FULNESS OF JOY
‘These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.’
St. John gives in our text his reason for writing the Epistle. The Apostle, who lay on the breast of the Master at supper, and who describes himself as he ‘whom Jesus loved,’ carried ever after with him the atmosphere of sweet and holy rest. It breathes in all his writings; the spirit of one who knows his God, who has felt the Divine love, and can with confidence look forward to the future. He speaks with simple directness of the fellowship that the believer should have in Christ. He shows, as he has proved in his own life, the connection between sound doctrine and holy living, between faith and practice. The love of Jesus Christ is his greatest experience, and this love has kindled a corresponding flame in his own heart which is as the mainspring of all his actions. He would have all believers know this love, and experience a like peace and rest. He writes these things ‘that their joy may be full.’
I. Joy in God.—As we have seen, St. John saw an intimate connection between right believing and right living, and his right faith and right conduct brought him that peace of mind and gladness which should ever be a heritage of the Christian. A special note of his message is its calm assurance and confidence in the Divine love, and this confidence he feels should also be the portion of every believer in Jesus Christ. In emphasis of his message, twenty-seven times, in this short Epistle, the word ‘know’ occurs. As Church people, our Litany and confessions of sin, prayed Sunday by Sunday, should guard us against any spirit of presumption before God, any vain, overweening confidence, or Pharisaic self-sufficiency. There we are reminded of our ill-desert, and that all our righteousness is of Jesus Christ. We have, too, the words of the Lord, warning us to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation; the warning to the Corinthians, ‘Let him who thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall’; and the dreadful condemnation of apostasy in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Now St. John’s message shows us another aspect of spiritual truth. He gives us, as it were, a further revelation. His desire is that we should have the joy and gladness, the great benefit to our souls, of knowing that as God’s children we are in His keeping; that our spiritual progress is carefully guarded and fostered by Him; that He concerns Himself to sustain and protect His people. And from this knowledge of the goodness of God and His unremitting love will spring joy and confidence. Was it not part of the very purpose of the Son of God in coming to this earth to change sin and sorrow into gladness and joy? His life and death of sorrow were that we might have happiness. He rose with healing in His wings that pain and suffering might be relieved. His will is that His children may know by faith the very real joy of His presence in their hearts, and look forward to that greater joy and gladness when they shall see Him face to face, and shall dwell in His presence for ever.
II. Joy in a wholehearted service of love.—This was doubtless the Apostle’s own experience. In the midst of a long and arduous life of toil for the Master, during periods of bitter and cruel persecution of the Church, he still maintains this note of full confidence—of the glory of perseverance for a cause bound to be ultimately victorious. And love was the motive power; the sense and knowledge of the individual care and love of the Son of God for him, and a deep concern for the souls for whom Jesus came to die. And what a transforming power such love for and personal knowledge of God brings! How it changes and alters the character, bringing in the joy of conscious strength! The weak man is made strong; the nervous man confident; the vacillating is given decision of character. Moses, shy and apprehensive, fleeing from vengeance, is changed into the bold and purposeful leader. Now rebuking Pharaoh upon His throne, again withstanding the people and pronouncing judgment upon their unfaithfulness. Jeremiah, bewailing his youth and inexperience, is changed into the prophet conscious that he is God’s mouthpiece, condemning sin and foretelling further punishment. Zacchæus, the tax-gatherer, is changed from the oppressor of the poor to the conscientious follower of Christ, righting past wrongs and giving liberally of his means. Saul of Tarsus, the bigoted oppressor of the brethren, proud of his position and intellectual attainments, is changed into St. Paul, the earnest missionary and humble-minded follower of Christ. ‘The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.’ A life of strong, purposeful service for Christ is a life of true joy, such as the idler in the vineyard can never know. It matters not where our field of service lie: whether in the home circle, the place of business, the workshop, or in more directly spiritual work among the young, teaching them their inheritance in the kingdom, or in service in the house of God; whenever we do it from motives of love, anxious for Divine commission and enabling power, it becomes to us a service of truest heart-satisfaction and joy.
III. Have we this joy?—Do we know anything of this joy in God, this joy in service? We can only know it as we dwell in love as St. John did. The love of the Saviour may be to us, as to him, a deep personal possession. How great is the treasure within our reach, and how cold and unresponsive we are! How little we value it, or seek to make it our own! Speaking of the longing of the Old Testament saints to so know the Messiah, St. Bernard wrote: ‘When I think of the longing, of the desire of the Fathers’ yearning to see Jesus Christ in the flesh, I am confounded and wounded, and I can scarce restrain my tears. So much does the cold and torpor of the present time shame me.’ And might not these words with truth be written of many of us, ‘so much does the cold and torpor’ of our affection bring shame to us? And our joy will never be full while we are content to so know God. We shall never enjoy service for His Church or the gladness of His presence until our hearts are kindled into more ardent love. And how paltry are the things that draw us away, that do absorb our thoughts and efforts! Like Esau, for what miserable messes of pottage do we sell our birthright—the gratification of the flesh, our present advantage, the transitory honour of the world!
—Rev. H. G. Wheeler.