The Command
Philippians 4:4, Isaiah 61:10, 1 Peter 1:8, Romans 15:13 = “Rejoice in the Lord.”
Throughout the NT we are command to “Rejoice in Christ.” But what does it mean to rejoice in Christ and how do we do it?
Everyone has a definition for what they think joy is and often it gets conflated with happiness. Society has created the “american dream” that will unlock your joy and you’ll be happy forever, or joy comes from reaching the zen state, as long as the flow goes uninterrupted, when you meditate enough.
However, definitialy speaking is doesn’t hold up because happiness is a transient feeling and joy is a state of the soul.
Lets discuss what it isn’t and is .
Secular definition:
Joy is a deep, abiding emotion of intense happiness, contentment, and well-being.
According to this definition, joy is a intense feeling, but a feeling nonetheless. Feelings change, even the deep ones. Tragedy/sadness turns to acceptance and closure, anger turns to peace and so one.
Society tells us real joy is almost impossible if we are not always happy with our relationships, possessions, and circumstances.
The trend is that joy is somethings that happens to us, something goes right, we win, the deal closes ,or you get the girl etc. However if joy was contingent on circumstance as happiness is then it will be short lived.
Scripture has joy as a command for and the hallmark of a Christian as one of the fruits of the spirit.
Whats the difference?
The object of joy is what determines the effect of it, whether it will be transient or not and how effective the joy will be in the life of the believer.
This brings us to the definition of real joy.
Biblical definition:
In Reformed theology, joy is defined as a supernatural, stable gladness of the soul.
It is not merely a fleeting emotional reaction to good circumstances, but a deep-seated fruit of the Holy Spirit rooted in the assurance of God’s sovereignty, Christ’s finished work, and the promise of eternal salvation.
Which means ,according to the Biblical definition, and the command in Philippians 4:4, we can be obedient and choose to be joyful, regardless of our circumstances because our joy rests not on the situation but in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that will be manifest in all believers, and so we must strive to be joyful in our lives. We have the Holy Spirit living within us, and we are therefore able to “rejoice in the Lord always” . We can decide to have joy.
Scripture says that the joy of the Lord is our strength in Nehemiah 8:10. When Ezra reads the Law, the Israelites weep out of deep conviction of their sin. Reformed theology teaches that the Law reveals our sinfulness and inability to save ourselves. However, Nehemiah commands them not to wallow in despair as the sources of their joy should be the cheerful acknowledgement of their dependence on a good God who cares for them and is their continued source of strength.
Object focused not self focused.
This type of joy isn’t something we can conjure up or hype ourselves up into, this the posture of the soul that is rooted in the character of Christ and peace with God.
Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians while in prison, yet he commanded them to always rejoice.
How can he command others to be joyful while he sits in prison? Because he understood what it meant to have the joy of the Lord amidst dire circumstances.
When Paul says “always” rejoice he is relying on the providence and Sovereignty of God to get him through this situation. He knows that God has ordained all things that come to pass and that God has numbered his days.
If Paul has to die in prison then so be it, he wins and gets to be with Jesus, but if his work is not finished then God will strengthen and deliver him.
He fundamentally knew that there was a purpose to his suffering and that brought the joy, the knowledge of Divine Providence.
Romans 8:28:
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.
Contentment and joy are actively fuelled by trusting that God will sovereignly provide for our needs. This removes the burden of anxiety and shifts the focus from human helplessness to divine sovereignty.
How do we become Joyful?
Transformation into Christ-likeness is integral to experiencing true joy because joy is shared in Christ.
Joy is stable and persistent because it is rooted in the unchanging attributes of Christ, not fluctuating internal feelings or external success.
As already discussed our joy comes from reality, the reality of Christ, His characteristics, His promises, and His peace.
Second Corinthians gives us an answer of where our joy comes from.
2 Corinthians 3:18
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[a] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.[b] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
As we become more like Christ and share in His likeness, His joy becomes our joy. As we grow from glory to glory so does our shared joy with Christ. Christ was joyful, thus we become joyful as we become more like Him.
This is achieved through habitual discipline driven by the regenerated mind and will powered by the Holy Spirit.
Practical steps to Joy
Preach the Gospel to yourself everyday.
Do not listen to your fluctuating feelings, instead speak objective theological truth, constantly remind yourself of what your Good God did for you.
- The Practice: Every morning, explicitly say: “My sins are pardoned, I am united to Christ, and my eternity is secure, regardless of how today goes.”
- The Goal: This shifts your focus from your performance or circumstances to Christ’s finished work.
Look for Gods common Grace and special Grace in your daily life.
God grace is revealed in the world through nature and His special providential/effectual grace is revealed and given to believers.
- The Practice: Keep a daily physical or digital journal. List three specific things where you witnessed God’s providence, care, or kindness that day.
- The Goal: It trains your mind to actively look for God’s hand at work, moving you away from a disposition of grumbling.
Mortify Anxiety Through Structured Prayer
In the verses immediately following Philippians 4:4, Paul connects joy to prayer (Phil 4:6-7). Joy cannot coexist with unmanaged, toxic worry. Peace is the Lords answer to prayer that replaces anxiety. He gives peace when we come to Him in prayer and that should spark joy.
- The Practice: When an anxious thought hits, immediately convert it into a prayer. Use the A.C.T.S. method (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) to re-center your mind on God’s character before asking for help. Remember who He is first.
- The Goal: Handing your anxieties over to a sovereign God physically releases the mental burden, paving the way for His peace.
Fix your mind on truth.
Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8 commands believers to think about whatever is true, honorable, just, and pure. Practical joy requires strict gatekeeping of what enters your mind.
- The Practice: Ruthlessly audit your mental intake. Limit sensationalised news, toxic social media scrolling, or secular entertainment that breeds discontentment. Replace them with Scripture memorization, theology books, or rich worship.
- The Goal: You cannot have a joyful heart if you feed your mind a steady diet of worldly cynicism.
Serve Others in the Body of Christ
When we focus on our own problems the joy disappears because our problems feel insurmountable. But when we serve others we shift our focus to do good, to love our neighbour.
- The Practice: Look for a tangible, small way to serve someone else in your local church community this week. Deliver a meal, help someone move, or send an encouraging text.
- The Goal: Diverting your energy outward breaks the cycle of self-pity and allows you to experience the joy of being used by God as an instrument of His grace
Joy doesn’t deny legit grief
Let us also be clear that Christian joy does not deny the legitimacy of grief. Jesus was a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3); thus, it is not wrong to be sad.
Sin creeps in when we are consistently despairing or hopeless. We are fearfully and wonderfully made – complex creatures who can be sad in one sense and joyful in another simultaneously.
I grieve if my brother dies because I no longer have personal communion with him. But I can have a deep, abiding joy, for I know that death does not have the final word. It has been conquered in Christ’s death and resurrection
Even if God never gives us another blessing, what Jesus did on our behalf gives us more than a sufficient reason to rejoice. We can properly grieve when friends and families die, relationships end, jobs are lost, and suffering occurs. But such grief ought never to push us into despair, for in Jesus all will be set right, and one day all tragedy will be removed from creation.
Conclusion
Now that we know what joy is and what it isn’t we can recognise the need for true joy and avoid relying our feelings to attain it.
We are also commanded to be joyful and knowing that we can be joyful, let us choose to do so.
Let us intentionally focus our eyes on Christ and our minds on His truth so that we can have assurance of the good news of our salvation, the trust in His good character, and the knowledge of our dependence on His grace.
Lets choose joy.
