By Ted Johnston
Is being a Christian a joy for you or a burden? Let's ponder this question and let's start by admitting that life can be a burden! That's the nature of living in a broken, sin-filled world. But here is good news--in spite of this brokenness we have a source of great joy.
Notice the words of the apostle Peter: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3).
Jesus is alive! As God's elect (verse 1), who have experienced this new birth, we belong to Christ and he lives in us. This is our assurance of a wonderful future when we will enter "into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you" (verse 4). Moreover, it is a source of joy now as we realize that, through faith, we are "shielded by God's power" (verse 5).
Does this shielding mean we're immune from life's difficulties? Not for the Christians I know--nor is it the testimony of Scripture. What Peter refers to is the knowledge that we're shielded from spiritual destruction, giving us complete confidence in our salvation in Christ.
Peter continues: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy (verses 6-8).
What an encouraging statement: "Filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy." That is what God wants for us. Is that what you are experiencing?
It is a source of joy to me as a church pastor to see such joy growing among members of the Worldwide Church of God--growing even in the midst of members bearing various trials and burdens. Isn't that what Peter is talking about?
The past few months have been difficult for many of us. Loved ones have left our fellowship. Many have experienced illnesses, accidents and even death. And just before the Feast of Tabernacles in 1995 we lost our dearly loved pastor general, Joseph W. Tkach.
But let's not forget the encouragement of Peter's words. Jesus is alive! He is our Lord. Our salvation is secure in him.
God, in his mercy, has been leading us to put our focus on Jesus Christ--on salvation in him by God's grace through faith. This is the focus that produces true Christian joy.
We know by experience that it's easy to have a wrong focus. We can get bogged down in emphasizing our own works and achievements (leading to self-righteousness), or, conversely, emphasizing our own lack of achievement (leading to guilt and discouragement). Under either scenario, we have lost focus on what really counts.
Having a correct focus was a continuous theme in Jesus' message to his disciples. In Luke 10 we read that Jesus had sent 72 disciples out in his service (verses 1-12). After a time, they returned rejoicing, saying, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name" (verse 17).
Now that's impressive. But Jesus redirected their focus from their achievements to himself, saying, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (verse 18).
Jesus reassured them that he had given them great gifts to use in his service (verse 19). "However," he said, "do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you." He was telling them not to rejoice in their works--not even ones done for him. Rather he told them, "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (verse 20).
Jesus is saying, in effect, "Rejoice in me--rejoice in the salvation you have in me, not in your own achievements--even ones on my behalf."
Then Luke relates a couple of incidents in Jesus' ministry illustrating the tendency we have to focus on our own achievements rather than on him.
He begins with Jesus' encounter with an expert in the law of Moses who wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus sought to redirect his focus from what he might get through his own efforts, to what he might give--giving being the essence of God's nature and spiritual law (verses 25-37).
Then Luke tells of Jesus' visit to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house (verse 38). We are told that Martha had a sister named Mary. And notice what Mary did--she "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said" (verse 39). But Martha was preoccupied by her work of caring for her guests (verse 40).
Martha was angry because the burden of the preparations fell on her while her sister Mary rested at Jesus' feet.
So Martha asked Jesus: "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (verse 40).
A reasonable request, we might think. But Jesus' reply cut to the spiritual heart of the matter: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (verses 41-42).
What was Jesus' point in his statement to Martha and his instruction to the expert in the law? He is telling us that our works should flow out of love for him and love for others. But our focus must be in one place--where Mary's was--at the Lord's feet looking up at him, being taught by him, worshiping him.
At Jesus' feet is where joy inexpressible and glorious is found. And God in his mercy has led us as a fellowship to capture that focus more completely. And so our joy grows.
Joy comes to us when we look to Jesus and rest in his love. It comes when we fully accept from him what we can never find, earn or achieve on our own.
Thank God that he has redirected our focus onto Jesus Christ where it belongs. That's what Mr. Tkach emphasized when he wrote to us shortly before his death: "Let the joy of the Lord be your strength."
Only in Jesus Christ do we find the joy that is inexpressible and glorious.
Ted and Donna Johnston pastor the Grand Junction and Craig, Colorado, churches, and Ted is a regional pastor.
May 21, 1996, Worldwide News page four.
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