Joyful News

When you think of joy, what comes to mind? Receiving that hard earned diploma? Scoring those winning points? Your wedding day? The birth of a child? Certainly happy feelings overflow for most people on such "joyous occasions." God must be a fan of joy, judging by the fact that "joy" and its derivatives are used almost 250 times in the New Testament (NIV). Differing from happiness, biblical joy is evident even when circumstances do not go the way we had hoped.

The angels announcement to the shepherds (perhaps among the most unlikely recipients of divine revelation at the time) was not a theological treatise on justification and the state of man. Rather it was a declaration of joy, peace, good will, and favor:

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord...Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Luke 2:10-11, 14

The joyous message the heavenly messengers brought from the throne room of God to smelly, asocial men who kept the flocks by night, was this. "I love you. Watch how much." The babe in a manger was more than a lovable infant. He grew to live a perfect life and showed us how to live and, more than that, he gave up his perfect life so that we can be reconciled with God. The angels announced the birth of the Reconciler. The vast chasm between God's holiness and our fallen state was about to be bridged. If that isn't reason for joy, I don't know what is.

The apostle Paul lived in the glow of such joy. His life circumstances were anything but pleasant. His plans, even those to further the gospel, were often frustrated and, he owned little to nothing in this world. His thanks for all of his efforts, as far as the world was concerned, was imprisonment and a martyr's death. Yet he spoke often of joy, and in the second chapter of Philippians, had this to say about it:

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1-2

Paul's joy was firmly anchored in the promises of God. He lived in a state of freedom from sin, freedom from legalism, and freedom from despondency. He knew who he was in Christ, his inheritance, and his ultimate destination. His joy was enhanced by the faithfulness and unity of those to whom he ministered. This unity is made possible by the good news brought by the angels long ago. Not only did Jesus come to redeem us for eternity, but also to redeem us from selfish, petty differences as we walk along our path to intimacy with God and others.

Receive the good news of great joy with gladness this year. Rejoice for the eternity that awaits you if you have believed in Jesus. Let that joy reverberate in your life and relationships. Make Jesus' joy complete by fulfilling his command (love one another).  Lay down your grievances and take the hand of the person next to you. Look one another in the eye and say: "I love you. Watch how much."








 

Being One

Think of  how a team works. Diverse people with a variety of skills, backgrounds, and talents come together with a common goal. The members are not identical. In fact, the more varied the better. The thing that needs to be shared is the goal, whether delivering the ball to the basket or selling a predetermined number of widgets. As Paul continues his introduction to Philippians 2 he speaks of that kind of oneness in the church:

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." Philippians 2:1-2

I used to look at this and other passages on unity and think that this is an ideal the church has just not lived up to. In my stint as an elder, I was disillusioned by the level of concerns that people divided over: church furnishings, music style and volume, loyalty to this leader or that one. I would think, frankly, that Jesus prayer at the last supper was in vain, that the free-will of his unruly bride kept him from this one blessing he asked from her. While it is true that Jesus must not be pleased with such petty divisiveness, I now believe that, in general, the church does function in unity with diversity. The members, though diverse, seek to fulfill the ultimate mission: go, teach and baptize. The methods are as diverse as the vegetation that clothes the earth, but the mission of unity is to bring ourselves and others into fellowship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In so doing, we bring ourselves into fellowship with one another. We are on in purpose.

Key passages on spiritual gifts support this view. Ephesians 4 and Romans 12 point to the diversity of the body and the different spiritual gifts. We understand the varied personalities given to different members drive the things we do and even the way we do them. That is God's design. The hand cannot say to the foot, "I have no need of you." We are interdependent if we want to accomplish the mission. Rather than judging one another for our differences, what if we embraced and even thanked God for them? The charge here in Philippians 2 is not so much about producing "Stepford" Christians, who look, act and talk alike. It is more about remembering the goal.

Which end of the court are you driving toward? Our thoughts, meditations and actions take us toward one or the other. One end of the court is the flesh, with its unending desires and insatiable lusts. This is the way of the world, the passion of our culture aided and abetted by the advertising industry. The other end is the direct opposite. It is fueled by the encouragement of being united with Christ, the compassion of his love, the fellowship of his Spirit, and by tenderness and compassion. The team mates are clothed in the fruit of the Spirit and motivated by him from within.

Keep your eye on the goal. Let go of the thousand petty distractions. We win because we function as a team. Press on!