Articles from Jack’s Column.
Thoughts on Joy Phillipians 4:4-9
The Bible has been closely examined for it’s authenticity many times. C S Lewis was amongst those who did that, and was convicted by what he read, and claimed Jesus as his Lord. He then wrote, “Surprised by Joy”
Joy is listed as one of the important gifts of the Spirit, so it is normal that a Christian should experience joy despite the circumstances being experienced at any one given moment. Joy is the experience where there is exultation of the spirit, that which makes our hearts sing, Alleluia!
There are many reasons why we should experience joy; we are forgiven; the united church worldwide is growing; we are sharing our faith with others.
Happiness is not joy. It depends on good circumstances. Joy on the other hand is a state of mind. Just as faith is the essence of what we are as Christians, not how we are feeling at any given moment, so joy is also the essence of our experience in Christ, not whether we are happy or not.
Paul says, ” Rejoice always”. That means we have joy in all of the various experiences that we have at this moment. The New Testament joy is the best demonstrated in Hebrews 12:2 ” ( we) look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
There is a strong connection between the suffering that we endure and our capacity to experience joy. Our joy is greater when we remember that God has brought us through all the suffering that we have had!.
These are the main points of a sermon preached by Rex Chamberlain on 26th May 2019 at the Elms.