Empowering Joy
Introduction
In many ways, this teaching is the opposite to my sober warnings recently given (https://cross-connect.net.au/fear-of-death-hinders-revival/ ). There I attempted to expound that the great obstacle facing the Church’s growth in Christ was the lack of the fear of God, for most of us are paralysed in the fear of death. Whilst it remains true that one of the agencies of divine healing me from paranoia was a serious near-death experience, in tabulating that, I failed to mention a more direct spiritual encounter. This was when as a very new Christ-follower I got down alone on my knees to pray, a rare posture, seeking the overflowing of the Spirit. Almost at once I was inundated with divine power and left weeping with “inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Pet 1:8) until the wee hours of the morning. Because of the then influence of Pentecostalism, and my breaking out in tongues speaking at the time, I saw this as evidence of “the baptism of the Holy Spirit”. Today however, with a more robust and Christ-centred take on this, I possess a posture applicable to the whole Church.
Prophetic Joy
We read an unconditional promise to Israel in Isaiah, “You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. ” (9:3 cf. Ps 4:7; 68:3). Given that this chapter is a prophecy about the coming of Jesus, “for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” (9:6), the present people of God must see “the harvest” as the great ingathering of gentiles from across the planet (Matt 13:30; Rev 14:15) and “the spoil” as the stripping off of the devil’s power in the cross, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in the cross.” (Col 2:15). This means the supernatural intensification of joy prophesied by Isaiah should be understood as Christian normality! Given that the normal and the usual must never be equated, I will try to expound this observation in a Christ-centred manner.
The Way of Joy
As God’s first born natural son (Luke 3:38), the dignity of the upright primal man (Adam) (Eccl 7:29) encompassed a share in the divine “rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.” (Prov 8:30-31). The Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit were mutually ecstatic in their eternal indwelling glory, as they beheld each other’s’ superlative masterpiece in creation, the “very goodness” of humanity (Gen 1:31). Recalling that “garden of Eden” means “garden of delight” (Gen 2:8, 10), Adam and Eve dwelt in a place of rich completed beauty (Ezek 28:7, 12, 17). Lest we become obsessed, with the splendours of humanity’s first estate, and fall into the wiles of the devil (Eph 6:11), we must remember that “Adam… was (only) a type/pattern/figure of the one who was to come (Jesus).” (Rom 5:14). Most significantly, we need to grasp that the joy Jesus promised his disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11 cf. 3:29) is a share in that of a glorified heavenly human being. “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Cor 15:49). There is a vital sequence of experience here.
First, there is the joy of fellowship with Jesus similar to what the disciples regularly experienced in the Saviour’s presence “In that same hour he (Jesus) rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said…” (Luke 10:21). Then there was the celebration of resurrection appearances, “while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy” (Luke 24:41). Thirdly, there was great joy in seeing his victorious ascension into heaven on our behalf: “ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.” (Luke 24:51-53). Lastly, and climactically for our era, came the joy outpoured from heaven in the power of the Spirit. This is supersaturated the lives of the disciples from the Day of Pentecost onwards. As the gospel progressed through the lands encountered by opposition that only strengthened “the great joy” (Acts 8:8; cf. 1 Thess 1:6) of the recent converts. No one who is filled with the Holy Spirit can lack such joy: “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2). Peter links overwhelming joy to our experience of believing for salvation, “ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy/joy unspeakable and full of glory, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pet 1:8-9)
Glorified Joy in Jesus
Reflecting back on my “baptism in the Spirit” experience I am amazed at my self-centredness, inevitably such ecstatic states, real as they were, especially during times of corporate praise, were unsustainable. Today, I now have a much bigger picture of “the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18) who is Jesus. He is not the “bearded and sandalled one of the Gospels” but the ascended glorified King of the universe (https://www.efac.org.au/index.php/2014/winter-2014/ascended-fullness ). The joy of this Jesus shall, when he Returns, fill the universe with inexhaustible wonder and amazement forever (Eph 4:10). In this is joy we have all been baptised into Christ (1 Cor 12:13). This joy exists to take us out of self-indulgence sending us into mission to the nations (Gal 1:15-16; 2:19-20). When Jesus prophesied, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…to the end of the earth.”” (Acts 1:8) he was recapping what happened to him at his baptism and when he “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:20) over the success of the apostolic mission. Joy is a power experience for kingdom mission! “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17) How then have we got it so wrong so that our world penetration is so small?
“Normal Christian Life”
Firstly, our vision of Jesus has been grossly diminished to the horizons measured by “the flesh/worldly pint of view” (2 Cor 5:16). Prophets exist in Church (Isa 6:1ff = John 12:41) to have a telescopic vision of things as they actually are before God! The normal Christian life must never be shrunk down to the average Christian life. There is however a more common cause of creating “blessing blockers” (G. Sadri) that rob us of the gift of supernatural joy. In speaking to the “foolish Galatians” (Gal 3:1) their spiritual father speaks dramatically: “What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.” (Gal 4:15). When the Church departs from the simplicity of the pure giftedness of “grace upon grace” (John 1:16 cf. Matt 25:29) it necessarily loses its “first love” (Rev 2:4) and lapses either into literalism/legalism or trying hard to look holy. This is the root of our dried up experiences.
Conclusion
I believe a fresh wave of grace in proportion to the true identity of Jesus is coming. This will result in a tremendous surge of praise and thanksgiving and Spirit-breathed joy and true empowerment to obey Christ as a Son, regardless of cost. This is definitely a matter for thankful anticipation. “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all timeand now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24-25)