Everyone wants to be happy – we look for it in a variety of ways.
But happiness can be so elusive – despite the fact that many purport to have the ‘answer’. The claims are universally misguided and normally falsely attributed to products or services through clever advertising. Humans are suckers though, we keep paying and trying to attain it at all costs.
Unfortunately, most never attain even a glimpse of true happiness – but it is possible…
“Happiness is our translation of the Latin word fortuna, and it is closely related to chance. Thus, if things happen to work out in a way that we approve, we are happy. If they do not so happen, we are unhappy. Happiness is circumstantial, but joy is not. Joy is an inner quality of delight in God, and it is meant to spring up within the Christian in a way totally unrelated to the adversities or circumstantial blessings of this life.” (BEC)
While happiness depends on our circumstances, the Bible describes something much more powerful, that will prevail in any situation – good or bad.
This is of course, joy.
“What is joy? Joy is a supernatural delight in God and God’s goodness. And it is very different from happiness. Every Christian virtue has its counterpart in a so-called virtue of the world. The world has sex; Christians have love. The world strives for security; Christians have trust. The world seeks self-gratification; Christians know peace. The world seeks happiness; the Christian’s counterpart is joy.”
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us.
Philippians 3:1-3 (NLT)
So much in this passage puts it among some of the most loved in the Bible. Paul describes his desire to know and serve the Lord and also sets forth many of what are known as the Cardinal Doctrines. These doctrines are not just included for a dry theological knowledge – but they come (as Boice describes), as a ‘natural outcome of a challenge to the Christians at Phillippi to be ‘joyful’. According to Paul, Phillippians 3:1-3 suggest that joy is founded to a large degree on sound doctrine (or spiritual belief).
The below is quoted directly from Boice Expositional Commentary, (James Montgomery Boice – Baker Books) which is highly recommended:
Joy in Suffering
It is a great privilege for me as the pastor of a large congregation to visit Christians who are confined to hospitals and nursing homes through illness and who yet give evidence of a supernatural joy even in the midst of their suffering. I visited one woman who had been confined to a home because of a form of acute, crippling arthritis that had left her unable to walk or even to move freely. She was unable to care for herself in many simple ways and at times she was in almost unbearable pain. Yet she spoke of the goodness and grace of God, not only to herself, but also to many others who were with her in the home. She knew real joy, and she showed it even in the midst of her suffering.
I visited a man who was in the hospital with a serious coronary thrombosis. Instead of complaining about his condition, the medical service, or some similar thing, he was thinking of all the Lord had done for him in the past days. He was praying for those who were with him in the same room of the hospital. This man knew what it meant to rejoice in the Lord always, and both he and my other friend exercised a supernatural joy that was their birthright as Christians.
As I have been with them I have remembered that Jesus promised joy for those who followed him. The angel who announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11). Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). In John 17 Jesus prayed to his Father “that they may have the full measure of my joy within them” (v.13). This joy is the birthright of all true believers. It was this joy that Paul wished to see in the little congregation at Philippi.
When Joy is Gone
Unfortunately, it is impossible to speak of the supernatural qualities of Christian joy without saying at the same time that many Christians fail to experience this joy, or they lose it after the initial joy of their salvation. Circumstances get them down, and instead of the victory Christians should experience, they suffer anything but.
Do you know this joy? Perhaps you are saying, “I know that I should have it, and I would like to rejoice in the Lord always. But circumstances still get me down. How can this joy be sustained?” The answer is in God’s Word, and we must follow it as we would a doctor’s prescription. If you see a doctor about feeling tired and run down and he prescribes exercise and an increase of vitamin B, you go down to the drugstore and buy vitamins. If you are disciplined, you plan some exercise into your day. In the same way, if we lack Christian joy, we need to adhere to God’s remedy. This remedy can be summed up in several principles.
God’s Remedy
We are going to talk about 4 steps to joy. It is not a 4 steps to happiness that takes an hour – but a way of life that God will use to transform what’s left of your reality on this planet.
STEP 1
Become a Christian!
The first principle is that you must begin by becoming a Christian. It may seem obvious to say this, but it is my experience that at least two classes of people need to face this squarely. The first class is composed of those who are not Christians and know it but who think that the fruit of Christianity can be grown without the life of Christ. If you are such a person, you need to recognise that joy is supernatural and is only given to those who have surrendered their lives to him.
The second class of persons is composed of those who are not Christians but who think they are, perhaps because they have been raised in a religious home or because they attend church. They think they are Christians, but they do not understand the heart of the gospel and have not actually committed their lives to Jesus. Hence, they cannot understand their failure to experience the fruits of such commitment. If you are this type of person, you must also begin by becoming a Christian.
Let me explain it as plainly as I am able. Before you become a Christian you stand before God as one who has fallen short of his standards. You come to him with your good works and fine resolutions. You have your own insight and all of your best traits of character. But as you stand before God you realize that even the best of these things is imperfect and thus is a failure to God. You hear God say, “You come to me with all that is human; but what is human is tainted by sin, and that is a foundation upon which I cannot build. You must turn from it.”
So you lay these things aside. You count them as loss, and you come to the cross to receive God’s righteousness. You say to God, “I admit that everything I do falls short of your standard, and I recognize your verdict on it. I lay it aside. I do not deserve anything from you, but I come empty-handed to receive what you have promised to give through faith in Jesus Christ. I come to receive your righteousness by which I am accounted righteous. I come to receive the Holy Spirit by whom I will have power to live the Christian life. I ask you to help me to live it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
(Added by Adam Keegan)
If you have done that, you have taken the first step to experiencing the joy that is to characterise the Christian life. Knowing that you have been made right with the Creator and have been spared the rightful wrath of God is, in itself a cause for joy. Forgetting this or focussing on other things will bring you further from this initial, vital joy-causing reality.
STEP 2
(BEC)
Righteousness and Peace (a Holy life and Trust in God)
The second step is this: If you are to experience God’s joy, you must first know his righteousness and peace. This means that a life of holiness and trust are prerequisites. The order of these things is set forth in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Many Christians do not know the joy that could be theirs because their lives are not holy or they do not trust God for their future. I know of one girl who would not trust God in regard to marriage. Instead of admitting that God’s plan for her was best, whatever it may have been, she was intent on getting married. Her determination to get married led her into many situations that clearly were not God’s will for her. They actually led her into sin. She had her way, but she was not happy. She was the first to admit that she certainly was not experiencing God’s joy.
Sin keeps us from God, who is the source of joy. Anxiety also works against joy. Instead of sin and anxiety in their lives, believers in Jesus Christ should experience a life of holiness and peace, and they should realize God’s peace as they submit all aspects of their future to him. In the following chapter Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7).
(Added by Adam Keegan)
Are you living a victorious Christian life where you are in victory over sin, where you have set yourself apart for Him (and Him alone)?
If not, you need to repent (not just an outward set of decisions or even an internal resolve – but also a supernatural change) from sin. This means that if there are areas that you still allow you need to get to the bottom of why and have them dealt with. You will likely need help if this is an issue for you.
Do you trust God in all things and for all things or, when ‘bad’ things happen do you experience anxiety, fear, worry, stress, trying to find your own solution? If you do not have His peace, It indicates you are not trusting.
Similarly, if you find it hard to trust God, (despite knowing you should or wanting to), there is likely areas that need external help. A simple decision or trying harder (you probably already know) will make little to no difference at all.
For roadblocks in both of these areas, we recommend TPM (see here), where God will get to the bottom of the reason why you find it hard / impossible to leave sin or fully trust Him in all things. This does not negate the fact that you have a God-given mandate to ‘turn away from sin’ and ‘carry your cross’ – but it does help you live in His truth, hearing His voice.
STEP 3
(BEC)
Joy in Sound Doctrine
The third step to a life of continuous, supernatural joy is to steep ourselves in the teachings of the Bible. When I first began to study what the Bible has to say about joy I was surprised to discover how many times joy is associated with a mature knowledge of God’s Word. David said, “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart” (Ps. 19:8). Psalm 119 declares, “I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches” (v.14). Jesus said, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:10–11). These verses teach that joy is to be found in a knowledge of God’s character and commandments and that these are to be found in his Word. If you have not known much of this joy, the reason may be a neglect of a study of Scripture.
What place should the Bible have in your life as a Christian? The place it should have is illustrated by an interesting Old Testament custom. Pious Jews wore a small device called a frontlet on their foreheads that contained some words of Scripture. Even though they memorized the Scripture, the frontlet was worn to remind them that God’s Word was always to be the object of their deepest meditations and the source of the principles by which they ordered their lives.
The command to wear frontlets occurs three times in the Old Testament, and in each case the practice is related to one of the cardinal doctrines of the Scriptures.
The first mention of this custom is in Exodus 13:9. This chapter contains a summary of the events that took place in Egypt at the first Passover, which illustrates the way God would later pass over those whose sins were covered by the death of Jesus Christ and deliver them from judgment. After a summation of these events the chapter says, “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.” The first doctrine that they were to have before their eyes was the doctrine of the atonement, the doctrine of salvation through the shedding of blood.
The second time the frontlets are mentioned is in Deuteronomy 6:4–8. The content includes a summary of the character and requirements of God. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” The second great doctrine is the nature of God and our responsibility to love him with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength.
The third mention of frontlets occurs five chapters later, in Deuteronomy 11:18. In this chapter God is setting forth the principle by which he will bless the life of any individual or nation. The principle is obedience. Where there is no obedience he will send judgment. After a statement of this principle we read, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads … so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth” (Deut. 11:19–21). Obedience is to characterise all of our lives as God’s people.
STEP 4
Closeness to God
In this life neither you nor I will ever master all the great truths of Scripture. The Word of God is inexhaustible, like God himself, and if our joy depended on such mastery, we would never actually experience it. Instead, our joy depends on our relationship to God and our life with him. However, if there is to be the joy in the Christian life that there ought to be, there must be a deep and growing experience of the basic truths upon which that life is founded. We must understand the nature of the atonement made for us by Christ. We must strive to know God better and to love him. We must attempt to live obediently before him as his children.
There is a great deal of unrest in this world, and there will always be unrest for those who do not know Jesus. Apart from him there is no true peace, no joy, and no real happiness. This should never be the case with a Christian. If you are a Christian, you should draw close to God, you must feed on Scripture, and God will “fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him” (Rom. 15:13).
(Added by Adam Keegan)
How do we experience Joy?
As Christians, through a Holy life, Trust, Sound doctrine and closeness to God.
Where are you at? And what steps do you need to take to attain His joy? Let nothing get in the way, as chasing the world’s happiness will end in death.
Conclusion: We need God – not just for life or forgiveness, but for joy, peace and love
PRAYER: Lord, we come to you in humility to ask for Your grace yet again. Please let us experience the depths of joy You have for us – guide us and empower us as we determine to follow Your prescription. We want to be set apart for You and live holy lives, fully trusting in You and Your goodness. Let us make a resolve and stick to the path of dealing with anything that hinders our relationship with You. Thank you for Your love – please don’t give up on us!
NOTES: I highly recommend the Boice Expositional Commentary Series published by Baker Books – the above is only mildly edited from the sort of passage to be found on each few verses. The one above is from Philippians 3:1-3… I used it to preach on 25/4/16 to our family for our Sunday ‘church’ while too ill to attend a church meeting. You will be encouraged, challenged, convicted and inspired by His insights on God’s Word.