A Certain Christian Joy
Randall Caselman
2/4/98
A Certain Christian Joy
Have you ever found yourself asking this question,
is it worth it to be a Christian? Is it worth it to work so diligently at keeping ourselves pure and right? Does it really pay to follow Jesus? Not only do non-Christians ask such questions. Deep down, there may be times that many of us struggle with them,
right?
Such questions might be asked by a wife and mother who has been thrown into a divorce through no fault of her own; a single parent who is struggling with raising their children; a father who has just lost his job, and his family is on the brink of bankruptcy; a child of God who has been diagnosed with cancer; a spouse or parent who has just lost a loved one; perhaps by a Christian who is dealing with depression.
Does it pay to be a Christian? Let's notice what living for Christ does for us:
What it does to our sins.
We are all different, but we have one thing in common, we are all sinners. Paul concludes that
all have sinned, there is none righteous, no not one. We can all look into our past and see some real ugliness that we wish was not there. But, you see, as a child of God we have no guilt. God has forever forgiven us our sins, our past mistakes.
It’s interesting to note what the Bible says God does with our sins, if we are His children. They are:
•
Forgiven...
In him we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
•
Washed away...
Arise, and be baptized and wash your sins away.
•
Hurled into the sea...
God will tread our sins under foot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
•
Wiped out...
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.
•
Remembered no more...
I am he who blots out your transgressions, and remembers your sins no more.
•
Removed...
As far as the east is from the west, He removed our transgressions from us.
•
Purified...
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness.
The prophet declared,
though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Paul assures us,
there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The joy of Christianity is that we don’t have to live with the guilt of our past. The past is just that...
The past.
I know some Christians who are themselves miserable and make those around them miserable, because they think they must be squeaky clean, so that they will squeak past the pearly gates. Well, we are not that clean now and neither can we ever be
except for the awesome grace of God and His forgiveness. What a genuine joy to realize that all our sins are and can be forgiven. No, grace is not a license to sin, but it is a cause for Christian joy.
What it does to our present peace and purpose.
How many of us
really know our purpose? I am convinced that, even though we are more affluent than any other people who have ever lived on this planet, that our unhappiness, restlessness, our lack of peace and fulfillment is a direct result of our not knowing our purpose in life. How can we have so much more and enjoy it less? The answer may lie in our relationship with the God who created us. It makes no difference how much we know, how much we have, where we are on the social ladder, if we do not have a relationship with God, then we will be fearful, anxious and unfulfilled. Solomon verifies this in Ecclesiastes.
• He tried to find peace and purpose in luxury.
• He also tried lust.
• He tried learning...
Education.
Well, where did he find peace, fulfillment and meaning to life?
Now that all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty, the whole purpose of man. Peace and purpose comes in doing the will of God.
Paul gives us this advice on peace,
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
No, fearing God and keeping His commandments, becoming a Christian, does not remove us from all our daily problems, but He does promise us rest for the night and strength for the day. Paul tells us his strength came from above,
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. What a joy it is to know that we can go to God in prayer asking for strength, peace and purpose for our daily walk.
What it means for our future.
One of our modern speech translations has Solomon saying in Ecclesiastes three, God has placed eternity in our hearts. God made us to live forever.
• Job asked in rhetoric,
if a man dies will he live again?
• David speaks frequently of
everlasting life.
• Daniel says,
those asleep in the earth will all awake, some to eternal life, some to eternal contempt.
• Jesus promised
us a place in the Father's house.
• Paul says,
if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven.
• Peter speaks of,
an inheritance that will never end, spoil or fade away... Reserved for us in heaven.
Heaven is a place of eternal joy and happiness.
Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!... In the joys of your Lord. Perhaps heaven’s joy is best explained by those things that will not be there:
• No more tears,
• No more sorrow,
• No more sickness,
• No more pain,
• No more death,
The old order of things have passed away, God has made all things new. The greatest joy of Christianity is that our future has been taken care of,
a home with God, eternal in the heavens.
Have you noticed, Christianity has dealt with our past, provided peace and purpose for our present and has promised us complete and eternal joy for our future.
So, the question of the moment is this, are you a Christian? You can be by faith in God, repentance of all your sins, acknowledgment of Jesus as the Son of God, and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
—RANDALL CASELMAN
