JOY UNSPEAKABLE
Reading: 1 Peter Chapter 1 (NIV)
Text: v8 (AV) ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Background
The apostle Peter, disciple of Jesus, writes a letter to the Jewish Christians who had been scattered due to persecution around the time of the stoning of Stephen, during the period prior to Saul’s conversion (Acts 8v1-4).
This letter was written while Peter was ministering in Babylon (5v15) around the time that Paul was being transported to Rome (circa AD60). It is a letter of exhortation to Christians going through much trouble and trial. There are general encouragements concerning the anticipated second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; and particular encouragements and exhortations concerning their present sufferings and their future glory.
Our text comes in the latter part of Peter’s introduction and thanksgiving before he launches into the main theme and prepares the hearers by focusing them on spiritual realities of their present position in Christ.
Our own focus today is to answer the questions “What is that Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory?” and “How can this be a real experience in our present Christian lives?”
Introduction
The phrase is written literally in Greek as “you exult with joy unspeakable and glorified” The Amplified Bible puts it thus: “and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.”
The writers who completed Matthew Henry’s commentary after his death say: “Where there are true faith and love to Christ, there is or may be, joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of heaven. There is much of heaven and the future glory in the present joys of improved Christians; their faith removes the causes of sorrow and affords the best reason for joy.”
The whole context of this text (Yes Text AND CONtext!) is: ”Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him...” The wider context is that these Christians were ‘going through the mill’ with various trials and troubles, yet they were standing firm in their faith; They were trusting in their Lord. In that constant faith and trust, they were not overwhelmed in their spirits by their problems but had that special inner joy that only comes from heaven.
They’d been scattered by persecution with all the deprivations and trials that brought to their lives
They were living literally in exile from their homes and families.
They were suffering unnamed problems where they were presently living.
STILL in spite of all this their faith and trust in God was unshakeable.
No wonder they had the joy that comes down from heaven; that glorious joy that’s too great to be expressed in words; a joy that other can know nothing of.
Three points:
1. What is this Heavenly Joy?
2. Why YOU can experience this Special Joy.
3. How you can receive this Unspeakable and Glorious Joy.
These believers were already experiencing this supernatural joy. It was already theirs. Peter here was setting up a spiritual marker post that they could see and understand amidst their earthly problems and trials.
ILLUS: Programme about an explorer (Livingstone?) seeking the source of the River Nile. He found a source, but it turned out to be the Great Congo River. At first it was a small stream, easy to negotiate. Then as other streams fed into it, it became a small gently flowing river. Then wider and greater until it was forced into a deep and narrow valley. It became a raging fast flowing torrent.
Sometimes our lives seem like that; swimming against a fast-flowing torrent, sometimes overwhelming us, sometimes in a calmer flow.
As Christians in this world, we’re swimming against the torrent of falling standards, worldly acceptance of many things that are contrary to the Christian way and the Bible way. It’s hard work just keeping afloat, let alone making progress.
As Christians we’re swimming with strokes of love FOR Christ; propelled by the twin engined power of faith and trust IN Christ; and buoyed up by the Unspeakable Joy OF Christ.
Here Peter sets up a metaphorical marker flag on the river bank, so that these Christians can always see amidst their troubles, the place where they have reached; that place of joy unspeakable.
In effect this marker is saying “Here’s where you are!” That marker flag is for us - when we are being buffeted by troubles and sometimes are slipping back from our spiritual position.
We can look and realise where we are in relation to our former position of joy unspeakable. Often it’s closer than we think; we have only to look up from the difficulties, see the marker and redouble our efforts to get back towards it.
We can renew our love for Christ, hold fast to faith and trust in Christ, and rise over the waves with the sustaining peace and joy of Christ in our hearts.
1. WHAT IS THIS HEAVENLY JOY?
It is firstly a sense of belonging.
R A Torrey once used the illustration of a young woman who wore a locket that she would never allow anyone else to open and look into. Everyone thought it was a romantic thing and her loved one was pictured inside. Sadly, this young woman died. When her locket was opened it contained no picture of a young man, a sweetheart. What it contained was a small slip of paper with these words:- “Though I have not seen Him, I love Him.”
The Lord Jesus Christ was her only object of love and heart’s devotion, She had gone to be with the one she loved most, her unseen but beloved Saviour. Is that our hearts desire today? Having not seen Him we love HIM?
Oh that we can proclaim this fact! “Though I have not seen Him, I love Him.” Can you confidently say that from own experience?
If you belong to Jesus; then you should have a sense of belonging. Not to the church; not to any organisation; not to any creed or profession; but you should have a deep heart experience of belonging to your Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
It’s a belonging that was established by God long before you were born; long before the Patriarchs of Genesis; it is a belonging set in place WHEN? - “BEFORE the foundation of the world!” You can’t have a belonging more certain, secure and eternal than that.
Many Christians limit their experience of belonging - to the Anglican church, to the Methodist church, to the Evangelical church, to the Pentecostal church, to the local church. They’ve missed the point; these are but human establishments; small parts of the Church of Jesus Christ where we can gather together in prayer, praise, worship, teaching and fellowship. But in our hearts we have a deeper belonging – to Christ Himself as Saviour and Lord, to God as our Heavenly Father – a deep spiritual relationship.
The hymn writer Norman Clayton put it like this:-
Jesus my Lord will love me forever, ……Now I belong to Him!
This Joy is supernatural
Human joy is centred on either people or things ormaye even certain experiences and emotions. All can fail and bring disappointment or worse. Human joy lasts but for a moment or a short period.
We read:- All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall.... BUT the Word of the Lord stands forever!
You can seek safety, comfort, prosperity, learning, laughter, escape from reality, excitement; (even get your kicks by being a Bungy jumping grandma!), music - even church music of all kinds, relaxation, exotic holidays in the far flung tropic delights, getting the big job and upmarket car,........... so the list goes on.
But even all of these together cannot bring you that joy unspeakable.
This joy is a heavenly joy; the fruit of a deep heart relationship with the Eternal Lord; the foretaste of the riches of His glorious inheritance; the promise of God to His children - For the Word of the Lord abideth forever!
It is an Inexpressible Joy
What is this word “unspeakable”? Gr: an-e-klal-etos. not able to be spoken out. It’s beyond description; it’s heavenly; how can we describe heavenly things?
John by the Spirit was helped to describe heavenly things in Revelation; but even these Spirit given descriptions are so limited by the total insufficiency of human language that we cannot begin to understand the true reality of heaven.
It can only be felt and experienced in the heart. None of us can describe the joy we experience as a result of belonging to Him and resting in Him. The Greek even finds it difficult; using words translated as ‘exceeding rejoicing with great delight’.
It’s a joy that cannot fail as long as we remain IN Him and we allow Him by His Spirit to remain in our innermost being.
It’s a joy that the world or any person cannot take away from us.
It’s not a joy of the mind but a joy of the heart, our innermost being. The mind can be sad, but the heart can still be joyful.
It is a Glorious Joy
The Greek literally says it is a Glorified Joy. Not glorified of human reason but by God Himself. The joy is ours to experience. but it’s purpose is to glorify the Lord.
His grace pours into our hearts giving us His joy unspeakable.
It’s not through any merit or work we’ve done, it’s not earned or deserved; but it’s given because God is love.
The Grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ is given to us who can never deserve it.
This Joy unspeakable then, is a fruit of His grace. It’s all of Him and nothing of us; it is for our good and for His glory. It’s glorious because He is glorious, it is a glorified joy because He wants His glory to be shown in our hearts.
What a power that is - to have His glory in the form of His joy residing within our innermost being.
In John 7v37 Jesus we read:- ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (innermost being) shall flow rivers of living water.”’
Joy Unspeakable, like a river of living water; flowing in from God watering and nourishing you spiritually, flowing out in character and love to those around you.
This joy unspeakable is not in words but its like a never ending inexhaustible spiritual fountain, Its a healing spring of life. It’s vital; it’s sustaining; it’s eternal and it’s glorious.
2. WHY YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THIS SPECIAL JOY
Simply “Because Jesus died for you!”
Jesus said in John 15v11:- “These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
In John 10v10 He said:- “I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”
What promises! Fullness of joy and life more abundantly!
You can experience joy unspeakable because you are assured that your sins are blotted out.
ILLUS: A little boy came out from Sunday School and said: The teacher said our sins are blotted out. Where are they afterwards? Well said the wise mother; you know those letters you pencilled on that piece of paper yesterday? Yes, I rubbed them out the boy replied. Where are THEY now? the mother asked. He replied: They are nowhere! Well, that’s just the same as our sins when God has blotted them out. They are nowhere, they have ceased to exist.
What joy to know that God has not kept an account of your wrongs; what joy to realise that it is true because God’s word says so; what joy to know it is true because the Holy Spirit in our hearts witnesses this glorious truth to us.
We can have unspeakable joy because we know we will live forever; not here in this poor frail human body, but in eternity in a glorious resurrection body.
We will be with Him; we will appear with Him at His coming; we will sit with Him in heavenly places.
We can have joy because we are sons of the King; Sons of God as the scriptures state.
The story’s told of the young Princess Elizabeth playing in the grounds of Windsor Castle; some people passing the other side of the railings asked “Who are you?” The child answered: “Oh I’m nobody, but my Father’s the King!” You are a son/daughter of The Eternal King. What better reason for Joy unspeakable than that?
We can have total confidence in God. If God has said it in His word, then it IS so! There is joy unspeakable for all those who are His. It is there 24 hours of every day. No hit or miss, no conditions; we don’t have to be in happy circumstances; we do have to realise it is ours by right, by the Word of God.
When the Tempter and Father of Lies comes to us and tries to convince us that Joy is not right or proper then we can stand on the Word and promises of God and quote the Word to him:- “I believe in Him even though I don’t see Him; yet believing I am rejoicing with unspeakable and glorious joy!”
3. HOW YOU CAN RECEIVE THIS UNSPEAKABLE & GLORIOUS JOY
What must we do to get it if we don’t believe we have it already? It’s in our reading and leads up to our text:- Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.
That’s the answer:- you need to love Him and believe in Him without reserve or hesitation. Just as if He was here beside you constantly. Remember by the earnest of His Spirit residing in your hearts He actually IS with you all the time. It’s spiritually discerned so feelings don’t come into it. But the facts of God’s word guarantee it is so.
We can have joy unspeakable the moment we throw our hearts wide open to the Lord.
So many Christians never fully open their hearts. They’re fearful because an open heart is a vulnerable heart. It is open to being hurt or worse. But throwing our hearts totally open to Jesus is the safest thing we can do. God is love; He will never fail or forsake or hurt or disappoint.
We have to put our confidence in Him, not others and certainly not ourselves. Believe without any shadow of doubt that He is exactly and totally all He claims to be, not only in the pages of scripture, but in the reality of your own heart and life.
Jesus raised the dead when He was on earth. All power in heaven and on earth is His; not only in eternity but here and now. Peter and Paul knew what it was to put their total trust and confidence in Him; they went through many situations which anything less would have meant disaster and death. But with their hope and confidence in Him, they were vindicated many times; provided for; rescued; helped and blessed in their loyalty and service for their Master the Lord Jesus Christ.
How do we come to the point of total trust and complete love of Christ when we can’t see Him and never have. How do you love Him and believe in Him when you can’t see Him?
Well we’ve seen Him in the Scriptures and these are true words. Through the foolishness of preaching, millions have seen the real Christ more clearly than those who actually looked upon Him physically. They saw but did not see! They saw the outward but never experienced the reality of Christ as Lord. They saw the physical but never experienced the spiritual.
So it is today. Many see the physical in their minds as related in the bible accounts, but they never grasp the spiritual truth and reality of Christ as Saviour, Lord, and coming King. Its all in the mind but not in the heart.
The word of God is better than actually being there like the Jews of Jesus day. Read all the gospels and you are taken right into the midst of the disciples; you hear the very words of Jesus spoken to this select twelve. You travel with Jesus to Gethsemane, the trial, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension. You hear all His words; parables, instructions, corrections, exhortations; far deeper than any person who actually saw or met Him. You see the whole character of Christ portrayed and His power that no one else could ever see. You see his freedom from worldly cares, worry, stress, even when He had nowhere to lay His head down. You see His courage in the face of fierce opposition, His unfathomable wisdom, His tenderness and compassion; His suffering, His patience with Peter, His tears over Jerusalem, His blessing to those who hated Him. You learn of His heart for the nations, His love for God’s glory, His power to still storms, heal the sick, cast out demons and work all kinds of miracles. You see the complete Jesus in the Gospels.
Though you do not now see Him; yet you see Him through scripture more clearly than the thousands who sat at His feet. You see God’s glory shining in His face and out of every account of His life. Seeing Him with the eyes of your heart; you love Him all the more; you trust Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy.
This is true Christianity.
APPLICATION
Do you know this Jesus who gives joy unspeakable and full of glory? If not give Him your heart today; as you feel His Holy Spirit calling you, just surrender and respond to Him as your Saviour and Lord.
Do you know this joy unspeakable? It’s yours in return for a full surrender, an open heart, and a desire to fully believe.
Coming regularly to church isn't enough; being baptised isn’t enough; doing lots of good deeds isn’t enough; partaking regularly of the Lord’s Supper (communion/eucharist) isn’t enough; reading through the Bible over and over isn’t enough.
But if you are a true believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, if you have put your whole total trust in Him as your Risen Saviour; if you have surrendered all your thoughts and life to Him without reserve as your Lord and Master; if you are confessing Him as such before others outside of church; if you have thrown open the door of your heart wide for Him to enter fully into your innermost being; for Him to live, rule and reign there; then out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water; the waters of inexpressible and glorious joy at all times and under any circumstances.
Without having seen Him you love Him; though you do not even now see Him, you believe in Him, and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy!
To every heart that’s wide open to the Lord Jesus; that joy is yours, and the glory is His!
