I like to call this joy “Jesus joy” because everyone who has Jesus naturally has this joy. We were headed for eternal destruction. However, since we believed and accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for us, He translated us into His kingdom and sealed us for eternal life (Col. 1:13). There is a joy that comes with knowing that your soul is saved and only good things await you in eternity. That joy is called the joy of salvation.
This is the deepest of all joys and as long as a believer remains conscious of his identity, it is hard for him to lose it. The only way to lose it is to regress into sin and denounce one’s faith in the Lord Jesus.
Jesus gives us hope that brings joy. A believer who is conscious of what God says about him doesn’t fear death (1Jn. 5:13). The songwriter said “No guilt in life, no fear in death”. This is the type of hope we have in Him. Hope that transcends understanding and carries us into a glorious future. The hope that our souls are saved, the assurance that we belong to God and He calls us His, is enough to give joy to the soul of any man. (Rom. 5: 1-2 AMP)
Proverbs 17:22 tells us one wonderful thing about joy. “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” The joy of salvation that Jesus Christ gives us, is even able to heal our bodies.
Furthermore, this joy is peace-giving. It is impossible to have joy and a troubled mind simultaneously. The joy of salvation has a way of calming our hearts and minds. Because it is independent of circumstance, a person may be in the most troubling situation and still have joy. Wherever joy abounds, you’re sure to find peace. (Gal. 5:22; Rom. 14:17; Rom. 15:13)
As a believer, you already have this joy. But like every other inheritance we have in Christ Jesus, if you are not conscious of it, if you do not stir it up in you, you will keep living as though you lack it. We must tell ourselves often that we have that joy. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is not something you have to request. It is something that is already yours. You have the power of God to express this joy. He would not have asked us to rejoice always if it were impossible (1 Thess. 5:16). Call that joy from within and live in it.
However, if we live complacent or sinful lives, we can hinder the effectiveness of this forever joy (Jn. 15:10-11). David had strayed away from God briefly and it started to affect his joy. In Psalm 51:12 he made a prayer that God should restore the joy befitting salvation unto him. Today, many suffer a loss of this joy. They lose that indepth joy that comes from being saved. At times, this is because of sinful lives –sin robs us of everything good –or because they have distanced themselves from the One who gives that joy.
This “Jesus joy” is an everlasting joy. It is the only type of joy that lasts beyond life on earth. It is the joy that comes from an understanding that we have eternal life in Christ Jesus. Surely, it shall last us through eternity. Only the one whose life is hidden with Christ can enjoy this level of joy because only He gives that joy.
God doesn’t want us to be stingy with this joy. He wants us to share it with others. The easiest way to get someone to share in your joy is to share good news with them, particularly when that good news involves them. We can share this joy with others by telling them the good news, by telling them that in Jesus Christ they have hope of eternal life and in Him, they are more than victors. (Rom. 8:37; Jn. 3:16)
If you want to connect to this eternal joy, if you desire this joy that comes from being eternally saved, say this prayer: Dear Jesus, I thank you for your sacrifice of love for me. I thank you for sharing your joy with me. From today, I make you my Lord and begin to live in and with this eternal joy. Amen.
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