A Joy-filled Salvation
This week, Senior Pastor John Hovan taught on the beatitude of Luke 6:21, “... Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh”, in correspondence with Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”. He shared that when placed together Jesus is saying that weeping and mourning will lead us to laughter and comfort. I want to take time to hone in on something important relating to what John Hovan shared this week.
Before I get into this, I need to first mention that there is absolutely a place for weeping and mourning in our lives. God created us with a capacity for emotional health and there is never a time that we should suppress our true feelings. He loves us to bring our wounds and our sadness before Him and to be honest with Him about how we are feeling. He promises in these passages that as we do so, He will not only meet us there but will also lavish us with His loving and comforting embrace and that we will be restored to laughter and joy! This is not something we must wait on to experience one day, but rather is available to us now.
Weeping and mourning do not have the final say in our lives! God promised to restore us from that as our portion to that of comfort and laughter. The truth is that joy (a fruit of the Spirit) is actually our true new identity restored in Christ. Remember how Abraham (our father of the faith) was promised a son as a prophetic sign of what was to come to all who believe in Jesus Christ. In Galatians 4: 21-31, Paul contrasts the difference between those of the Spirit and faith (Isaac) versus those of the flesh and unbelief (Ishmael) to show believers what is already theirs in Christ (freedom in the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus). The first son Ishmael was born of the slave woman and represents a life of toil in the flesh under the bondage of legalism. The second son Isaac was born of the free woman and is a prophetic promise that represents us who are in Christ living by the Spirit under the joy of a new covenant of Grace. The Hebrew name for Isaac literally means “He laughs/will laugh”. That was always the prophetic promise to us who believe! We will be filled with His joy, and that is ours to be enjoyed now (Heb. 12:2)! Those of us who believe in Jesus have been saved as a gift of His grace by which He has set free from sin and religious performance, therefore, joy and laughter is our natural outflow and response to such good news!
See, Jesus was showing us the importance of honest relationship between He and His people and promise of joy and comfort, but He was also pointing us to the fulfillment of this ancient prophetic promise to Abraham and to us, that all who believe in Him will be restored to the joy of salvation free from sin and the bondage of legalistic performance. We who are in Christ are living in that promise right now. Our joy is His joy within us from Christ in us our hope of glory! Our joy has a foundation in the good news of Jesus and His finished work! So, I want to encourage you that His joy is your strength and portion, laughter is your response of praise, and comfort is yours in abundance. You are forgiven and free church! Be blessed and at peace in freedom, grace, and and the love of Jesus Christ who has already saved you and set you free.