The Joy Of Salvation

Slide: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalms 51:12 NIV)

Folks, you need to understand this – and so do your friends, neighbors, relatives and co-workers, if they are ever to experience true joy in life. You cannot live the life and enjoy the life you were meant to lead until you are at peace with God. And you cannot be at peace with God until you receive the salvation of your soul from sin, which He has won for you in Jesus. David didn’t know as much as we know now, but he knew and believed the promises of God that his Savior was coming. And he wanted to rest in the joy of that salvation. So do we. And we can. David looked forward to His Savior, and we look back, but it’s the same salvation. The apostle Peter put it this way for us who now look back to Jesus:

Slide: “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, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8–9 NIV)

That joy can go with you and fill you every day of your life. It does not matter what’s happening to you when the joy of salvation is happening in you. But even that was not enough for David at that point, and it shouldn’t be enough for us. He went on to ask God: “…grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” God, thank you that I’m forgiven and hell is not my future, but I’m not satisfied with that. I don’t want to go on rebelling and trying to cover up my sin. I want to live a life that is worthy. I want a “willing spirit.” And the good news is that David was not left to himself and we are not left to ourselves and given the hopeless task of self-improvement. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is a benediction from the apostle Paul:

Slide: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope (how?) by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

(Romans 15:13 NIV)

Folks, God doesn’t just answer your prayer by giving you a “willing spirit”. He gives you the Holy Spirit and makes you a new creation in Jesus. The Holy Spirit creates faith in us through the Word of God and He sustains that faith. He sustains our willing spirit and makes it more than just a passing emotion… He gives us a passion for God and for doing His will.

We call this the Sunday of the Passion, because so great was God’s passion to make sure that you could have the joy of salvation, that He gave the world His one and only Son. And so great was the Passion of the Lord Jesus for us that He followed the will of God all the way to the cross. So, the Bible says:

Slide: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV)

He had joy even on the cross. And He scorned the shame of it, the offense of it, the curse of it. None of it fazed Him because of the joy set before Him. You know what that joy was? You. You in eternity with Him, you set free from sin and bondage to Satan and your guilt and shame. You restored, forgiven and charging into life with a willing spirit to live and speak for Him – until that joyous day when we get to be with Him face to face forever.