Romans 5:11b “…we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
Many have believed the devil’s lie that Christians are not supposed to enjoy life. To them being a Christian means adhering to a lot of “Thou shalt not” commandments. That adds up to, “Thou shalt not enjoy life.” That certainly is not true, but there are professed Christians who help Satan promote the idea by spreading gloom and despair.
We should remember that Jesus was an exciting personality. Crowds thronged Him wherever he went. Even little children climbed into His arms. He once compared Himself and His disciples to a wedding party. He spoke of His joy and wanted His joy to be in His followers.
People are not saved by being joyful, but when they receive salvation, joy comes along with it. Christians have the privilege of being joyful and of letting others know that is is a happy experience to serve the Lord.
We have to say close to the Lord to have His joy. Sin will rob us of our joy. When King David sinned eh lost his joy He prayed for forgiveness, for cleansing, and for the restoration of his lost joy. He knew that only then would eh be able to win others to the Lord (Psa. 51:12-13).
Evangelist Louis Arnold (1914-2015)
Founder of CMRBC
An excerpt from his daily devotional book: Day Starters
