Joy in the Light

Prayer:  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5-6).  We thank you for the joy in our lives.  We want to make that joy complete.  Please help us to grow closer to You by being obedient servants.  Our desire is to live lives that are pleasing to You, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Main Scripture: Read 1 John 1:1-10.

We write this to make our joy complete (1 John 1:4).

Associated Scriptures:

Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:2-4).

You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept 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.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command. (John 15:9-14).

Correlative Quotes:

…men are apt to say that they have not sinned.—Though they have fallen below their own standard, they do not like to admit it, and cling tenaciously to their position of having got beyond the range of sinning. Much better to admit it and obtain forgiveness through the one Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.[1] – F. B. Meyer

Out of the scriptures, those wells of salvation, we draw the waters of life.[2] – John Trapp

This is almost the same language which the Savior used when addressing his disciples as he was about to leave them, John 15:11; and there can be little doubt that John had that declaration in remembrance when he uttered this remark. See the notes at that passage. The sense here is, that full and clear views of the Lord Jesus, and the fellowship with him and with each other, which would follow from that, would be a source of happiness. Their joy would be complete if they had that; for their real happiness was to be found in their Savior. The best editions of the Greek Testament now read “your joy,” instead of the common reading “our joy.”[3] – Albert Barnes

Study:

John is writing to his children in Christ concerning their spiritual growth.  When mentors see their students grow spiritually, their joy becomes strengthened. 

That your joy may be full — So our Lord also, John 15:11; 16:22. There is a joy of hope, a joy of faith, and a joy of love. Here the joy of faith is directly intended. It is a concise expression.  Your joy — That is, your faith and the joy arising from it: but it likewise implies the joy of hope and love.[4] – John Wesley

There are six actions that will make joy complete.  All of these actions are commandments from God and therefore they produce obedience.  If we are to stay in fellowship with God and others, we must practice obedience.

1. A productive prayer life: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, NKJV). Prayer is a necessity for spiritual growth. It is as much of an attitude as it is an action.  Since God already knows our needs before we ask, our attitude should be one of acceptance. 

For example, we might pray for a need and then say, as Jesus did in the garden before His crucifixion in Matthew 26:39, “not as I will, but as You will.”  Once we have prayed, we must learn to accept God’s answer.

The second attitude we must have is a humble heart.  In 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (NKJV), God says, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  God expects and deserved an attitude of humility when we pray.  We are unworthy to come before Him to ask for anything.  But His love for us brings compassion.

2. An attitude of evangelism: Jesus said, “And the gospel must first be preached to all nations” (Mark 13:10-11). It is the responsibility of every Christian and a commandment of God (Acts 1:8) that we share the gospel message with the unrighteous. Matthew 28:19-20 gives us three commands.  We are to go and make disciples of all people, baptize those who accept the new life in Christ and we are to teach or disciple those who will follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Evangelism means to spread the message of the gospel.  All believers are to share this message.  The content of this message speaks to the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.  We are commanded to tell others about what Jesus has done for them based on these gospel message essentials.

3. A concerted effort to disciple others: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Discipleship is an important step in the transformation of believers. We are commanded to grow in the knowledge of the Truth (2 Peter 3:18). Jesus told the disciples that they were to teach them all the things that they had learned from Him.  The Bible explains that the Holy Spirit is our guide and He will teach us to understand the scriptures.  Every Christian must seek the knowledge that God has given us in His word.  However, that is only the first step.  We must understand what we have read and then be able to interpret the thoughts of God and put them into action in our lives. 
4. A dedication to reading and learning the scriptures: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalms 119:11). It is important to read God’s word, the Bible, cover to cover. However, it is imperative that we put some scripture to memory.  God’s word is essential during times of trials and suffering and we may not always have a Bible with us.  In these moments of distress scriptures that we have memorized can provide comfort and hope.
5. A desire to be obedient in giving: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalms 24:1). “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). “set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income “(1 Corinthians 16:2).

These three verses sum up the necessity of giving to God through the church.  Everything belongs to God.  He owns it all.  When we fall in love with earthly things, they become number one in our lives instead of God.  However, if we are generous with God, we are being obedient to Him and that allows for continuing fellowship.

6. A love for one another: “love one another” (John 13:34). It is not as difficult to love God as it is to love people. Some people are impossible.  People can be negative, critical, sarcastic, bullies, and nonresponsive and that’s their positive side.  But God’s expectation is that we would love everyone.  Jesus loved all people and died for them, not because they were good but because they sinned against him.  We need to look at others through the eyes of Christ.  I have remarked over the years that God may have put certain impossible people in our lives just to test your ability to love everyone.

Summary Statement:

Each one of these six activities is a commandment from God.  Our growth in these areas is a picture of our obedience to Him.  When we have decided to be proactive in each of these activities, our lives are pleasing to God and He rewards us with a deeper expression of Joy.  Joy is not happiness.  Joy is an internal assurance of our relationship with God. 

This joy, a gift from God, has its foundation in the hope of eternal life.  The greater the hope, the more assurance we have in Him.  The more assurance we experience in our salvation, the finished action of Jesus, the more joy we feel in our lives.  There is no greater joy than the assurance of our eternal position with God. 

The fullness of joy springs out of “fellowship with the father.” This is self-evident. Suppose a sinner so to see and confide in God as his Father that he may be said to have fellowship with Him, enjoying a sense of His favor, and reciprocating it with a feeling of love, it is plain he must be happy in God. It is ever so regarded in the Scriptures. When God invites sinners to forsake the fellowship of the ungodly and to come into communion with Himself, it is in these words (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). The promise by which the invitation is enforced is supposed to secure true blessedness to all who shall enjoy it. A brief contemplation of what may be expected from God as Father will make this statement plain. A father is ready to pardon his children. A father has tender sympathy with his children. Their joys and sorrows are all his own.[5] – Joseph Excell

Lesson within the Lesson:

Explain what steps you are or will be taking to grow spiritually in all six of these areas.

How does knowing that these essentials or commands influence your decision to make them priorities in your life?

Which of these areas of activity do you think is the easiest for you to do?

Which essential is the most difficult and why?

[1] Meyer, Fredrick Brotherton, Our Daily Homily, Public Domain, Grand Rapids, 1899, MI: Christian Fleming H. Revell Company, enduringword.com/ downloads/our-daily-homily/, P. 231.

[2] John Trapp, John Trapp Complete Commentary, Public Domain, © 1647, Printed by A. M. for John Bellamy at the sign of the Three Golden Lions, Cornbill, p. 466.

[3] Albert Barnes, Notes Explanatory and Practical, Public Domain, 1829, P. 5150.

[4] John Wesley, John Wesley’s Notes of the Bible, Public Domain, Publication date 1755, Jacobjuncker.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ wesley-explanatory-notes-on-the-bible.pdf#page=564&zoom=100,0,308, P. 484.

[5] Exell, Joseph S. "Commentary on "1 John 1:4". The Biblical Illustrator. Public Domain, https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tbi/1-john-1.html. 1905-1909. New York.