Rejoicing in God
BY KENT SPARKS
Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul tells Christians in the first half of Romans 5 to rejoice. He starts by saying in verse 2 that we should "rejoice in hope of the glory of God". Then, he says we should have joy even in the face of tribulation because it ultimately brings us hope. "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (v. 5).Romans 5:11 After pointing out that God demonstrated his love toward us by having Christ die for us while we were yet sinners, he concludes this section saying in verse 11:
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.Let's take this verse apart and examine it closely to see what God is telling us there:I. We rejoice in God.
The opening phraseAnd not only someans that as incredible as that which has already been explained in the preceding verses is, there is yet more reason for us to rejoice. First of all, "...we also joy in God." In other words, we rejoice because we are in God, because we know God.If you have really entered into a personal relationship with God, then you know that you were formerly steeped in sin and were therefore heading for hell. But God reached out
in His grace and saved you. He has put you on a new path that leads to heaven. Because you are thus changed, springing up continually from your heart should be a sense of joy, a sense of deep satisfaction, a sense of heartfelt gratitude.Is that characteristic of you and your life? Or do you kind of pull yourself out of bed, dragging your heels and moping around most of the day? When talking to people, you just go on and on with a litany of how bad things are. Indeed, one can make this list almost infinite. And while all those things are often true, the Christian says, "But that's not what life is all about; there is far more to itif you know God."
And that's why we are told to rejoice in God. We don't rejoice in our circumstances; sometimes they are not very pleasant at all. We don't rejoice in our health and wealth because they come and they go. But we can and should rejoice in God.
Let me call your attention to six scriptures showing why indeed we should do so:
In God's presence. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11). We have the assurance of God's presence.
When he enters into God's presence, the psalmist says, he finds his joy completely fulfilled. In the first instance, he's talking about entering into the temple to worship. But even as he does so, he is no doubt meditating on that last day when he will stand in the very presence of God and be received by God's loving arms into His eternal kingdom. Friends, that is the fulness of joy.
Salvation. "The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!" (Psalm 21:1) We rejoice in our having been saved.
In this psalm, King David rejoices when he considers the mighty strength of God in developing His salvation program. In a sense, like David, we are all kings because Christ "hath made us kings and priests unto God" (Rev. 1:6) by having saved us. Therefore, in Thy salvation how greatly shall we rejoice!
Answered prayers. "Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips" (Psalm 21:2). We rejoice because God answers our prayers.
Jesus talks about this in John 16:24, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." God wants us to have joy and to make that the by-product of having prayers answered in our life. What we need is to learn to pray in His will as we are led by the Spirit.
God's sovereignty. "Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth" (Psalm 67:3,4). God is in charge of world history.
You get worried about nuclear war or about terrorists using nuclear weapons to backmail us. But you don't really need to. God governs the
nations. This world is going right where God wants it. Nothing is going to happen that is not a part of God's plan. Nobody can ever take that control out of His sovereign hand. So, even when world conditions may be alarming at times, knowing that God does everything perfectly should still bring you joy.Fruitful labor. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (126:5,6). Our labor in the Lord is never is vain.
God is not talking about a little grain here; He is talking about planting for the kingdom. And His point is that the person who is out there sending forth the gospel, throwing out the seed of the word, will find joy in his labor no matter how difficult, how oppressive the circumstances. He may be weeping as he sows, mourning for the hopeless destiny of the unsaved. But God will see to it that the gospel that he proclaims will serve its purpose. It shall not return to Him void.
Giver of gifts. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). This truth is found throughout the Psalms, but this James verse summarizes it well.
You've got a wonderful husband or wife, then rejoice and thank God for him or her. He gave this mate to you. You have a good job, then rejoice and thank God for the opportunity and for your ability to handle it. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights in heaven. God is continually gracious.
II. We rejoice through Christ.
Romans 5:11 says, "we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ." And here's the second point. It is only through Jesus that anyone will ever have true joy in this life. Only the Christian can know the joy of the Lord. Everything else is at best an emotional experience that does not last, a spike on the mundane little graft of life.Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). There's no reason for any celebration in any relationship with God apart from Jesus Christ. We are able to approach God only because Jesus has opened the way, and God grants a favorable hearing only to those who have acknowledged Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Once we've entered into a relationship with God that is based on Jesus being our Lord, the Master who calls the shots in our life, then we can experience these beautiful words in John 1:16: "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace."
It's out of the richness of Christ's goodness that we've received salvation. It's the fulness of His sacrifice that has purchased our redemption, eliminated our guilt and liberated us from our slavery to sin. And then, after we have become saved and as we walk with God in the rest of our life, there is "grace for grace". God just keeps piling it on.
III. We have received the atonement.
Romans 5:11 ends with this phrase: "by whom we have now received the atonement." The grounds of our joy is reconciliation with God.What does it mean to be reconciled? To have former enemies made at peace with each other. We were God's enemies. But now that we are His people, God deals with us differently than He did before.
Psalm 5:11 says, "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield."
Did you get that? He says you people who know God rejoice because God favors you; He surrounds you with His preferential treatment as a shield guards a soldier and you stand behind Him as His protected people. God favors His people.
Moreover, God gets joy out of blessing His people. In return, we rejoice out of receiving His blessings. God says in Psalm 35:27: "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant."
God rejoices when you do well. God wants to bless you. He wants you to prosper spiritually. And as we grow in our ability to handle God's blessings, He just keeps putting it on us. Doesn't that make you want to jump with joy? God has joy in heaven and part of the joy He has is seeing His people do well.
Summary. In Romans 5:11, God commands Christians to rejoice. The object of our joy is God. The means of having joy is Jesus Christ. And the reason for our having everlasting joy is that we have been reconciled to God, we have received the atonement effected by Christ's sacrifice.
True, in this world we have tribulations. God does discipline us now and then. But it's only temporary. Because we are Godís people, He will discipline us only in this life. Weíll never experience eternal condemnation; weíve been delivered from that.
So, in closing, let me quote Psalm 30:4,5: ìSing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.î oRev. Kent Sparks is pastor of Beach Cities Community Church, 20422 Beach Blvd., Suite 310, Huntington Beach, CA, 92648.