“Rejoice in the Lord”
“Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” (Philippians 3:1, ESV)
“That’s about it, friends. Be glad in God! I don’t mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don’t mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry—so here goes.” (The Message)
Today's passage begins with the word “finally” (???p??), but this does not mean Paul is concluding the letter. Rather, it signals a change in topic—from talking about his plans to send Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church, to addressing a new subject.
Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord! To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” The exhortation to “rejoice in the Lord” is something Paul has said before and will say again. He emphasizes that repeating this message is not burdensome for him and is, in fact, for their safety. Because rejoicing in the Lord is so important, he commands it repeatedly and insists that it is for their protection.
(This is similar to a parent telling their child to drive carefully every day—it may be repetitive, but it is essential.)
What we need to pay attention to here is not just the call to rejoice, but the command to rejoice in the Lord. Human beings naturally seek joy through satisfaction, but Paul urges us to find that joy and satisfaction in the Lord. If we don’t find joy in the Lord, we will inevitably seek it in something or someone else. So why is rejoicing in the Lord so important?
1. We are to rejoice in the Lord because we are worshipers.
In reality, what we most delight in and enjoy reveals what we truly worship.
If someone finds the greatest joy in accumulating wealth, then wealth is their idol. The idol might also be health, beauty, pleasure, hobbies, entertainment, self-righteousness, or even other people. In this sense, all addicts—whether addicted to alcohol, gambling, soap operas, sports, or the internet—are idol worshipers.
However, if we are truly worshiping God, then we are confessing that we delight in Him more than anything or anyone else. Therefore, to offer worship that pleases God, we must confess the sin of not delighting in Him and resolve to find our greatest joy and pleasure in Him. (We should pray for this.) A true worshiper is someone who delights most deeply in God.
As worshipers, we know that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” If a husband says he loves his wife but doesn’t want to spend time with her and instead seeks joy and satisfaction in another woman, then his claim of love is false. Likewise, if we truly love God with all our being, we will enjoy being with Him (through worship and prayer), listening to His voice (the Word of God), and speaking to Him (in prayer).
We cannot say we love God wholeheartedly if we are constantly finding satisfaction and joy in things other than Him.
The Apostle Paul says that although it would be far better for him to depart and be with Christ, he desires to remain in the world for two reasons: for the progress of the Philippians’ faith and the joy of their faith (Phil. 1:25). We understand the importance of growing in faith—but why is the joy of faith so important? Because when believers cease to rejoice in the Lord, they cease to live a life of love for God and begin to live a life of idolatry.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism used in the Presbyterian tradition says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” To enjoy God forever is to love Him; when we fully enjoy God, we glorify Him and worship Him. What we most enjoy reveals what we truly love and worship. If we delight in something more than we do in God, that is idolatry. A true worshiper is someone who finds their greatest joy in God.
2. Rejoicing in the Lord is a defining characteristic of citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
This joy is how we, as people who possess the kingdom of heaven even now, bear witness to Christ. As saved believers, we must echo the confession of the prophet Habakkuk: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines... though the flock be cut off from the fold... yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18)
Our joy is not determined by whether the fig tree is fruitful, the vines are full, or the barns are stocked. Our joy is determined by the God of our salvation.
Peter also praised the believers to whom he wrote: “Though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, you rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:6–9, abbreviated)
These believers rejoiced with a glorious and inexpressible joy even in the midst of many trials. Why? Because they had received the salvation of their souls.
George Müller, known as the “father of orphans,” raised over 2,000 orphans in England in the 1800s, relying entirely on prayer. He once said: “I have seen more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to have my soul happy in the Lord... The first thing to be concerned about is not how I might serve the Lord, but how I might get my soul into a happy state and how my inner being might be nourished.”
Nehemiah declared to the people of Israel: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
When we have the joy the Lord gives us, we are empowered to carry out His work. Paul wrote that the Philippians, though experiencing extreme affliction and poverty, overflowed with abundant joy and generosity. Those who know the joy of Christ can serve beyond their circumstances. If I, as a pastor, failed in my ministry, it was not primarily due to a lack of zeal—but because I failed to live in the true joy of the Lord. If we, as believers, live without power or influence, it is because we have abandoned our joy in Christ and sought it elsewhere. But we are called—we must never give up the fight to rejoice in the Lord.
3. Why is it so necessary to emphasize joy in the Lord rather than joy in other things?
Paul repeats the command to rejoice in the Lord and explains why: it is for your safety. When we lose our joy in the Lord, we are in danger.
When the Israelites left Egypt, they were full of joy, but they soon lost it, began complaining, and eventually rebelled against God. That rebellion led to idolatry. The history of Israel is one of failing to find joy in God, turning to idols, and ultimately falling into destruction.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God rebuked Israel: “They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)
They abandoned the true, eternal fountain of joy and turned to leaky cisterns—false sources of happiness.
If we do not find true joy in the Lord, we will seek temporary satisfaction elsewhere. Because this joy is so crucial, Satan constantly tempts us to find joy in other things—through the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. We are under constant spiritual attack.
To rejoice in the Lord is to live the life of a worshiper, the life of a servant of God, and the life of one who is safe from the danger of idolatry. If we lose the battle for joy, we will not live as true worshipers or faithful servants—we may even live as idolaters.
So let us pursue joy in the Lord and overcome the devil’s temptations. I bless you in the name of Jesus that you may live such a victorious life.
Then how can we live a life filled with joy in the Lord—a life of spiritual victory?
First, we must remember that this joy is joy in the Lord. It is a joy that we experience through our relationship with Him. It is joy that comes from the Lord, and it is His joy that we are invited to share. In John 15, we find Jesus explaining how we can experience this joy—on the very night before He went to the cross. Let us first read responsively from John 15:1–10. Now, let us look at verse 11: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11, ESV)
“These things” that Jesus spoke of refer to the teachings in John 15:1–10. In summary, Jesus says that He is the true vine, and we are the branches. He teaches us that as branches, we must remain in Him.
In verse 5, Jesus says: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)
He also teaches that if a branch does not remain in the vine, it can do nothing, it bears no fruit, and it withers and is thrown away into the fire.
Then, what does it mean to remain in Jesus?
In verse 7, He says: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7, ESV)
So, remaining in Jesus includes letting His words remain in us.
In verses 9–10, Jesus continues: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” (John 15:9–10, ESV)
To remain in Jesus is also to remain in His love.
For a branch to remain in the vine means it is continually nourished. Likewise, we must remain in the Lord’s word and love to receive constant spiritual nourishment. Then Jesus says: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11, ESV)
So, the key to a life of joy is to abide in the Lord’s word and love—to continue being filled and sustained by His presence. Through His word, we come to know Him, and through His love, we are refreshed.
To rejoice in the Lord is to delight in the Lord Himself. It is the joy that comes from spending time with Him and receiving His word and love. Of course, even if we spend time with the Lord, we may not always feel joyful. The Apostle Paul confessed that he had learned the secret of being content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:11). Just like we must learn the rules, skills, and techniques to enjoy a sport, we also need to learn and practice how to experience satisfaction and joy in Christ.
So I encourage you to intentionally spend time with the Lord—through prayer, quiet time, and studying His word—so that you may grow in living a life of joy in Him. May you and I live as true worshippers and faithful servants of Christ. In Jesus’ name, I bless you.
* Some of the concepts and ideas in this writing were influenced by John Piper, and I should have properly quoted them. However, I no longer remember exactly which ones came from him, so I’m leaving them without specific references.
