Joy is completed when we share it with others in a reciprocal way (Phil. 2:1-3). An increase of the joy of God’s people proclaims the gospel and unites our hearts in our delight in Him (1 Thess. 2:19-20). This unifying joy is only a picture of what will be revealed on the last day when Christ returns. On that day, the very presence of sin will be removed, and our joy will be fulfilled as we will be united with Christ for all eternity. 

As believers, we have directly experienced the joy that comes through faith in Christ and the gospel’s transforming work. There is also an accompanying indescribable sense of joy that undergirds every area of life. Even amid suffering, we have hope that transcends this temporal world and elevates our desires to that which is eternal and spiritual. In trying to find language to capture this experience, I would describe joy as the state of delight in God. The pursuit of joy is the pursuit of God. Let’s explore this further together.

Our Joy in the Lord

The object of our joy is the Lord Himself. Our state of delight is found in the character and work of God (Phil. 4:4). This is the foundational understanding and experience of joy. Joy is not found in something, but in someone, and that someone is God Himself (1 Pet.1:8). There are many things that promise delight and pleasure in this world, but none of them can fully satisfy (Eccles. 2:1-11). Only the beauty of the gospel brings true hope and transforming joy. This joy is not connected to any particular experience or emotion, as not to give credit to some secondary cause. God is the object of our joy (Ps. 34:8). The joy in union with Christ has been given not by anything we have done but only through His grace alone. Our faith is not in things or circumstances but in God alone (Rom. 14:17). Think back to when the grace of faith in the gospel changed your life. Do you remember that sense of joy? That joy in the Lord transcends circumstances and can be applied in every area of life. This is why joy is evidence or fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is not discovered through secondary causes, only the spiritual (Ps. 4:7). Joy is the gift that God has given us to be found in Him alone, for His glory alone.

The Joy Stealer

Although it might not seem like it in the moment, sin is a powerful stealer of our joy (Ps. 32:1-3). The deceitfulness of sin is not in its promises of pleasure but in its promise to satisfy. Sin, at its core, is finding pleasure and purpose outside of God and His commands. This is the direct opposite of the joy that comes through believing God and His promises.

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