Out of Complaining Into Joy

My friend since seminary days, the Reverend Dr. Tom Steagald, is a pastor in North Carolina and the author of a couple of books on personal sanctification and prayer. He and I have been engaged in an intermittent email conversation for the last few weeks on this topic of joy. In a recent pastor’s letter to his congregation, Dr. Tom wrote the following.

“Joy comes from knowing we are saved. Salvation accompanies the knowledge that we are indeed forgiven. But to know that we are forgiven suggests a prior knowledge: that we are sinners, that we are not what God wants us to be, that we fail to do what God wants us to do and instead often do what God prohibits.

“Sadly, somewhere along the line someone convinced us that we were not sinners at all — that we do not need change, but instead only understanding, acceptance and affirmation.”

Truer words were never spoken, Brother Tom! As long as we view Christianity as a therapeutic source of understanding and affirmation, we will remain untransformed, and the joy of the Lord will remain a distant hope, reserved perhaps for heaven, but generally unavailable until then. And so, we muddle through, grumbling as we go, striving to remain faithful to this unhappy hope we have.

But what a contrast is this watered down version of Christianity with the robust, indefatigable joy of the early church! That group of societal underlings conquered the world with nothing but the love of Christ and the joy of the Lord. And God is still the same today. He is as full of joy today as he was when King David wrote, “In His presence there is fullness of joy, and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Christ is as willing to impart joy to you today as He was when He said on the night before His crucifixion, “These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and your joy may be full” (John 15:11).

So, how do we access that joy? Never diminish the miracle of salvation. Never degrade the incarnation of Christ to a therapeutic mission trip. Never reduce the cross to a means to make you rich and healthy. The finished work of Christ is so much more than that! So! Much! More! Remember the miracle of your salvation.

Or, as Dr. Tom put it, “Joy comes from knowing we are saved.”

So, I ask you: do you know you are saved? Let’s review the Gospel.

God is holy, and in His presence no sin can abide. People, however, are sinners, both by birth and behavior. That means we’ve got a problem, just as we are. So God, Who is holy, made His Son to bear His wrath upon our sin, so that we could be forgiven by repenting of our self will and trusting His Son’s death and resurrection to save us.

As you contemplate and trust this Gospel, joy comes. And then you will able to agree with our North Carolina brother: “Yes, indeed, joy comes from knowing I am saved.”

Next week: Joy and Certainty