Joy in Christ: The Path to Love and Obedience

Devotional

Day 1: Joy as a Treasure to Be Shared

Experiencing joy in Christ is foundational to glorifying God and loving others. This joy is both a gift and a pursuit, requiring us to actively seek to include others in our joy, thereby expanding it. The joy that comes from seeing Christ as our supreme treasure is not meant to be hoarded but shared. This sharing is not just an overflow of our joy but an intentional effort to bring others into the experience of Christ's joy. By doing so, we glorify God and fulfill our calling to love others. [01:46]

"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you intentionally include in your joy in Christ today? How can you share this joy with them in a tangible way?

Day 2: Commandments as Pathways to Joy

The New Testament commandments are not burdensome but are pathways to deeper joy in Christ. They guide us in loving others and experiencing more of Christ's joy through obedience. These commandments are not merely principles but are commands that we are called to obey. This obedience is not about earning God's favor but about experiencing more of Christ's joy. By following these commandments, we align ourselves with God's will and open ourselves to a fuller experience of His presence. [12:38]

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." (1 John 5:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: What is one commandment you find challenging to obey? How might viewing it as a pathway to joy change your approach to it today?

Day 3: Preserving and Seeking Joy

The fight for joy involves both preserving the initial joy received at conversion and seeking more joy through acts of love and obedience. This dual fight enriches our experience of Christ's work on the cross. The joy we first experience when we come to faith is a precious gift, but it is not the end of our journey. We are called to actively seek more joy by loving others and obeying God's commandments. This ongoing pursuit deepens our understanding of Christ's sacrifice and the joy it brings. [25:22]

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively seek more joy in Christ today through a specific act of love or obedience?

Day 4: Obedience as a Blood-Bought Gift

Obedience is not about earning God's favor but is a blood-bought gift that allows us to experience more of Christ's joy. As we walk in obedience, we taste more of Christ's presence and power. This obedience is a gift secured by Christ's sacrifice, empowering us to live in a way that pleases God and brings us deeper joy. By embracing obedience as a gift, we open ourselves to the fullness of what Christ has purchased for us. [30:30]

"And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life can you view obedience as a gift rather than a burden today?

Day 5: The Struggle for Joy

The struggle to love others and obey God's commandments is real, but it leads to a deeper experience of joy in Christ. This struggle is part of our journey to experience the fullness of what Christ has purchased for us. The challenges we face in loving others and obeying God are not obstacles but opportunities to grow in joy. By persevering through these struggles, we align ourselves more closely with Christ and experience the joy He offers. [59:50]

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4, ESV)

Reflection: What is one struggle you are facing in loving others or obeying God? How can you view this struggle as an opportunity to deepen your joy in Christ today?

Sermon Summary

Experiencing joy in Christ is the key to glorifying God and loving others. This joy, which I refer to as vertical Christian hedonism, is foundational to our faith. It is the joy that comes from seeing Christ as our supreme treasure, a joy that glorifies Him. However, there is also a horizontal aspect to Christian hedonism, which involves loving others. This love is not merely an overflow of our joy in God but an active effort to expand our joy by including others in it. This dual focus on joy and love requires us to fight for joy on two levels: the foundational experience of joy in Christ and the conscious effort to love others, which in turn increases our joy in Christ.

The New Testament is filled with commandments that guide us in this pursuit of joy and love. These commandments are not burdensome but are meant to lead us to a deeper experience of joy in Christ. They are not merely principles but are commands that we are called to obey. This obedience is not about earning God's favor but about experiencing more of Christ's joy. The fight for joy involves both preserving the initial joy we receive at conversion and seeking more joy through acts of love and obedience.

This dual fight for joy does not diminish the work of the cross but rather enlarges our understanding and experience of it. Christ's blood not only secures our forgiveness but also empowers us to walk in obedience. This obedience is a blood-bought gift, and as we walk in it, we experience more of Christ's joy. The fight for joy is a fight to experience the fullness of what Christ has purchased for us, both in our initial conversion and in our ongoing obedience.

Key Takeaways

1. bought gift that allows us to experience more of Christ's joy. As we walk in obedience, we taste more of Christ's presence and power. [30:30]
5. The Struggle for Joy: The struggle to love others and obey God's commandments is real, but it leads to a deeper experience of joy in Christ. This struggle is part of our journey to experience the fullness of what Christ has purchased for us.

** [30:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:15] - Prayer for Strength
[00:37] - Christian Hedonism Defined
[01:05] - Vertical vs. Horizontal Joy
[02:27] - The Struggle for Joy
[03:46] - Joy and Love Relationship
[06:34] - Two Levels of Joy
[09:13] - Obedience and Joy
[12:38] - Commandments and the Gospel
[16:05] - Joy as a Gift and a Pursuit
[19:40] - The Role of Suffering
[24:17] - Expanded Joy in Christ
[30:30] - Obedience as a Blood-Bought Gift
[39:34] - Paul's Thorn and Joy
[59:50] - Personal Struggle and Joy in Obedience

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

2 Corinthians 4:4-6
2 Corinthians 8:1-2
Romans 5:2-5

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Observation Questions:

In 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, what is described as the "treasure" that believers receive, and how does this relate to the concept of joy in Christ? [07:28]
According to 2 Corinthians 8:1-2, how does the grace of God manifest in the churches of Macedonia, and what is the result of this grace in terms of joy and generosity? [20:19]
Romans 5:2-5 speaks about rejoicing in sufferings. What process does Paul describe that leads from suffering to hope, and how does this relate to experiencing joy in Christ? [32:59]
How does the sermon describe the relationship between joy in Christ and obedience to New Testament commandments? [12:38]

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Interpretation Questions:

In 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, the "light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" is mentioned. How does this light impact a believer's understanding and experience of joy in Christ? [07:28]
Reflecting on 2 Corinthians 8:1-2, what does the passage suggest about the relationship between joy, grace, and generosity? How might this inform a believer's approach to giving and serving others? [20:19]
Romans 5:2-5 outlines a progression from suffering to hope. How might this progression challenge or affirm a believer's understanding of joy in the midst of trials? [32:59]
The sermon discusses the concept of "horizontal Christian hedonism." How does this idea expand the understanding of love as an active pursuit of joy in Christ through loving others? [04:55]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you experienced joy in Christ as your supreme treasure. How did this affect your interactions with others, and how might you seek to include others in this joy more intentionally? [04:55]
Consider the commandments in the New Testament that guide us toward deeper joy in Christ. Which commandment do you find most challenging, and how can you approach it as a pathway to joy rather than a burden? [12:38]
The sermon emphasizes the dual fight for joy in preserving initial joy and seeking more joy through acts of love. Identify one practical act of love you can commit to this week that might expand your joy in Christ. [09:13]
Reflect on a recent struggle or trial you faced. How did you respond, and what might it look like to rejoice in suffering as described in Romans 5:2-5? How can this perspective change your approach to future challenges? [32:59]
The sermon mentions the importance of obedience as a blood-bought gift. How can you reframe your understanding of obedience to see it as an opportunity to experience more of Christ's joy? [30:30]
Think about a person in your life who might benefit from being included in your joy in Christ. What specific steps can you take to share this joy with them this week? [04:55]
The pastor shared a personal story about struggling with hospitality. Reflect on a similar situation in your life. How can you prepare yourself to respond with joy and generosity the next time you face a similar challenge? [59:50]

Sermon Clips

Christian hedonism is a life devoted to maximizing joy in Christ as the key to glorifying God and loving people. It's the key to worship and virtue. If you cultivate a way of life that ignores or opposes that pursuit of joy in Christ, you will not worship God and you will not love people as you ought. [00:01:47]

Genuine love for people, Christ-exalting love for people, is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others. So first there's joy in God, and then there's overflow. Christ-exalting love for people is the effort to expand our joy in Christ by including others in it. [00:03:53]

The first level is the foundational experience of joy in Christ, the fight to see him as he is in his word and savor what you see there so that there's something to overflow. That's where the Christian life begins, the foundational experience of seeing him for who he really is. [00:06:47]

The New Testament demands strategies, means of grace by which we keep seeing Christ and keep enjoying Christ and thus have something within us to overflow with. So that the battle for joy at level 1 is always a battle to see Christ for who he really is. [00:08:05]

The second level, a conscious effort, a battle to do practical acts of love which, when you do them, you experience more joy in Christ himself. It's not like here's joy in Jesus and then by loving people there's joy in another reality that's better and more than Jesus. [00:09:13]

There are two levels at which I fight for joy and I want to talk about this second one mainly, but the first level again is so foundational and I'm so jealous that you not think I'm leaving it behind. The first level is the fight to preserve, sustain, intensify the initial God-given joy. [00:17:30]

If it's true that the sinning of a Christian diminishes joy in Christ, which I'm going to argue it does, if it's true positively that Christian acts of love increase joy in Christ, then the fight for joy has two levels. There's that first fight to see him clearly in his word. [00:25:22]

There is expanded joy in Christ that comes through killing sin by the spirit, Romans 8:13, that comes from walking in obedience to the law of Christ, law of Christ, which is probably summed up in the law of love but spelled out in all the hundreds of ways that the path is narrow that leads to life. [00:27:32]

The second fight for joy does not diminish the cross and its accomplishment for us but rather enlarges our knowledge of it, our experience of it, and our joy in it. When Christ shed his blood, Luke 22:20 says this is the blood of the new covenant. [00:28:31]

The beauty and the power of the cross of Christ is seen and enjoyed in the blood-bought experience of obedience to Christ's commands. It's experiencing this is a dimension of joy that can be had no other way and a Christian hedonist will not be content without it. [00:51:44]

All those commandments in the New Testament are not given merely to expose our sin; they are given to show us the kind of life Christ died to create in his church, really create in his church. They are given to us so that by doing them by faith in Christ's blood-bought power, gospel power, we might have more joy. [00:56:11]

Father, we want to overflow better. I would like for the fight for joy at the front end of obedience to be successful more often than it is. But Oh God, as you point us to acts of obedience and acts of love which are costly and risky, and you promised you go there, I'll go with you. [01:03:40]

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