FREEDOM FILES
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1, NIV).
ISSUE #8
Freedom to Experience Joy
“Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved” (Henri Nouwen).
So, why should we care about a quote by some guy most of us have never heard of? Let’s first get to know a little about Henri Nouwen. “The internationally renowned priest and author, respected professor and beloved pastor Henri Nouwen (pronounced Henry Now-win) wrote over 40 books on the spiritual life” (www.henrinouwen.org/About_Henri/About_Henri.aspx).
“Born in Nijkerk, Holland, on January 24, 1932, Nouwen felt called to the priesthood at a very young age. He was ordained in 1957 as a diocesan priest and studied psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen. In 1964 he moved to the United States to study at the Menninger Clinic. He went on to teach at the University of Notre Dame, and the Divinity Schools of Yale and Harvard. For several months during the 1970s, Nouwen lived and worked with the Trappist monks in the Abbey of the Genesee, and in the early 1980s he lived with the poor in Peru. In 1985 he was called to join L’Arche in Trosly, France, the first of over 100 communities founded by Jean Vanier where people with developmental disabilities live with assistants. A year later Nouwen came to make his home at L’Arche Daybreak near Toronto, Canada. He died suddenly on September 21st, 1996, in Holland and is buried in Richmond Hill, Ontario” (Ibid).
Joyful, I think most, if not all, would agree is a fundamental mark of what a follower of Jesus should be. But do we really understand what joy is? Some would equate it with happiness, some with contentment. Others would equate it with jubilation and celebration.
Merriam Webster defines it this way:
1 a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires
b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion
2 a state of happiness or felicity
3 a source or cause of delight
(www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joy)
Biblical joy is defined as, “Happiness over an unanticipated or present good” (Walter A. Elwell, ed., Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Books, 1996).
We need to keep in mind that joy is not limited to humans. The Bible records that the angels in Heaven rejoice (experience joy). They rejoice when someone chooses to repent and turn to God. In telling the parable of the lost sheep, he concludes with these encouraging words. “ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7). He repeats this idea in the parable of the lost coin that was found. “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). In the third parable of chapter 15 there is rejoicing when the son returns home to his family. “‘Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15 23-24). The parallel for us is that there should be rejoicing when a sinner repents and turns to God.
For Jesus, joy did not equate to a “feeling”. His joy came from knowing that good would prevail. The writer of Hebrews gives this encouragement to his readers. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3). Jesus was able to look past the suffering and agony of the cross because he was looking forward to the joy that would come as a result. The joy, for Jesus, was a result of doing the one thing that fulfilled his purpose. It is the same for his followers. James writes to his readers, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2). The joy for the believer is not in the trials, but in the results of those trials: perseverance.
As his followers we are to imitate him. We are to live a life of joy. When writing to the church in Philippi, Paul linked the believer’s joy with their faith. “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:25). It is also how we are to relate to other believers. In referring to the return of Epaphroditus to the Philippian church, Paul writes, “So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him” (Philippians 2:29). Paul prayed for the Philippian church with joy. “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy (Philippians 1:4). Paul’s joy would be made complete when the Philippians lived in unity with one another “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind (Philippians 2:2). Finally, in his concluding encouragement, he tells the Philippian church, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4)! Again, joy is not a feeling. It is not based on how our day is going. It is not determined by receiving good news or bad news or getting cut off in traffic on the way to work. It is “happiness over an unanticipated or present good.” That present good for us as believers is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
God loves unconditionally and that should bring us joy. There is nothing we can do that will cause God to love us less than he already does. After all, he loved us so much that he sacrificed his son in order to have a relationship with us as our Heavenly Father. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Paul explained the love that God has for us as believers to the Roman church by writing, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
The apostle John gives us more reasons to have joy because of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As long as we are walking in Him, we have forgiveness from all of our sins.
· “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
As long as we are walking in Him, we have eternal life.
· “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
We will never experience joy by trying to achieve salvation or by trying to be good enough. These will only lead to frustration for the honest, or arrogance for the dishonest. Those who are honest and realize they cannot be good enough, but are trying to be, will experience the frustration of the elderly lady who told a preacher friend of mine, “I’m just afraid that when I die I won’t make it in to heaven because I wasn’t good enough.” This preacher’s answer was not what she expected. He told her, “Well, I can tell you, you aren’t good enough. But neither am I or anyone else. If we were we wouldn’t need Jesus.” Those who are dishonest enough to believe that they can earn God’s favor fall victim to arrogance and self-righteousness. True joy comes when we admit that we are sinners and we rely on Jesus for our righteousness. Then, we will be motivated to do good works because we are children of God, not in order to become children of God. Paul says it this way: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10). Notice here that the good works are not done to earn salvation, but are done after receiving salvation.
CONCLUSION:
Paul reminds the followers of Christ in Galatia that their lives should reflect the life of Christ by demonstrating the fruit of the Spirt. Notice that the second characteristic mentioned is joy: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). We have the freedom to experience joy because we have a Heavenly Father that loves us unconditionally.
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If you would like to be added to or removed from this mailing list, contact me at [email protected] and I will immediately comply with your request. Previous issues can be read at www.freedomfiles.weebly.com. If you are challenged by these newsletters, then feel free to send them on to others and encourage them to write for a free subscription. I would also welcome any questions or comments from the readers.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1, NIV).
ISSUE #8
Freedom to Experience Joy
“Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved” (Henri Nouwen).
So, why should we care about a quote by some guy most of us have never heard of? Let’s first get to know a little about Henri Nouwen. “The internationally renowned priest and author, respected professor and beloved pastor Henri Nouwen (pronounced Henry Now-win) wrote over 40 books on the spiritual life” (www.henrinouwen.org/About_Henri/About_Henri.aspx).
“Born in Nijkerk, Holland, on January 24, 1932, Nouwen felt called to the priesthood at a very young age. He was ordained in 1957 as a diocesan priest and studied psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen. In 1964 he moved to the United States to study at the Menninger Clinic. He went on to teach at the University of Notre Dame, and the Divinity Schools of Yale and Harvard. For several months during the 1970s, Nouwen lived and worked with the Trappist monks in the Abbey of the Genesee, and in the early 1980s he lived with the poor in Peru. In 1985 he was called to join L’Arche in Trosly, France, the first of over 100 communities founded by Jean Vanier where people with developmental disabilities live with assistants. A year later Nouwen came to make his home at L’Arche Daybreak near Toronto, Canada. He died suddenly on September 21st, 1996, in Holland and is buried in Richmond Hill, Ontario” (Ibid).
Joyful, I think most, if not all, would agree is a fundamental mark of what a follower of Jesus should be. But do we really understand what joy is? Some would equate it with happiness, some with contentment. Others would equate it with jubilation and celebration.
Merriam Webster defines it this way:
1 a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires
b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion
2 a state of happiness or felicity
3 a source or cause of delight
(www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joy)
Biblical joy is defined as, “Happiness over an unanticipated or present good” (Walter A. Elwell, ed., Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Books, 1996).
We need to keep in mind that joy is not limited to humans. The Bible records that the angels in Heaven rejoice (experience joy). They rejoice when someone chooses to repent and turn to God. In telling the parable of the lost sheep, he concludes with these encouraging words. “ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7). He repeats this idea in the parable of the lost coin that was found. “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). In the third parable of chapter 15 there is rejoicing when the son returns home to his family. “‘Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15 23-24). The parallel for us is that there should be rejoicing when a sinner repents and turns to God.
For Jesus, joy did not equate to a “feeling”. His joy came from knowing that good would prevail. The writer of Hebrews gives this encouragement to his readers. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3). Jesus was able to look past the suffering and agony of the cross because he was looking forward to the joy that would come as a result. The joy, for Jesus, was a result of doing the one thing that fulfilled his purpose. It is the same for his followers. James writes to his readers, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2). The joy for the believer is not in the trials, but in the results of those trials: perseverance.
As his followers we are to imitate him. We are to live a life of joy. When writing to the church in Philippi, Paul linked the believer’s joy with their faith. “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:25). It is also how we are to relate to other believers. In referring to the return of Epaphroditus to the Philippian church, Paul writes, “So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him” (Philippians 2:29). Paul prayed for the Philippian church with joy. “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy (Philippians 1:4). Paul’s joy would be made complete when the Philippians lived in unity with one another “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind (Philippians 2:2). Finally, in his concluding encouragement, he tells the Philippian church, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4)! Again, joy is not a feeling. It is not based on how our day is going. It is not determined by receiving good news or bad news or getting cut off in traffic on the way to work. It is “happiness over an unanticipated or present good.” That present good for us as believers is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
God loves unconditionally and that should bring us joy. There is nothing we can do that will cause God to love us less than he already does. After all, he loved us so much that he sacrificed his son in order to have a relationship with us as our Heavenly Father. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Paul explained the love that God has for us as believers to the Roman church by writing, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
The apostle John gives us more reasons to have joy because of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As long as we are walking in Him, we have forgiveness from all of our sins.
· “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
As long as we are walking in Him, we have eternal life.
· “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
We will never experience joy by trying to achieve salvation or by trying to be good enough. These will only lead to frustration for the honest, or arrogance for the dishonest. Those who are honest and realize they cannot be good enough, but are trying to be, will experience the frustration of the elderly lady who told a preacher friend of mine, “I’m just afraid that when I die I won’t make it in to heaven because I wasn’t good enough.” This preacher’s answer was not what she expected. He told her, “Well, I can tell you, you aren’t good enough. But neither am I or anyone else. If we were we wouldn’t need Jesus.” Those who are dishonest enough to believe that they can earn God’s favor fall victim to arrogance and self-righteousness. True joy comes when we admit that we are sinners and we rely on Jesus for our righteousness. Then, we will be motivated to do good works because we are children of God, not in order to become children of God. Paul says it this way: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10). Notice here that the good works are not done to earn salvation, but are done after receiving salvation.
CONCLUSION:
Paul reminds the followers of Christ in Galatia that their lives should reflect the life of Christ by demonstrating the fruit of the Spirt. Notice that the second characteristic mentioned is joy: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). We have the freedom to experience joy because we have a Heavenly Father that loves us unconditionally.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
If you would like to be added to or removed from this mailing list, contact me at [email protected] and I will immediately comply with your request. Previous issues can be read at www.freedomfiles.weebly.com. If you are challenged by these newsletters, then feel free to send them on to others and encourage them to write for a free subscription. I would also welcome any questions or comments from the readers.