A great cause of rejoicing.
If we were asked what constituted our greatest joy, what should we answer? Our individual answers would probably reveal our spiritual apprehension. One very old saint has left on record what constituted his greatest joy, and we may profit by considering it:
“I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 3,4).
Here is a ground of rejoicing, far removed from personal feelings or motives, that we should do well to know. In his first epistle, it will be remembered this same Apostle had much to say concerning those who say and those who walk (1 John 1:6-10) Further he wrote:
“He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
“ He that saith he abideth in Him ought to himself also so to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6).
John sums up his teaching in the words of 1 John 3:18:
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth”.
He speaks scathingly of the boast of light that is accompanied by hatred of the brethren (1 John 2:9). He tells his readers that the doing of righteousness is the finest evidence that they are born of Him (1 John 2:29). He declares that all the boasted possession of the love of God is nullified by lack of love (1 John 3:17; 4:20). He had written telling them of the many antichrists and of the domination of the lie. In his second epistle he said: “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth” (2 John 4), and, as we have seen, in his third epistle he says that he has no greater joy than to hear that his children walk in truth.
Some of us are apt t look around with the eyes of Elijah and say: “I only am left, and they seek my life”. The Apostle tells us to consider others better than ourselves, and if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, to reckon, or impute, these things. If we do not rejoice greatly whenever we hear of the Lord’s children putting into practice the doctrine they have learned, we have missed a real cause of joy, and allowed on part of our spiritual life to remain undeveloped. True joy is unselfish, and finds its cause in the blessing of others.
“Count it all joy”.
We found that John has no greater joy than to hear that his children walked in truth. What should we say we counted “all joy” if we were asked? James writing to the dispersion said:
“My brethren, count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations” (Jas 1:2).
This is certainly not a natural point of view. Most of us would count it all joy if we had escaped divers temptations. James, however, makes it clear that he is no misanthrope, no man who is only happy when he is miserable. He proceeds to explain:
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him” (Jas 1:3, 4:12).
He can count it all joy and be called blessed, not because of the temptations themselves, but because of their issue.
In their meaning in modern usage, the words “temptation” and “tempt” are somewhat limited, but the true meaning, that of making trial, is still found in the word “attempt”, into which none dream of reading any idea of temptation. Temptation, or trial, can then be contemplated with joy by reason of its effects. It works patience, it leads to full maturity, it may at last lead to a crown. Much in the same spirit are the words of Paul in Romans 5:3,4: “We glory in tribulation”, he said, not for tribulation’s own sake, but because we know that “tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope”. Peter also conveys much the same thought when he says:
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth (though it be tried with fire), might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:7).
Joy therefore may accrue from the most joyless of circumstances. We look beyond the present and immediate experience to see what its outworking will be. And if temptation or trial produces patience then we may rejoice in hope of the glory of God. It is good to cultivate an eye for this joy, or it may remain hidden and unseen in many a dark circumstance.
“Unspeakable Joy”
Zacharias was smitten with dumbness because of his unbelief. Christ was as a lamb dumb before his shearers. Yet again, some are rendered dumb through very excess of joy. The nearer any experience is the heart of things the less inclined are we to discuss it or talk about it. There is peace that passeth understanding, and there is a joy that is unspeakable:
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).
There is a close connection between the invisible, “Ye see Him not”, and the unspeakable in this verse. At times we are tempted to endorse the desire expressed in the children’s hymn where it says:
“I wish that His hand had been placed on my head,
That His arms had been thrown around me;
And that I might have seen His kind look when He said,
‘Let the little ones come unto Me’ ”.
Yet the Saviour Himself pronounces a blessing upon those who believed although they had been seen Him:
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou has seen Me, thou has believed: blessed are they who believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
And the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians:
“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more” (2 Cor. 5:16).
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