings” they can produce. But they do not ask whether this joy is a fruit of funny stories, jokes, or other carnal means. Therefore they can also advertise “rejoicing meetings” in assemblies that are saturated with unrighteous­ness, debt, immorality, greed, and all things evil. But God cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Isa. 1:13. What a responsibility such peo­ple have who force this kind of joy on top of all this wretchedness! Many people believe that their spiritual worth is according to the joy they imagine they have. However, the spiritual worth of a man depends on his walking in purity and truth. Let us look at some of the roots of joy in God’s kingdom.

1. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20. This joy is a fruit of a humble and thankful mind, because God took this person out of the world and translated him into His kingdom.

2. “If you keep my command­ments, you will abide in My love. . . . These things I have spoken to you . . . that your joy may be full.” John 15:10-11. This joy is a fruit of obedience to God’s will. Be obedi­ent, and you will have joy. And the one who has this joy does not need to strive to be glad. All striving to be glad is evidence that the person is not obedient. Proclaim obedience to the Word, and joy will come with obedience. You don’t need to work the assembly into a state of euphoria when you come into this joy. Obedi­ence to God is the root that bears all kinds of precious fruits.

3. “You have loved righteous­ness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” Heb. 1:9. A per­son is anointed with the oil of glad­ness if he hates lawlessness and loves righteousness. We read the same thing in Isaiah 7:15: “Curds and hon­ey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.” Refuse all the evil that is in the world, in yourself, in the church—from the speaker’s platform as well as in the assembly; spare nothing, and the Lord will anoint your head with the oil of gladness. Unfortunately, only a few people have the courage to refuse folly even though they see it; therefore they do not partake of this joy either, which is why they need to seek it in some other way. But if they had loved righteousness, they would have rejected all the evil they saw. This is what it means to love the truth, and love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but it rejoices in the truth. There is joy in the tents of the righteous.

4. “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:3-4. Walking in the light (v. 7) results in fellowship in purity. Fellowship in purity results in full­ness of joy. Wherever you have fellowship in the light you will also have love in the Spirit. There you will have joy, because you rejoice in each other. This joy is not a noisy joy, but a quiet joy that is rooted in mutual trust because you walk in the light, and no one has anything that he would rather hide in the darkness.

Quite often you will hear people say, “I like it best when I am alone.” They like it best when they are alone because there is so much impurity in the churches, so much strife, constant quarreling and arguing. There one is ignorant of the joy that is born in the light of purity and trust among the members. If a preacher is present, people will flock around him as the focal point; but once he is gone, only a few of them are left. Among these it is usually said, “Oh, it’s only he who is going to preach today, and that’s not worth listening to.” This is how people mock each other instead of loving each other. Who are those who find each other in purity and unity? Those who love the truth, who will love all those who walk in the truth. They will become one. Is there such fellowship on earth? Yes, Christ, the head is in heaven; His body, the church, is formed on earth. If the head is beautiful, then the body is also beautiful. But there is a covering over everything, and only a few are partakers of this joy—and the greatest hindrance to it is the religious leaders.

5. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 3 John 4. God has no greater joy than that His children walk in truth, and John shared this joy. Therefore he nourished such children with his life and his teaching. When children, in this manner, are the glory of the fathers, then the fathers will also be the glory of the children. Then the young people will not form their own youth groups to get rid of the older ones. If you want to taste this joy which John called the greatest, then you have to walk in the truth yourself; then this joy will be the fruit of a life in godly fear.

We see that joy is a result of obedi­ence. Love is not puffed up, not even over joy. The joy of a person who lives in the fear of God will become more firmly anchored in God. He does not strive in the least to put on a smiling face to be seen by men, for then he would lose that inner joy he has in God.

Only the person who knows pain knows joy.