Christian Joy
In the midst of a world filled with unhappiness and calamity, how can one possibly find joy? In this sermon on Acts 2:46–47 titled “Christian Joy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones offers this type of lasting joy that the apostles experienced in the early church and cannot come from entertainment, momentary pleasure, or even the contemporary church, but instead from the truth found in God’s word. How wonderful it is to have the kind of freeing joy that is based not upon efforts, but on what Jesus has done. The type of joy expressed in this message is contingent upon the Christian’s recognition of who they are apart from Christ, an awe for the Lord in His might, and a thankfulness for what the Lord has laid up for all those who believe. This joy brings the believer to praise and glorify the Lord. Happiness is not the goal but a result of those that seek after righteousness. As the disciples seek after righteousness, Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes, they are able to maintain joy in all circumstances because of the freedom they have received from the time they were delivered from sin. It is this kind of authentic joy that distinguishes true Christianity.
