Having Complete Joy

When the king or queen of a country is in residence at a home or castle the flag is flown over it. In that way the people know that their ruler is there. In the same way, when our Lord Jesus is residing in us there will an outward evidence of it for all to see. There is a chorus which goes,

Joy is the flag flown high in the castle of my heart, cause the King is in residence there.

John 15:9–12 NIV84

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 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. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

What is joy

While we often joy to mean happiness in our passage for today Jesus is giving it a higher sense. Joy is not the same as happiness - Happiness is an emotion, and joy is an attitude. Emotions come and go, but attitudes come and grow

Our joy is not dependent on circumstances – James tells us to rejoice in our trials, because we know they are helping us to grow

Joy is a Fruit of the Spirit

The importance of joy

Having joy gives us strength

Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Joy gives us the ability to endure the trials we will face in this world. As Jesus told the disciples – Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Having joy is a witness to others

A.W. Tozer wrote, “It is well-known that the elevated spirits of a group of Moravians convinced John Wesley of the reality of their religion, and helped to bring him a short time later to a state of true conversion.

The Christian owes it to the world to be supernaturally joyful.”

According to Billy Sunday, if you have no joy in your religion, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.

Jesus’ joy

Jesus did not have an easy life. He knew hunger, being misunderstood, being falsely accused, being abandoned by His friends. Most of all He knew what lay ahead of Him, what He had come to do. Yet He endured all this for the joy ahead of Him. He knew the joy of doing His Father’s will.

Hebrews 12:2 NIV84

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our joy

Our joy consists of Jesus’ joy in us – Joy is not something we can manufacture or try to attain. If we make having joy our goal we will miss it. If we make Jesus our goal we will find joy.

Jesus desires our joy to be complete -

John 17:13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

We can experience His joy when:

When we abide in Christ

When we know that we are loved

Jesus told the disciples of His love for them, then demonstrated it by giving His life for them. Knowing that we are loved this much leads us to gratitude which in turn results in joy.

When we obey His commands

There is always a joy in doing the right thing

Psalm 19:8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Jesus command us to love each other as He loved us

He taught us about God

He showed us God’s love

He gave His life for us

When we know what awaits us

We have a place prepared for us – In this world we will experience trials and sorrow, and if we allow these things to dominate our thinking it will rob us of the joy that Jesus desires us to have.

Romans 15:13 NIV84

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.