Obedience and Joy

My dear one,

What comes first—obedience or joy? Have you ever given this question some thought? Obedience can give us joy, and joy can prompt us to obey, but ultimately both obedience and joy are results of something else: thinking on Christ! I was recently reading a tremendous commentary on Romans 8 by Octavius Winslow, entitled No Condemnation in Christ Jesus, and the following excerpt jump-started my recent thinking on this topic:

“I stand in the Divine presence as Joshua stood before the Lord, or as the woman stood before the Saviour, charged, accused, guilty; but I am in the presence of Him who, though now He sits upon the throne as my Judge, once hung upon the cross as my Saviour. And, investing me with His own spotless robe, he proceeds to pronounce the sentence—‘No Condemnation!’ ‘These things write I unto you that your joy may be full.’ While this subject, as we thus see, lays the basis of the deepest joy, it is equally promotive of the highest holiness” (p. 320).

We’ve perhaps been told that we “don’t find happiness looking for it,” that we instead “stumble across it on the path of duty.” And this may be somewhat true—we do indeed find delight in obeying our Heavenly Father. But even in that statement, we must recognize that we cannot usually remain in the path of duty for very long in our own strength! It simply does not work to say to myself: “Look, I’m a Christian. I’d better make sure I’m living like it.” I need something else first! I need the joy that comes from meditating on the gospel!

Once or twice I’ve been asked frankly, “Why are you so interested in theology anyway?” I explain it this way…

In Romans 12:1, Paul commences his argument for holy living only after first presenting many, many truths about the “mercies of God” – the beauty of the gospel of grace, presented in the previous doctrinal material of his epistle. Unless I have a firm grasp on the gospel, it does me little good to attempt a transformation of my conduct, let alone of my heart. Richard Sibbes writes along these same lines: “When we feel ourselves cold in affection and duty, the best way is to warm ourselves at this fire of His love and mercy in giving Himself for us” (The Bruised Reed, p. 81). Studying the doctrines of Scripture is not a dry academic exercise (or at least it shouldn’t be)! The gospel is so much more than something I needed for conversion. Right thinking about the gospel produces right living in the gospel. Delight in the things of God—the wonder of the gospel and the blessings of our union in Christ—is what fuels my obedience to God. It is when I understand more of what Christ has done for me, and all I have in Him, that I grow in love for Him and delight to obey.

Paul encourages believers with these words: “Continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard” (Col. 1:23). The benefits of the gospel are to encourage and strengthen us each day of our lives as the children of God!

I’ll end with these words from Octavius Winslow: “Look not within for sanctification; look for it from Christ. He is as much our ‘sanctification,’ as He is our ‘righteousness.’ Your evidences, your comfort, your hope, do not spring from your fruitfulness, your mortification, or anything within you; but solely and entirely from the Lord Jesus Christ” (No Condemnation, p. 156).

Solus Christus! Christ alone!