Radical Joy

(For friends unnamed but you know who you are)

 

Yesterday Pastor Jeff preached on Racial Joy and he used Romans 8 as his main reference.  In case you missed the message, let me recap our reasons to have radical joy.  (I'm using the New Living Translation)

 

•         There is NO condemnation for those who belong to Christ (v. 1)  No, none, finito!  Condemnation is gone – hallelujah!

•         I have eternal life (v. 11)  Don't let this one slide past you.  You and I were DEAD (deprived of life, no longer alive – www.m-w.com) until Jesus came along and shed His blood to make us alive.  We will live forever with Him.  This is reason for joy!!!! 

•         God works all things together for my good when I love Him (v. 28)  This is HUGE to me because I have done some really stupid things in my life and I still continue to be faced with circumstances that I find unpleasant and undesirable.  However, God takes the foolishness of my past and the yuckiness of my present and stirs them together to make something beautiful (if you were present yesterday just think about the "Hot Donuts" sign flashing in the window at Krispy Kreme). 

•         God is for me (v. 31)  I have always known that God is with me and I have heard that God is for me.  My friends at Merriam Webster define with as used as a function word to indicate a participant in an action, transaction, or arrangement whereas for is defined as on behalf of, representing, in favor of (www.m-w.com)  The difference in these two is massive!  I hope you see it as clearly as I am seeing it, perhaps for the first time.  God is not just a participant in action or transaction for me but he is IN FAVOR OF ME, He represents me. 

 

As I left church today I had newfound thoughts about the ideas of joy.  I realized that I have been a whiner a lot of the time and that, in light of the above, I don't really have much to complain about and I truly have no reason not to be joyful.  As a wonderful preacher said at the youth service last night, "Joy is a fundamental part of being a Christian."  This is what sets us apart from the world, what makes us shine as a light in the darkness. 

 

Get your joy on today.  It suits you well!