and trials. The emperor of Rome was seeking to eradicate all of the Christians and stop their influence wherever possible. Yet John wrote, "And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full" (I John 1:4). What did John write that would bring such joy? He provided a foundation for joy and then he presented three practical steps for living a life of joy on that founda tion. What is the foundation? It is given in verse 5, "God is light and in him is no darkness at all." To me this is a clear reference to sal vation. Light is frequently used as being synonymous for the eternal life that we have in Jesus Christ. The contrast is the darkness of Sa tan when compared to the light of Christ. It is the difference between love and hate. It is the contrast of sin with holiness. Jesus Christ is the only One who can take away darkness, deception and defeat. In turn He gives us light and love. He is the Light of the world and in Him is no darkness at all. In fact, in John 1:4 the Apostle begins his gospel by noting that "In Him was life and the life was the light of men." There are certain circumstances that are essential if we are to have joy. And laying the foundation properly by accepting Christ is one of them. We must abide in Christ and be obedient to Him. There has to be a continuing and growing re lationship with God. One's hunger is never satisfied by just looking at pictures of food, and spiritual ma turity and joy do not come by merely sampling the Christian way of commitment and life wanting to be more like the Lord. A little food to a hungry man and a little Chris- Page 25
mediocre life we will not know joy. In response to our subjection to the Lord's will and control we experience that perfect joy which He waits to bestow. Christ promised His disciples, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11). His message, expressed in the phrase "these things" was probably a reference to his message in the earlier verses of this chapter of abiding in Him and obeying Him (John 15:4 and 10). If we ignore this circumstance then we certainly will not experi ence joy. We must be obedient to the Lord. If we are not right with God then we will not be right with self or with our fellow man, and there will be no real joy. Joy is a tremendous quality. It will alter your outlook and brighten your life. It will sustain you in both hardships and heartaches. It is one of God's choicest anchors for the storms of life. Remember that joy requires commitment on our part. We must follow the biblically or dained circumstances which can produce peace, contentment and satisfaction. THE SOURCE OF JOY The source of true joy can never be found in pills, alcohol, money, sex or personal achievement. Real satisfaction and lasting content ment are not based on a posses sion of things but rather on a per sonal knowledge and acceptance of the Lord as Saviour. Of the many fine passages on joy, we will focus only on the first epistle of John in our presentation of the source of joy. In his first epistle, John was writing to people who were under severe persecution
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