This is the last post on the subject of Joy.

I am endeavouring to summarise all that I have discovered about Joy.

First a definition: Joy is extreme happiness at salvation and the life to come. At encountering God, who surrounds us with steadfast love and is not dependent on what is happening around us.

That is an amazing summary in itself.

True Joy is from God and is found in following Jesus. It gives us a glimpse of God’s Kingdom and a time when we will live eternally in Joy.

Joy comes from serving God and submitting to His plans for our lives. 

Joy is something all of creation experiences. We destroy creation at the price of our Joy.

We also experience Joy when we see the faith other people have in Jesus.

Joy is experienced in the bad times as well as the good.

Joy leads to obedience to God and is a result of obedience to God.

Rejecting God’s teaching, being prejudiced about other people, getting caught up in legalism. All rob us of our Joy.

The flipside of Joy is bitterness. Unforgiveness will rob us of our Joy.

Joy is a fruit of the spirit. It is a gift of God and results from deep fellowship with God. It can be individual and corporate and is not dependent on what is happening in our lives.

I could write many more words, but all I have written about is summarised in those statements. 

I want to end this series with this beautiful hymn. For me, this is a beautiful description of Joy and the source of our Joy.

May God show you His Joy.

“O Love That Will Not Let Me Go”

Text: George Matheson

Music: Christopher Miner

1. O Love that will not let me go, 
I rest my weary soul in thee; 
I give thee back the life I owe, 
That in thine ocean depths its flow 
May richer, fuller be.

2. O light that followest all my way, 
I yield my flickering torch to thee; 
My heart restores its borrowed ray, 
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day 
May brighter, fairer be.

3. O Joy that seekest me through pain, 
I cannot close my heart to thee; 
I trace the rainbow through the rain, 
And feel the promise is not vain, 
That morn shall tearless be.

4. O Cross that liftest up my head, 
I dare not ask to fly from thee; 
I lay in dust life’s glory dead, 
And from the ground there blossoms red 
Life that shall endless be.

Jude v24

The last reference to Joy I found in the Bible was in Jude. It is contained in the blessing at the end of the letter.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (NIV)

There are many sources of Joy but they all emanate from God, are about God and bless us.

Despite all the difficulties of this world. Despite all the confusing messages we receive from other people who profess to love Jesus.  Despite everything that blocks us from being aware of God. We are all loved. We are all forgiven. Jesus died for our sins so that we can come before God without fault and in great joy at His love and plan for our salvation.

3 John

John continues the theme of joy in seeing the faith of others in this letter. 

He applauds those who delight in following Jesus and standing in His truth. 

He applauds those who take delight in the faith of visitors who are following Jesus, especially when they come to share their good news about Jesus.

He speaks with great condemnation of those who block outsiders from coming in to the church. This speaks not only of those who keep their worship groups closed from other Christians, but also of those who close off their fellowship from other Christians who worship in different denominations.

We are all believers in Jesus. We are all followers of Jesus. Our joy and delight should be in the faith of others and in the fellowship we can have together. It should never be about us and our little closed shop.