Conditions for Full Joy

Lesson #245

In the last lesson we were challenged to bear more fruit to bring glory to our Father and thus prove that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We were also instructed to abide in or to remain in that love in which Jesus loves us. In this lesson we will learn how to abide in his love and to experience his joy.

Jesus then said, “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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:10 – 11 ESV). God expects that we, as his people, will serve him with joyfulness and gladness of heart. Consider the following: “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you” (Deuteronomy 28:47 – 48 ESV). Obedience is not something we do out of drudgery, but out of joy and if we don’t then we can expect judgment. This deeply concerns me when I see how much we in the west embrace comfort, safety and security as opposed to serving the Lord with sacrifice, love and joy. As I watch spiritual darkness manifesting itself in unrest and evil, I sense, as a result of our disobedience, I fear God’s judgment is developing against us. Evidence of our abiding in his love is found in our obedience with joy and that seems to be on the decrease today. I can say that I love Jesus, but without joyful obedience, I have no proof that I speak the truth.

Verse 11 is preparing for a transition to a wider deeper development of the union between himself and his disciples. We began this chapter with the metaphor of the vine and its branches, to introduce the concept of abiding in Jesus in order to produce fruit. When we were born again, we became a new creation, through his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Those good works that we should walk in, is this process of bearing fruit. Bearing that fruit is accomplished through prayer (verse 7) and obedience. These things that John has spoken of in verses 1 – 11 and we have studied in the previous nine lessons, clarifies God’s call for our lives and when lived out, fills our lives with his joy.

John speaks to us in this chapter of the importance of bearing fruit, out of obedience, as we abide in him. In 1 John 1:1-4, John talks about this joy being found complete in us as we have fellowship with each other and with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete” (ESV). Having joy fill our lives is clearly related to who we love and have fellowship with and with who we obey

Prayer

Father, thank you for assigning meaningful work for us to do in the form of bearing fruit and thank you for the benefit of joy we experience in so doing. We have also seen how important environment is to the production of fruit; the importance of love and fellowship. These lessons have shown the relationship between abiding, love, obedience and joyfulness. Without obedience the others will be incomplete.