Philippians 3:1-3 - Homiletics

Holy joy.

I. THE CHRISTIAN 'S PRIVILEGE .

1 . It is in the Lord. "Rejoice in the Lord," the apostle says. The Lord, who once gave himself for us, gives himself to us now. "Behold," he says, "I stand at the door, and knock." If we listen to his voice, and open the door of our heart, he is ready to enter, to bless us with his sacred presence, to abide with us for ever. In his presence there is fullness of joy. We can know it only by experience.

"The love of Jesus, what it is,

None but his loved ones know."

The unspeakable Gift, the gift of Christ, is a gift of abiding joy.

2 . It is one of the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is the pledged possession of all true Christians; and "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace." "The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." Then holy joy is an evidence of the indwelling of the Spirit; it shows that he is with the saints of God.

3 . It is earnest of our inheritance ; for it springs from the inworking of the Holy Spirit of promise. It is a foretaste of the joy of the Lord, which is reserved for the good and faithful servant. It is of all forms of joy the truest, deepest, most abiding; for it depends on no external cause, it is not much affected by the chances and changes of this mortal life. It supports the true Christian in trouble, in sickness, in the prospect of death. For it is in the Lord, resting on him, depending on his presence, flowing from communion with him.

II. THE CHRISTIAN 'S DUTY .

1 . Because it is commanded. "Rejoice evermore," is equally binding with the parallel commandment, "Pray without ceasing." In this Epistle especially the apostle reiterates again and again with ever-increasing earnestness the exhortation to rejoice. "Rejoice in the Lord alway; again I will say, Rejoice."

2 . Because it is enforced by the example of the saints. "Sorrowing, yet always rejoicing," is the motto of the Christian life. St. Paul with Silas in the dungeon at Philippi sang praises unto God. Now a prisoner at Rome, he could say, "I joy, and rejoice with you all." He was in bonds, encompassed with many hardships and afflictions, in daily danger of a violent death. But his soul was raised above his outward troubles by the blessed presence of the Lord within him. His heart was glad; the crown of righteousness laid up in heaven for all who love the appearing of the Lord was ever before his thoughts; he could rejoice himself; he could bid others rejoice with him. It is indeed a great example of the power of faith, an illustration of the Savior's words, "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, and believe in me."

3 . Because to be gloomy and melancholy implies a want of gratitude. The Christian who knows that his Redeemer liveth, that Christ the Son of God died for his sins and rose again for his justification, that he is even now interceding for him in heaven, ought to be bright and cheerful. He has no right to give way to despondent thoughts. The temptation will come sometimes; but it is a matter of duty to struggle against it; for to yield is to dishonor the Lord. "Count it all joy," says St. James, "when ye fall into divers temptations."

III. To BE ENFORCED BY CONSTANT EXHORTATION .

1 . The gospel is ever fresh , ever new. "It is not irksome to write the same things, says St. Paul." The Christian is never tired of repeating, never tired of hearing, the blessed story of the love of Jesus. The Athenians "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing." The Christian is content with the old, old story—the holy life, the blessed death, of Jesus Christ our Lord. It is sometimes the preacher's temptation to strain after novelty; he should seek simply to save souls.

2 . It is hard to rejoice evermore ; it is a duty to be frequently pressed. To rejoice in sickness, in distress, in times of anxiety, is very hard; but it is our duty; we must enforce it constantly upon ourselves, upon others. And it is a source of safety; the soul that is learning to rejoice in the Lord, to take delight in communion with him in prayer and praise and holy sacrament, is not easily separated from the love of Christ.

IV. CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE TRUE CHRISTIANS AND THE JUDAIZERS .

1 . T h ese last rejoice , not in the Lord , but in outward distinctions. They pride themselves on their circumcision, but it is merely outward, in the flesh. They may be clean ceremonially, but they are unclean in heart; for they are workers of evil.

2 . The Christian has the true circumcision and the true worship. The true circumcision is "that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter." The true worship, too, is in the highest sense not that of form and ceremony, but inward and spiritual. The Christian worships by the Spirit of God, by his help, by his teaching, by his inspiration; all true prayer is prayer in the Holy Ghost.

3 . The Christian glories only in Christ. "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." The Christian glories in the Savior's love, in the atonement wrought by his most precious blood, in his prevailing intercession, in the hope of seeing him face to face in his kingdom. In him is his confidence, not in any outward rite.

Lessons.

1 . Pray for the great gift of holy joy: "Ask, and ye shall have."

2 . To win that joy we must renounce confidence in the flesh.

3 . We must worship by the Spirit of God, with real heart-worship, and that by the help of God the Holy Ghost.