Happiness Or Joy?
My favorite part of the United States Declaration of Independence is: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I love how the signers mention the Creator (God) and that everyone is created equal and we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (Even though little babies being murdered in the womb have no right to life).
Pursuing happiness sounds good, doesn’t it? Are you looking for happiness tonight? If so, where are looking or what are you seeking to provide you happiness? Are you looking for immoral sexual relations? Do you think getting drunk or getting high will make you happy? Maybe you are married and you think a beautiful woman will make you happy. What are you doing to pursue happiness? Which is more important: happiness or joy?
Happiness if fleeting. A married man may purse a woman that isn’t his wife, because he thinks it will bring him happiness. You know the old saying “the grass is greener on the other side.” Or maybe you think if you just had that new car, then, you would be happy. Maybe it’s the desire of money. If you just had a million dollars, then you know that you would be happy or maybe that awesome job would make you happy.
Enough Is Never Enough
I will let you in on a little secret. People who want more money or more material things or more (or different) sexual partners are never really happy. Let’s say you actually become a millionaire. Guess what? You won’t be happy being a millionaire. If you have one million, you will want 10 million. If you amass 10 million, you will want 100 million. Enough will never be enough. Those who constantly seek more of something (whatever that something is) will never be satisfied. You will always want more. The Bible even backs this up. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this is also vanity (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied (Proverbs 27:20). Again, enough is never enough.
If you are lusting after anything tonight, you will never be satisfied. Once you reach some sort of happiness, it will quickly be replaced with a desire for more or something else. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).
Lust Is Of The World
Please notice these verses in 1 John 2:15-17 state that if you love the world, the love of God the Father is not in you. Lust is of the world. The world is fleeting. We are fleeting. We are here today and gone tomorrow. Our lives are but a vapor. Don’t foolishly waste your time on pursing happiness that won’t last. Don’t continue chasing something and as soon as you get it, start wanting something else (or more and more of the same). Oh, don’t continue in the cycle of enough is never enough.
Happiness or joy? Joy is by far the better. Happiness may last for a little while, but joy, joy in the Lord lasts forever. The main reason that Christians have joy is because of Jesus. Even though we have all sinned against God and there’s nothing we can do to change that; Jesus suffered, bled and died on a cruel cross to save His people from their sins. Jesus rose from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father. God saves those who repent and surrender their life to Jesus.
Gloriously Saved
Those of us who are gloriously saved, have eternal life. What’s not to like about that? What’s not to be joyous about that? When you repent and put your faith in Jesus, you become a new creature in Christ. Old things have passed away, behold, all things become new. You are saved from eternal damnation. You are saved from the wrath of God. True believers, true followers of Jesus are saved, saved, saved!
No more condemnation. No more fear of eternal torments in the lake of fire and brimstone. Best of all, we get to spend eternity with Jesus, our Lord and Savior. I’m talking joy, true joy in the Lord. Jesus said that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He intercedes on behalf of all believers to God the Father. There is joy in just thinking about this. Not only did Jesus save me from my sins and the eternal punishment for my sins, He pleads on my behalf to God the Father.
Why Have Joy In The Lord?
Why have joy in the Lord? He sings over His followers! The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). Again, eternal life is a great reason for believers of Jesus Christ to have joy. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11).
I love what the prophet Habakkuk says in Habakkuk 3:17-18: Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Salvation is a reason to be full of joy. 1 Peter 1: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Tried Faith Brings Glory To Jesus
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
The Precious Blood Of Jesus
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Incorruptible Seed
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away: But the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. It brings me great joy in just reading this chapter of the Bible. I love 1 Peter Chapter 1.
Yes, it makes me want to shout Hallelujah! Glory to God in the Highest. The Apostle Peter says: according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. True followers have joy because of the abundant mercy of God and the lively hope that we have in Jesus. We serve a risen Savior. We have hope that no other religion or non-religion can offer. Our hope is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Joy Unspeakable And Full Of Glory
I agree the Apostle Peter that we have joy unspeakable and full of glory over the salvation that our Lord Jesus Christ provides us. He is worthy of all honor, praise and glory. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain; that shed His precious blood for guilty sinners like us. Our faith and hope is in God and our joy is in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and we will be with Him in glory forever. Hallelujah! Amen!
For those who are not saved, why would you die in your sins and suffer the flames of the lake of fire and brimstone for all eternity. Why would you reject such a great salvation? I’m pleading with you to recognize that you are a sinner, cry out for God to save you. Repent and surrender your life to Jesus and receive joy, true joy, real joy for all eternity. Then you can join us fellow believers in our joy because of the lively hope that have in Jesus. Happiness or joy? Without a doubt – joy! Joy over happiness every time because joy comes from the Lord.
(This message was lifted up on February 14, 2020 in downtown Springfield, MO)