HOLDING FAST IN PRAYER (LUKE 18:1-8) - Facebook | Love God Greatly is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is overseen by a board of directors. Just as a delicate flower is maintained and nurtured by the proper soil, water, and sunlight, our joy is preserved by the right conditions. He promises that no one can steal our joy from us (John 16:22). If you do not learn from the past, you are doomed to repeat it. When the love of the Lord Jesus first touched us and we repented and confessed His name, a previously unknown joy filled our hearts. When we fail to appropriate or understand the magnitude of that to which we are heirs, we are prone to look at surrounding conditions or personal problems and in some measure revert to the worlds perspective. Someone has truly said: Do not judge a man by his falling. The way of peace and rejoicing is through the One who makes us right again before God. We often underestimate what happens when God saves a soul. It is indeed beautiful Deanna, thank you for another beautiful blog post Jen Thorn.forgiveness equals LOVE and it produces JOY in us.another beautiful and inspiring story this friday before we end this week 7, to God be the glory! This time God took you by surprise. salvation. Joy comes from a new hope. This man had been lame from his mothers womb. Christ came to take away our sins, to roll off our curse, to unbind our chains, to open our prison house, to cancel our debt; in a word, to give us the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. God wants us to continue to be joyful in His wonderful salvation for our whole life. And, of course, with repentance comes confession. whom having not seen you love. We How to tell you've lost the joy of salvation - Joe McKeever But while we can never lose our eternal salvation, we can sometimes lose the joy of our salvation. reason to ourselves that its okay, the uneasy feeling wont go Eating physical food is an enjoyment to us, but eating the Word of God brings us true and lasting inner satisfaction. Joy in Salvation by C. H. Spurgeon - Blue Letter Bible As Paul exclaims, God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us (Eph. Concerning the believers fellowship, in 1 John 1:3-4 the apostle John shows us that genuine Christian fellowship is not a duty or a ritual but a matter of joy: That which we have seen and heard we report also to you that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Whether our sins are small transgressions or serious offenses, we mustconfess them to the Lord. In Ephesians 4:30, Paul says, Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption. Note 1 in theNew Testament Recovery Versionexplains what it means to grieve the Holy Spirit: To grieve the Holy Spirit is to displease Him. To a persecuted church this joy was the fuel to keep the faith. 4:4); ignorant and unable to understand spiritual truth (1 Cor. Why is it crucial to understand the difference between the Reformed doctrine of salvation and the Roman Catholic view. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.. All who find Jesus know, with the shepherds of the nativity, the joy He brings. We all know how grumpy and irritable we can be when we havent eaten and are physically hungry, or even undernourished. And after we sin, we feel somethings wrong; we sense a barrier has come between us and the Lord.\r\r Isaiah 59:2\u0026nbsp;tells us, Your\u0026nbsp;iniquities\u0026nbsp;have become a\u0026nbsp;separation\u0026nbsp;between you and your God, and your\u0026nbsp;sins\u0026nbsp;have\u0026nbsp;hidden His face\u0026nbsp;from you so that He does not hear.\r\r Our sins separate us from God because God is righteous; He cant tolerate sin. salvation for our whole life. The pivotal change in our standing before God took place in an instant. Show Bibles for America Podcast, Ep How to Maintain the Joy of Our . First they shall mount up with wings as eagles, says the prophet; then they shall run (as children always do); and then, when time and experience have wrought their sobering work, they shall walk and (thank God) shall not faint. Many of us find that the joy we experienced when we first received Christ can fade away. By not walking according to Him, we grieve Him and make Him unhappy. Our being is composed ofour spirit, our soul, and our body. Christian lives. He would live together with us, and we would be one with Him. How to Maintain the Joy of Our Salvation : Bibles for America : Free C. S. Lewis said joy is the business of Heaven. us, Hes happy. I love the description of this man, Walking and leaping and praising God (3:8). The Joy of Salvation in Jesus Christ - God.net Lets say, for example, we want to go to a certain place. The Bible says that all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment (Isa. Thats how God saves a soulinstantly. Lets look at two possible causes. Byopening to the Lord in prayerevery day and throughout the daynot only at set times or during major life eventswe strengthen our loving relationship with Him. Here, there is no indication that the man had faith in Jesus to be healed. Theres no reason to wait. When the love of the Lord Jesus first touched us and we repented and confessed His name, a deep joy wed never known before filled our hearts. strengthen our loving relationship with Him. At the end of all our efforts, we are not one fraction of an inch closer to God, because we have not eradicated the sin that we inherited from Adam. We can maintain our fellowship with the Lord bypraying to Him,feeding on His Word,obeying Himwhen He speaks to us about any matter in our daily life, andconfessing any sinHe makes us aware of. eaten and are physically hungry and undernourished. Presenting our good deeds to God only reveals the depth of our pride. He had been lying there when Jesus taught in the temple precincts, but for some reason Jesus had not healed him. We tend to seek assurance of salvation in the things God is doing in our lives, in our spiritual growth, in the good works and obedience to God's Word that is evident in our Christian walk. Weve only touched upon it briefly in this post. What a joy it was to be. When the problem of sin is dealt with and our fellowship with Him is restored, we experience the joy of salvation once again. Doubtlessly, Adam experienced the joy of perfect community with God and his wife in Eden. Love God Greatly exists to inspire, encourage and equip women all over the world to get into Gods Word through our online community. So grab some friends and join us or journey with us solo..either way you are welcome here! 3.5K views, 97 likes, 42 loves, 4 comments, 142 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Bibles for America: There are four ways to maintain the joy of our salvation. Isaiah 59:2tells us, 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. We all know how grumpy and irritable we can be when we havent eaten and are physically hungry, or even undernourished. King David sure lost his joy. If salvation depends totally on God, should we exhort people to do all that they can to pursue it? Salvation is nothing less than God imparting life to a person who was dead in sin. More Americans are staying put. How to Maintain the Joy of Our Salvation - Libsyn Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation. of God brings us true enjoyment and inner satisfaction. We experience 2023 Bibles for Australia. Now were no longer alone; we have another Person living in us, and He has His own thoughts, feelings, and preferences. The joy of salvation Sunday Magazine The Guardian Nigeria News The sooner we confess our sins and failures to the Lord, the sooner we can enjoy sweet fellowship with Him once more.\r\r Second, we can take in Gods Word as our spiritual food daily.\r\r We all know how grumpy and irritable we can be when we havent eaten and are physically hungry and undernourished. It is divine, for God is its source and Author. Having fellowship with other Christians also helps us maintain our joy in the Lord, since one of the greatest joys of the Christian life is to come together with others who love Jesus. Is this in Gods hands or my hands? Place those things into His hands. It is not reformation which we need but regeneration. Hi and welcome to LGG! All he knew was how to beg for a living, but now he had to learn to work for his keep. In this article, I hope to teach you how you can walk in the joy of your salvation on a daily basis. This is why even a small transgression creates a barrier between God and us. But say that instead of agreeing with the Lord and obeying Him, we go anyway. God wants us to continue to be joyful in His wonderful salvation for our whole life. and what habits we can develop to have a joyful daily life. Though we try to reason to ourselves that its okay, the uneasy feeling wont go away; the Lord Jesus in us simply doesnt want to go there. By confessing our sins, feeding on Gods Word, speaking to the Lord in prayer, and getting together to fellowship with other Christians, we can maintain an overflowing joy in our Christian lives. The Response to our inheritance (last week) is Joy. Sin had destroyed our capacity for fellowship with God, but now fellowship becomes real, ever-present, intimate and replete, as his love, mercy and joy flood our souls. All rights reserved. The command of God is, "Rejoice evermore." 4. the first place? How hopeless and frustrating is life lived without Christ. What a joy it was to be forgiven andborn Though we try to John Stott tells of an English Salvation Army drummer who was beating his drum so hard that the band leader had to tell him to pipe down a bit and not make so much noise. Eating physical food is an enjoyment to us, but eating the Word Your joy that comes from being saved should provide openings to tell the good news, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. Here are four healthy habits that can provide the right conditions to maintain our joy. Jen lives in the suburbs of Chicago, where her husband is the pastor of Redeemer Fellowship. Let Him decide if they need to be worked out or not. In its place will be a joy so pure that we will marvel and worship our God. And this isnt only for a select few; You will live with a bounce in your step and a song on your breath. Copyright 2014 - 2022 Love God Greatly. Sermons about Joy In Salvation - SermonCentral.com Concerning the believers fellowship, in1 John 1:3-4the apostle John showed us 3. Zechariah 12:1 says: Thus declares Jehovah, who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth andformsthe spirit of man within him.. None of us can see it clearly, but we increasingly realize that God has created us for a purpose, and that as redeemed ones we have a responsibility to that purpose here in this world. Why? 7 ways to restore the joy of your salvation - BibleTruths Then the second section explains how God sanctifies each part: God sanctifies us, first, by taking possession of ourspiritthrough regeneration (John 3:5-6); second, by spreading Himself as the life-giving Spirit from our spirit into oursoulto saturate and transform our soul (Rom. What Must I Do to Be Saved? the Spirit. Gratitude and joy go hand in hand. We should be overflowing with unspeakable joy. 3. But how is that possible? The language of the Psalms is, to a great extent, the language of joy. We experience the same thing spiritually when we havent been eating. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy. These words were fulfilled in Jesus ministry (Matt. We can embark on a program of self-improvement. He not only could walk, he could leap, and leap he did, over and over again! It teaches us that . Thus our relatives need to pray for our souls after death and give money to the church, so that we will be able to get out of Purgatory, where we need to suffer for our sins. The Joy of Our Salvation - Evergreen Church with and our fellowship with Him is restored, and we can enjoy the Gods great plan for every one of us is that we would know Him not merely objectively as our Creator God, but subjectively as the One who saved us andcame to live in us. If youre a US resident, you can order the three-volume set for free here. Gathering with other believers to read the Bible, speak about He believed that the free grace and total forgiveness we have in Christ is the basis of all of our joy and comfort. The past is behind us. Why did He create everything? He is a sad picture of the human race, maimed by the fall. See something we missed? failed the Lord, or disobeyed Him. The sooner we confess our sins and And if He does have a plan, how do we fit into it? But that new way of life can be traced back to the instant that God imparted new life to us in Christ by His sovereign grace. How to Maintain the Joy of Your Salvation - YouTube What Christian is there that has not sensed the loss of joy when he has fallen into sin? In Psalm 51 King David shares the loss of his original joy in the Lord. His enemy is still at work inciting chaos and trying to keep people away from God. Now were no longer alone; we have another Person living in us, and He has His own thoughts, feelings, and preferences. Eliza R. Snow, second General President of the Relief Society, offered a riveting answer. Jen Thorn grew up in Germany and then spent her teenage years in Africa, where her parents were missionaries. preferences. God was happy with all He created, especially man. He took care of the problem between the righteous God and sinful mankind. One minute we were congenital spiritual cripples; the next minute, we could walk and leap for joy. 8:4-6.. of our salvation. Lesson 15: Salvation and Good Works (Ephesians 2:10) Whenever we go along with the Lord who lives inside of us, Hes happy. Great message today. 8:4), that is, when we do not live according to the principle of reality with grace in the details of our daily walk.. God wanted to make man in a unique way: in His image and according to His likeness. 1. In His wisdom, God Himself became a man, Jesus. Skip to main content. That does not mean that Paul thought he was still the same person. habit oftaking in Gods Word as our spiritual He asked for a handout, but Peter spoke a word of healing to him in Jesus name, reached out his hand and pulled him to his feet. But He doesnt want to stay confined to our spirit. for believers to come together with others who love Jesus. What was in His heartfor mankind was something different. redemption.Note 1in the New Testament Recovery David expressed this hope after a time of terrible sins in his life: adultery, murder, lying. I love this mans unrestrained expression of joy! Thespiritas our inmost part is the inner organ, possessing God-consciousness, that we may contact God (John 4:24; Rom. By being fully saturated with Him this way, we redeemed and regenerated human beings created in Gods image and according to His likeness together will become His expression in this universe for His glory. So Satan seized the opportunity andtempted maninto disobeying God. For example, when you look at a photograph of a person, you see the likeness of that person. Because of that, all mankind was polluted by sin and separated from God. But while we cannever lose our eternal salvation, we can sometimes lose thejoyof our salvation. C. H. SPURGEON, At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. But God, who is far greater, is operating in many ways to save people and bring them back to His original plan. They often took him to the gate at the temple called Beautiful, where worshipers would take pity on him and toss him a few coins so that he could survive. In Gods heart was the deep desire to enter into the human beings that He created with such thought and care. For instance, Revelation 4:11 says: You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for You have created all things, andbecause of Your willthey were, and were created.. He is experiencing the pain of knowing he has broken Gods heart and many peoples hearts. Then our joy will be made complete. Now let's read Ephesians 1:11: Gods power, released through prayer, becomes a reality. Weve experienced such a wonderful salvation, and now we have access to all the riches of Christ. Theres no reason to wait. Even in these difficult circumstances the work of Jesus makes it possible for us to be joyful. For it is possible to restore the joy . Our Lord constantly held up to his disciples the hope of heaven, and would tell them that it was a place prepared for the redeemed, so wonderful that eye hath not seen nor ear heard, nor has even the imagination of man conjured up, the glories of its reality. Many of us, myself included, should be very convicted when we contemplate all that Christ has done for us and the future that awaits us, and yet we walk through life complaining, dissatisfied, unhappy and down. Returning to the Joy of Salvation - Lifeway Voices He was a shocking picture of humanity, scarred by sin. How does this happen? The book we are studying in our home group is called "Outflow". I do not believe in living in the past. Consider taking the time to write them down and put them on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Start reminding yourself of all the things God has done for you. Seeing Gods plan will revolutionize the way we view the world and humanity. As Christians, our joy can sometimes seem very elusive. We can simply open our hearts and But unhappy. By staying in fellowship with Him, we maintain our joy. All rights reserved. When we come to the Lord, we dont need to kneel down and solemnly recite a formal prayer. It is what should make our hearts glad and our countenance cheerful. 2:1); blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. The Apostle Paul never forgot the amount of pain he caused God and others by persecuting the church. If you have received Gods mercy in Jesus Christ, then you can and must tell others. When the problem of sin is dealt with and our fellowship with Him is restored, we experience the joy of salvation once again. On the other hand the Christians joy comes from a source which cannot be touched by the world. In fact, there were no wheelchairs or handicapped parking places! Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. Salvation cannot be adequately described in terms of sequence, but it is the experience of Christians that a flood of joy fills their souls when they realize the enormity of their sins and the magnitude of Gods grace. How can a person who grew up in a Christian home and was saved as a child feel the kind of joy of the person who is saved out of a horrible past? Is not this joy? He was instantly healed. Before we look at 1 Peter 1:6-9, however, let me remind you about one of the most treasured chapters in all of God's Word, namely Luke 15. {6} For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedi. David, guilty of murder and adultery, tasted the renewed joy of salvation when he confessed his sins and turned to the Holy One of Israel for forgiveness and cleansing. Gathering with other believers to read the Bible, speak about Christ, and praise the Lord refreshes us, encourages us, and makes our joy full. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Even now we can see suffering all around us, both up close and personal, and far away in other countries. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Our digital archives are a work in progress. Matt. matter of joy, even full joy: That which we have seen and heard we By staying in fellowship with Him, we maintain our joy. There were no operations available that could cure his congenital condition. the same thing spiritually when we havent been It is in this first initial experience of the joy of salvation that we get a key to living in constant joy. He had no hope that he could ever walk. 5:17). 4:22). We can devote ourselves to a life of selfless service, as Mother Teresa did. Salvation is a miraculous gift from Jesus, not a human self-improvement project. As Paul explains in Romans 4:4-5, Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. Concerning the believers fellowship, in 1 John 1:3-4 the apostle John shows us that genuine Christian fellowship is not a duty or a ritual but a matter of joy: That which we have seen and heard we report also to you that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Delivered by. To the unbeliever, joy is entirely dependent on circumstances which are superficial and transient. The man caught Peter and Johns attention. our joy in the Lord, since one of the joys of the Christian life is {4} He asked life from You, and You gave it to him; Length of days forever and ever. When we count our blessings, joy comes. The Joy of Salvation | Christianity Today May we endeavour to build up these healthy habits in our daily lives. His Spirit and our spirit aremingled as one. the joy of our salvation. conditions to maintain our joy. The instant that God changes your heart, you are changed forever. Joy of Salvation How to Maintain Your Joy - YouTube And when Hes happy, were happy. English Standard Version Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. When the love of the Lord Jesus first touched us and we repented and confessed His name, a previously unknown joy filled our hearts. 3. The joy of our salvation comes from the relief of the pain we feel when we know that God has forgiven us of our sins. Take in Gods Word as our spiritual food daily. We need to learn to focus on our future a bit more because it will impact the way we live today. LGG has multiple online Bible studies and resources created with YOU in mind! It shows that Jesus was continuing to work through His apostles and that His name was still powerful to perform the same gracious miracles of healing that took place when He was on this earth. As Christians, we are living testaments to the character and justice (read love, mercy, grace) of God. Now as the Spirit the Lord is more than near to us. Him once more. 2. But it was not just a miracle of physical healing; it is also a picture of the spiritual healing that God brings to a spiritually lame world. Thats because the spirit of man enables man to contact, receive, and contain God. If you were easily embarrassed, you would be uncomfortable knowing Glenn. This includes grieving the Spirit. The only person in the world who has the right to be truly happy is the Christian. Joy comes from a new power. Second, grieving the Spirit who indwells us also causes us to But he possesses it all at once. our daily walk.. But while we can. our daily life. Christian joy is an inner communion and fellowship with God, brought about through faith in his Son and made real by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Get posts on the Christian life and the Bible. in prayer about everything brings us joy. 8:11, 13) and transfiguring our body by His life power (Phil. It may well be that some stern religious leader told him to calm down: Dont you know that youre in Gods holy temple? But the man would have replied, Im so happy that I could jump and dance all night!. 7 Proofs Your Salvation Is Eternally Secure. God cannot break his promises. He followed Peter and John into the temple, but by now he wasnt just walking, he was jumping for joy! Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. If we could go around the room and share testimonies, many of you would tell of how you did not see salvation coming until it hit you blindside. recover our joy in these times, and how can we avoid losing it in We were forgiven of our sins and saved from eternal judgment. We were walking around on some crowded back streets in Guangzhou, China. He wanted us to receive Him so He could be joined to us. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. In Ephesians 4:30, Paul says, Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption. Note 1 in the New Testament Recovery Version explains what it means to grieve the Holy Spirit: To grieve the Holy Spirit is to displease Him.