The Joy of Salvation

There are simple joys and great joys in the world. A lazy morning reading the Sunday papers in bed after a long, hard week at work or waking to a glorious day – not a cloud in the sky and the sun beaming benevolently and magnificently through your window, these are simple joys. Finding love, the blessing of parenthood and grandparenthood, earning a well-deserved promotion at work or the gratification from the triumph of a personal accomplishment in your life such as completing a marathon, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, surviving cancer or earning a black belt in a martial art are all examples of great joys. However, there is a joy that exceeds all other kinds of joy: that of the joy of salvation.

             

   Jesus said I have come to make your joy complete (John 15:11). Once you have experienced the joy of salvation it gives you a new perspective on all other forms of joy and gives you a deeper appreciation even for the smallest of the simple joys in life. Unfortunately, in a way it is inexplicable to someone who has not been touched by the Holy Spirit. But imagine that joy was like your favourite dessert. The simple joys in life are like taking a bite of your favourite dessert – delicious, scrumptious and a pick-me-up. The great joys are like eating a very generous slice or portion of your favourite dessert – a very special treat to be savoured and appreciated. Now imagine you were in the finest restaurant in the world and you order your favourite dessert to be prepared and made by the greatest chef in the world. When it comes you eat it and it is the most exquisite delicacy you’ve ever had the privilege of tasting – the flavours in your mouth are familiar but they’ve never tasted as rich or vibrant as this before, your taste buds made alive like never before. That in a way is like the joy of salvation, as the Bible says: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:3).

               

How do you experience the joy of salvation? The answer is through repentance. Jesus said repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near (Matthew 4:17). Sometimes repentance is painful; sometimes it is the pain of recognising we are not as morally good as we thought we were; sometimes it is the pain of pride – admitting to the mistakes in our life or coming to terms with the fact that we cannot solve all of our problems by ourselves. Sometimes it is the pain of knowing that we have sinned against a Holy God and we are unworthy to come into His presence. However, that pain can produce amazing fruit: the process of painful self-reflection and repentance brings with it the desired joy of salvation.

             

 When the angel appeared to the Shepherds on the hills of Jerusalem that first Christmas it told them of news of great joy for all the people (Luke 2:10). That great joy referred to by the angel was the birth of Jesus the Christ. Jesus was not just his parents’ joy – Jesus was to be the joy of humanity. And Jesus is the only way to experience the joy of salvation, for He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Praise God that He so loved the world that He gave His one and only begotten Son so that humanity may experience the joy of salvation. We all have a choice – accept Jesus’ sacrifice and receive Him as our saviour or reject Him and fail to experience the joy of salvation and enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. We will still experience the simple and great joys of life but they are finite and ephemeral in nature. The joy of salvation transcends this mortal life and connects us with an eternal reality, which bears not just upon what happens when we die but also enriches this life too. God greatly desires that all humanity experience the joy of salvation (2 Peter 3:9). Jesus is God’s gift to the world. So embrace and accept the greatest gift on earth, the greatest gift possibly imaginable and find true joy.