Christian Joy

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice”   Philippians 4:4

 

Sermon notes on Philippians 4:4, Keystone Chapel, Ames, Iowa, Nov 16, 2008

Introduction

Christian joy. The world has always hungered for the joy they see in Christians. In the third century a man penned these final words to a friend:

"It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians—and I am one of them."

If you know Philippians, you know that joy is a significant theme. But the letter is primarily about Christian partnerships and it addresses the kinds of problems people run into when they live and work together, even when they are working for a noble cause like advancing the gospel.

What problems? Here are some of the problems Paul touches upon:

• The problem of anxiety
• The problem of pride
• The problem of rivalry among Christians
• The problem of people caring only about satisfying their fleshly pleasures
• The problem of false teachers
• The problem of self-centeredness and selfishness
• The problem of grumbling and complaining

With all those problems, how can anyone be joyful? It’s a good question. So let’s pull up a chair next to the apostle Paul and see if we can get a better understanding of what he has in mind when he says “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Four points: First, the focus of joy; second, the meaning of rejoice; third, the importance of Christian joy; and fourth, the time for rejoicing.

The Focus of Joy

First, the focus of joy. What is the focus of Christian joy?  For many, the focus of joy is having a lot of money and things. Or finding physical pleasure in food and drink and sex. Or excelling in a sport or hobby or job of some sort. But people who’ve journeyed as far in life as you have, people at your age and stage of life, know that you can’t find lasting joy in any of those things. Am I right?

So where is lasting joy found?  Paul tells us: “Rejoice in the Lord.” Real joy is found in the Lord Himself, in Jesus Christ. Not possessions, not physical pleasures, not a certain position in society. Real joy is found in a person--in Jesus Christ.

Paul calls him “Lord.” The word lord means “master.” And what kind of master is he? Some masters are cruel and uncaring. Some are harsh and domineering. What kind of Master and Lord is Jesus?

In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul extols the humility of Jesus, as well as his transcendent glory.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Rejoice in THIS Lord Jesus Christ, the one who left heaven behind and became a man, even a servant for our sake. Rejoice in this one who became obedient to the point of death. Rejoice in him, in his sufferings and death, and also in his resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand. Rejoice in this Lord, who paid the penalty of our sin with his own blood, so that we might have forgiveness and a right standing with God. “He became sin who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor 5:21).

Real joy doesn’t depend on having the best set of circumstances. Jesus had all that in heaven, but that’s not where his joy was fixed. Some things are more important to him that having the best circumstances. He found joy in communion with the Father and in doing his Father’s will. Jesus’ overarching daily joy was to please his Father in heaven. “I always do what is pleasing to my Father in heaven.”  “My food is to do the Father’s will.” Real joy, the joy of Jesus, is found in a relationship with God. Is that the focus of our joy?

Meaning of "Rejoice"

Second, the meaning of rejoicing. What exactly is Christian joy?

According to one definition, the primary sense of the word rejoice is “to shout or be animated with lively, pleasurable sensations.” The Old Testament uses various words which suggest joyful movement and pleasurable sensations like shouting for joy (Ps 66:1) and springing and leaping for joy.

·         Sometimes there is a sense of triumph and exaltation.  “I rejoice at thy Word like one who finds great spoil” (Ps 119:162).

·         Sometimes the word used conveys the idea of a smiling and cheerful countenance, suggesting freedom from care.  “Serve the Lord with gladness” (Ps. 110:2).  “Delight yourself in the Lord” (Ps 37:4).

·         Sometimes joy is expressed through the use of rich sensory words:  “O, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps 34:8).  “My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat and my mouth praises thee with joyful lips when I think of thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the watches of the night” (Ps 63:5-6)

What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord?  It means delighting in him, exalting in him, finding pleasure and triumph and freedom from all burdens and cares in the Lord himself.

Importance of Joy 

Third, the importance of joy.  What is Christian joy so important? Paul repeats the command to rejoice three times, twice in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice;” and a third time in Philippians 3:1, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.”

The importance of joy is evident everywhere in Philippians. 

In 1:5, Paul makes his prayer for them “with joy.” 

In 1:18, Paul says that whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached, and in that I rejoice.”

In 1:25, Paul ministers to them “for your progress and joy in the faith.” 

One of Paul’s ministry goals—I was surprised the first time I noticed this but it’s right there in Phil 1:25—one of his goals was to encourage the growth of joy in the hearts of his friends. He described his ministry as being “for your progress and …joy.” Isn’t that fascinating? John Piper observes, “So all preaching and teaching that aims to make people holy aims to increase the joy of faith.”

Charles Spurgeon gave four reasons why Christian joy is important: 

Why should Christians be such a happy people? (1) It is good for our God; it gives him honor among men when we are glad. (2) It is good for us; it makes us strong. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). (3) It is good for the ungodly; when they see Christians glad, they long to be believers themselves.  (4) It is good for our fellow Christians; it comforts them and tends to cheer them.

The Christian’s joy is good for everyone involved: Good for God who is glorified by it; good for ourselves because joy gives strength to weather the hardships of life; good for the unsaved because by it they are attracted to the Savior; good for other Christians because it lifts their hearts when they see our faces shine, no matter what our difficulties.

Jonathan Edwards, the great Puritan theologian wrote, “The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted.”

The Time for Rejoicing

Fourth, the time for rejoicing. When should we rejoice? The answer: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” The verb in Philippians 4:4 suggests constant rejoicing, “Be rejoicing in the Lord always.” Go on constantly rejoicing in the Lord.

·         In the dark days when there is pain and adversity, rejoice.

·         In the bright sunny days full of blessings, rejoice in the Lord.

·         When people thank you for your service, rejoice.

·         When people overlook you or take you for granted, rejoice in the Lord.

·         When gain a friend or lose a friend, rejoice in the Lord.

Does this mean we are never sad? No, Paul definitely does not and cannot mean that. He wrote in Romans 9:1-3 about the pain in his heart over the lost condition of his fellow Jews, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” Jesus wept over Jerusalem and cried at Lazarus’ graveside. Jesus is called by Isaiah “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” He said to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.”

And yet, Jesus is the gladdest person in the universe. Hebrews 1:9 says of him, “Thou has loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, thy God has anointed thee with the oil of gladness beyond your comrades.” Wouldn’t you love to see the radiant face of Jesus right now? I think we will be amazed by his joy when we see him.

Yes, the Spirit of God is grieved by sin. Yes, God’s wrath against sin is great. But there's nothing gloomy about Jesus. He never grumbles and complains or gets exasperated. He's never worried or depressed. Paul described himself as “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10), and that perhaps is the best way to think about the Lord Jesus, sympathetic to our sorrows but always triumphantly joyful. 

The prophet Habakkuk resolved to rejoice in the Lord when all else came up empty: "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and theire be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation" (Habakkuk 3:17-18).


Sorrow and tears have their day, but they do not have the last word. “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Ps 30:5). And one day sorrow itself must give way to the pure joy of heaven when God shall “wipe away every tear 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” (Rev 21:4).

5 Ways to Hate Sin

"Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good"  Romans 12:9

Sermon Notes, Iowa Falls Evangelical Free Church, May 27, 2012

 

Introduction

There’s a delightful scene in the movie "Princess Bride" in which an old woman confronts Buttercup for betraying true love. Buttercup had supposedly given up on her farm boy Westley and married the evil Prince Humperdick.  Remember the scene? 

It's actually a dream sequence. In the dream, the lovely Buttercup stands before the crowd dressed in white, a crown upon her head, when the old scold steps forward to accuse her of betraying true love. The woman concludes her rant with these biting words:

That's what she is, the Queen of Refuse.  So bow down to her if you want, bow to her.  Bow to the Queen of Slime, the Queen of Filth, the Queen of Putrescence. Boo. Boo. Rubbish. Filth. Slime. Muck. Boo. Boo. Boo.

I’d like to play the part of the old woman and see if I can stir you up to revile something--something truly deserving of our scorn.  It’s not anything sweet and lovely and innocent like Buttercup, although it may pretend to be so.  And it’s not a dream sequence either, but a daily reality for every person.  I am speaking of course about sin.

Sin is the real Queen of Slime and Filth and Putrescence. Sin is the real betrayer of True Love.

The Puritan John Owens reminds us of the ceaseless seductions of sin:

Sin is always conceiving, always seducing and tempting….Sin doth not only still abide in us, but is still acting, still laboring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh. When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone.

 

How Can We Learn to Hate Sin?

Romans 12:9 says, “Abhor (despise, hate bitterly) what is evil; hold fast (be glued, cemented) to what is good.”  I Thessalonians 5:21-22 says much the same: “Hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

How do we abhor evil—I’m thinking especially of personal sin?  The Bible speaks of the “fleeting pleasures of sin” (Heb 11:25), and there certainly are pleasures to be found.  Sin tastes sweet, at first anyway.  Sin gratifies our urges, for a while at least.  So how do we learn to disengage from sin and turn our backs on the fleeting pleasures?

As we begin, I think it will help us to recall a few basic truths concerning sanctification. 

Sanctification

The theologian Wayne Grudem in the book Bible Doctrine defines sanctification as “a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.”

Unlike justification which happens all at once, sanctification happens by degrees over time. And again unlike justification, which is entirely the work of God without any contribution on our part, both God and man play an active role in sanctification.  

The progressive aspect of sanctification is described 2 Corinthians 3:18:  “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another. Now this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”  The result of sanctification is a life which increasingly reflects the beauty of the indwelling Christ to the glory of God.  And that includes clinging to the good and hating the evil. Hebrews 1:9 says of Jesus, “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Two Sides of Sanctification

There are two sides to sanctification, two ongoing processes.  Paul speaks about both in Colossians 3:5-12:

Put to death [mortify-KJ] therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry….But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator…..Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” (see Colossians 3:5-12)

Ephesians 4:22-24 also addresses the two sides of sanctification.

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Put to death what is earthly, put away, put off the old self—that is disengagement from old patterns of sin, and it is one process at work in sanctification.  The other process is engagement with what is good—put on the new self, put on compassion, kindness, humility and other godly traits.

Did you notice the word “mortify” in the King James version of Colossians 3:5.  They sound a little strange, the words mortify and mortification. It's where we get the word mortician. The Greek word means simply “to kill.”  We are to kill, to put to death what is earthly in us.  The Puritan John Owen urged, “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.”

Mortification

 

John Stott defines mortification as:

a ruthless rejection of all practices we know to be wrong; a daily repentance, turning from all known sins of habit, practice, association or thought; a plucking out of the eye, a cutting off of the hand or foot, if temptation comes to us through what we see or do or where we go. The only attitude to adopt towards the flesh is to kill it.

Spiritual-Mindedness

The other side of sanctification is spiritual mindedness, or what theologians call “aspiration.” John Stott says this side of sanctification involves:

a whole-hearted giving of ourselves, in thought and energy and ambition, to ‘whatever is true and honorable, just and pure, lovely and gracious’ (see Phil. 4:8). It will include a diligent use of the ‘means of grace,’ such as prayer, Bible reading, fellowship, worship, the Lord’s Supper, and so on.

Hating sin and loving righteousness go together.  If we cling to the good, we necessarily will hate the evil.  If we genuinely hate evil, we will show it by devoting ourselves to what is good. If you’ve ever tried quitting a longstanding sinful habit, you know it doesn’t work just to focus on not doing it. You must also do the opposite things, the positive things.  We must cultivate godly habits—prayer, meditation, and other spiritual disciplines or we won’t get very far in disengaging from sin.

Rely on the Holy Spirit

We should also recognize as we begin the all-important work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to be spiritually minded; we must rely on him and not our own efforts. Paul said in Romans 8:5, “Those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Likewise, it is the Spirit who enables our efforts to mortify sin.  “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death [mortify-KJ] the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). 

These basic truths concerning sanctification establish the foundation for considering what we want to consider now.

Five Ways to Hate Sin

 

1.  Claim your freedom in Christ.

The place to begin is with claiming our freedom in Christ. Most Christians understand that Christ came to free them from the penalty of sin and, someday in heaven, from the presence of sin. But many have not heard or grasped the truth that Christ came to set them from the controlling power of sin here and now in this life.

The key passage on freedom in Christ from the reign of sin is Romans 6. Let me give you a taste of what this very important section of Scripture says...

How can we who died to sin still live in it?....We know that our old self was crucified with him…so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin….For one who has died has been set free from sin….So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus…For sin will have no dominion over you…and having been set free from sin…For when you were slaves of sin….But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God…”  (see Romans 6:1-23)

In Christ’s death on the cross we died to sin.  In Christ’s resurrection from the grave we rose to new life.  That’s where sin-hating and sin-refusing begins:  with the truth that in Christ we have died to sin.  Sin is no longer our master.  The sinful tendencies remain and, yes, we will sin sometimes, but we are under no obligation to do so because of our union with Christ.

Many Christians are trapped in feeling helpless and hopeless in the battle with sin.  Here’s how Neil Anderson explains the problem:

Before we received Christ, we were slaves to sin.  Now because of Christ’s work on the cross, sin’s power over us has been broken.  Satan has no right of ownership or authority over us.  He is a defeated foe, but he is committed to keeping us from realizing that....The father of lies can block your effectiveness as a Christian if he can deceive you into believing that you are nothing but a product of your past—subject to sin, prone to failure, and controlled by your habits.

Paul said, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 54:1).  You are free in Christ, but you will be defeated if the devil can deceive you into believing you are nothing more than a sin-sick product of your past.  Nor can Satan do anything about your position in Christ, but if he can deceive you into believing what the Scripture says isn’t true, you will live as though it isn’t.

2.  Meditate on the perfections of God’s character.

Second, we will learn to hate sin by meditating on the perfections of God’s character—how holy and pure he is, how righteous and wise and good and just and kind and loving. David said, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Ps 16:8). 

 

Thoughts of God will satisfy our deepest needs and crowd out sinful thoughts. Psalm 63, “My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat and my mouth praises thee with joyful lips when I think of thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the watches of the night.”

The more our soul feasts on God, the less appetite we will have for sin. The more we know God, the more we’ll realize how offensive sin is to him and so despise it ourselves. "The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil" (Prov 8:13). The more we know God, the more we will want to please him, imitate him, glorify him, and avoid doing or thinking anything that will grieve his Spirit.

3.  When sin looks sweet, picture its bitterness.

Here’s a third way of hating sin:  When sin looks sweet, picture its bitterness.  The Bible gives us many vivid images to impress upon our minds the corruption and destructiveness of sin.

Sin is pollution.  “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Is 64:6).  “Cleanse your hands from every defilement of body and spirit” (2 Cor 7:1).

Sin is a stalking beast.  God warned Cain when it began thinking about killing his brother Able, “If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it” (Gen 4:7).

Sin is a slave master.  “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (Jn 8:34).

Sin is a killer.  “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).  “For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me” (Rom 7:11). It is because of sin that the unsaved—including perhaps many of our loved ones and friends—will be cast forever into a hell of unending torment and anguish.

Sin is adultery.  “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4).  Sin is unfaithfulness to God and like a jealous spouse his heart is grieved by the straying of his loved one (see Eph 4:30).

Sin is a leaven which infiltrates, multiplies and harms others.  “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump.”  Paul was referring in I Corinthians 5 to the harm that is done to the body of Christ when gross sin is tolerated in the church.  It doesn’t stop with one person; it spreads and causes more and more damage.

4.  Reflect on the opportunities and rewards lost because of sin.

Fourth, we will learn to hate sin by reflecting on the opportunities and rewards lost because of it.  Because of sin:

• Adam and Eve lost Paradise.
• Moses was barred from entering the Promised Land.
• Israel lost it temple, its land, and its privileged status with God.

How about ourselves?  Because of sin:

• We lose the pleasures of God's fellowship. "In thy presence there is fullness of joy; in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore (Ps 16:11). Could there be a greater opportunity lost?
• We lose opportunities to impact lives for the Kingdom of God when we are too busy with sinful pursuits.
• We lose eternal rewards for faithful service (2 Cor 5:10).

Because of sin our spiritual vitality decays, our faith weakens, our conscience is spoiled, our sense of calling and mission evaporates.  For the sake of the fleeting pleasures of sin, we forfeit peace and joy and other fruit of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “I come that they might have life and have it abundantly”--but we only experience abundant life when we repent and renounce our sins.

5.  Reflect on the sacrifice required to atone for sin.

Fifth, and very importantly, we will hate sin more if we reflect on the sacrifice required to atone for it.  Isaiah 53:4-5 says:

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5).

How bad is sin? Sin is so bad the only perfect man to walk on the earth had to suffer and die for it. If we are mindful of the sufferings of Christ, how can we go on loving the sin that killed him?

Charles Spurgeon, the great 19^th century preacher, said:

Sin murdered Christ; will you be a friend to it?  Sin pierced the heart of the incarnate God; can you love it?  Oh, that there was an abyss as deep as Christ’s misery, that I might at once hurl this dagger of sin into its depths, whence it might never be brought to light again. Begone, O sin!  You are banished from the heart where Jesus reigns!  Begone, for you have crucified my Lord and made Him cry, “Why hast thou forsaken me.?”

Conclusion

 

So there it is: five ways of hating. First, claim your freedom in Christ. Second, meditate on God’s character. Third, when sin appears sweet, remember its bitterness. Fourth, reflect on the opportunities and rewards lost because of sin.  And fifth, reflect on the sacrifice required to atone for sin.

I’ve been talking with those who already know Jesus Christ personally. But maybe you don't know him, not yet. But you have sensed the Spirit of God tugging at your heart recently. Well, I want to assure you the arms of the Heavenly Father are open wide to you. He gave Christ to die for your sins, so you might be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. And so that you live free from enslavement to sin in this life. 

God wants you just as you are, with your problems and your sins. I made the mistake when I began turning toward God of thinking it was my job to change myself. I thought I had to quit this and do that and then God would accept me.  But I was wrong. God takes us as we are, with all our sins and shortcomings. "God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Repentance from sin and faith in Christ to save you is all that is needed. "Repent and believe," Jesus said (Mark 1:15). "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).