Joy of Christ Jesus

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah.

Psalm 84:1-4 (ESV)

Given an assortment of recent events, the resulting ripple effects of each, and my efforts to process it all, I recalled a few words I said to Lori years ago during a particularly difficult season – “Don’t let Satan steal your joy.”  The devil is actively at work, dividing, creating chaos, attempting to quench the fire of the Holy Spirit within each of us, searching for avenues in our lives to separate us from God.  The battles we face at the most fundamental level are spiritual.  God’s holy word reminds us,

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

Through Peter’s writing, God warns us saying,

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

Referring to the devil as “the thief,” Jesus says,

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  John 10:10 (ESV)

If the adversary is actively seeking to destroy us, and we are wrestling against spiritual forces of evil, and the battle is continuous, how do we possibly experience joy?  How do we find joy?  How do we maintain joy?

Joy is an attribute of Christ Jesus’ holy indwelling within us.  One of the many positive qualities occurring with people within whom He abides is that His joy permeates within them.  Joy is an element of His presence.  Paul refers to the qualities associated with our transformed lives as the fruit of the Holy Spirit writing,

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

Joy results from our relationship with Him, regardless of the circumstances we face.  We must merely keep our focus on Him and continuously submit our lives to Him as our Lord.  Scripture tells us this message, repeatedly connecting our joy with His holy presence.

The psalmist sings praise “for joy to the living God” with his entire being, declaring the place God dwells as “lovely,” and those who live in His dwelling as “blessed” (see Psalm 84:1-4).  Jesus repeats this refrain connecting His joy with His holy indwelling, but where does God dwell and how do we live where He lives?

Genesis chapter 1 presents God as existing outside of time, space and creation, speaking all of creation into a state of order.  Genesis chapters 2 and 3 present God as living in the garden with Adam and then Eve, walking in the garden during the cool of the morning (see Genesis 3:8).  But Adam and Eve’s rebellion changed all that – God expelled them from garden, continuous communion with Him was lost, and humans have longed to return to His holy presence ever since.  This is the grand narrative of Scripture.  We need Him, we long for communion with Him, and when we experience His holy presence we know His joy.

During the Exodus we see God’s holy presence associated with His holy mountain, depicted in the form of fire, smoke and a cloud (see Exodus 19).  God called His people to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, and He promised they would be His treasured possession among all the people of earth (see Exodus 19:5-6), and He descended on the mountain in fire and smoke and He spoke to them in thunder and the entire mountain shook (see Exodus 19:16-20).  While God revealed Himself to them visually and audibly, He warned that they were not pure enough to touch His holy mountain until they were consecrated and invited by Him.

The tabernacle and temple were understood as the places where God dwelled.  So when Jesus referred to His body as the temple, He was not only foretelling His resurrection, He was also making a very unique claim of association with the Father.  After the first time Jesus cleansed the temple, Jesus had the following exchange with religious leaders:

So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”  Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”  But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.  John 2:18-22 (ESV)

Carrying this thought further, Paul explains that each believer individually and the Body of Christ collectively are the temple of God writing,

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.  1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV)

For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.   In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.  Ephesians 2:18-22 (ESV)

God the Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit dwell in the holy temple.  If the Holy Spirit dwells within you, you are the temple.  Wow.  Ponder that a little longer.  You are the holy temple, and joy is associated with His holy indwelling.

In contrast to the adversary who comes to destroy, Jesus says He came that we might know life in its abundance (see John 10:10) – one of His stated purposes in coming from heaven to earth, for surrendering His heavenly glory for a time and coming to earth as a human, was that we might know His abundant life, which includes His joy. 

Similarly, Jesus discussed dwelling with and in Him in several different ways, saying He wants us to dwell with and in Him so we will experience His joy and our joy will be complete.  He wants us to live our best possible life, and we gain that through His holy abiding, transforming presence.  For example, during the Last Supper Jesus says,

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.  John 15:5-11 (ESV)

During the Last Supper, Jesus taught and taught and taught, so many invaluable lessons.  As one of His many lessons, He used the analogy of a grapevine.  Just as branches need to stay connected with the vine to bear grapes, we must stay connected with Christ Jesus to bear fruit, and the Father is glorified by this.  Jesus taught the lessons so that His joy may be in us, and our joy may be full.  We know His joy when we abide in Him and He abides in us.  Joy is an attribute of His holy indwelling presence.

Later during the meal, Jesus returns to the thought that the disciples will experience His joy and their joy will be full when they experience His holy presence.  He says,

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.  In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.  John 16:22-24 (ESV) 

Jesus promises joy to everyone who abides in Him and within whom He abides, and to the disciples when they see Him again. 

Later the same evening, Jesus returns to this thought explaining that He keeps the disciples in God’s holy name and teaches them so “they may have [Jesus’] joy fulfilled in themselves” (John 17:13).  Jesus keeps them in Him so they will have His joy.  Christ Jesus’ joy is associated with abiding in Him.  Jesus makes remarkable promises.  No matter what you are going through, you have access to His joy.  His joy permeates those who dwell in him.

Does His joy flow through you?  Do others see His light, life and love revealed through your joy?  I pray they do, whether you realize it or not.  May God continue His holy sanctifying work in you, may you abide in Him, may He abide in you, may you know His joy intimately.  Amen.