We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:4
At the heart of Christianity is joy. True, we are all sinners, and sin brings sorrow. We see our great loss in sin. We confess that we are "poor, miserable sinners." But that is not all. Our defeat has been brought under the power of the Savior's victory. In Him our sins are forgiven. Through Christ and His sacrifice our whole problem of sin has been solved. Jesus has defeated Satan, who caused sin in the first place. Now Satan has no more power over us. We can go on our way with joy because the sin-bearer is on our side. This is God's promise to all who are sorry for their sins and accept the Savior's forgiveness. God wants us to be sad only to be glad. The final note of the Christian religion is joy. Who can be joyless when they know they have a Savior who has conquered sin, death, and hell?
On the darkest night of His life Jesus prayed that His children might receive His joy. True, there is much sadness and heartbreak in the world. We are all disturbed by what the world has come to. But we must ever cling to what has come into the world through the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have triumph, victory, and joy. God expects every believer to live in joy.
PRAYER: O Lord Savior, keep us in the joy of our completed redemption. Amen.
(Taken from "Words of Promise," copyright 1996 (out of print), Concordia Publish House. For information on other devotional materials, call 1-800-325-3040.)
Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 41-42 Hebrews 11:1-19
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