21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-25 (NASB) (Read verses 24-25 on the site)
Most Christians are seeking joy and are, perhaps, perplexed because their circumstances are anything but joyful. Our Lord gave us the example through the way He walked throughout His earthly ministry in which we are given what true joy is and how we must live in order to obtain it….
The following passage is right in the middle of that part of John’s Gospel dealing with the Samaritan woman at the well.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus *said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.” John 4:31-38 (NASB)
Biblical joy is both a benefit and part of the process God uses to energize His people in order for them to obey Him, live for His glory, and walk through this life in victory. What Christian does not want that? In this post, I would like to concentrate on the one thing that is the source of all of our joy and so we must never neglect rejoicing over it nor allow our circumstances to distract us and thereby cause us to lose our joy. This one thing, our salvation, is the most profound thing for those truly in Christ. This must remain so throughout our lives in this fallen world. It will certainly be in eternity as we read in the eschatological books in God’s Word. When we have our salvation held in the proper light in our hearts we will also, as Christ showed us throughout his earthly ministry, walk in obedience to God. We will pray, worship, fellowship, and serve our Lord as He directs. Our food becomes to do the will of Him who owns us because He has bought us with His blood. In this, we rejoice. Yes, God will use us in the Kingdom. He may use us in ways we would never dream of. He may very well allow us to suffer for the Name, however, through it all we must never lose sight of the truth that our names are written in Heaven.