Great Themes of the Bible
fountains of joy broken up. Where there is the vision and fruition of God, a perfection of holiness, and the society of the blessed, there cannot but be a fullness of joy. This joy is the joy of our
Lord (Matt. xxv. 21, 23)—the joy which He Himself has purchased and provided for them. The joy of the redeemed was bought with the sorrow of the Redeemer. It is the joy which He Himself is in the possession of, and which He had His eye upon when He endured the cross and despised the shame (Heb. xii. 2). It is the joy which He Himself is the fountain and centre of. It is the joy of the Lord, for it is joy in the Lord, who is our exceeding joy. Abraham was not willing that the steward of his house, though faithful, should be his heir (Gen. xv. 2, 3); but Christ admits His faithful stewards into His own joy, to be joint heirs with Him.
It is glorified saints who shall enter into this joy. That is to say they, and they alone, shall have a full and complete possession of it, as the heir, when he comes of age, enters upon his estate, or as they that were ready went in to the marriage feast. Here the joy of the Lord enters into the saints, in earnest of the
Spirit. Shortly they shall enter into it, shall be in it to eternity, as in their element.
5. Curist's Love Is THE CHRISTIAN'S JOY
So the saints are invoked to continue in His love, that His joy might remain in them (Fohn xv. 10, 11). If they bring forth much fruit, and continue in His love, He will rejoice in them, as He had done. Fruitful and faithful disciples are the joy of the Lord Jesus. As there is a transport of joy in heaven in the conversion of sinners, so there is a remaining joy in the perseverance of saints. Alternatively, Christ's words in the passage quoted above may mean "your joy in me may remain'"'. It is the will of Christ that His disciples should constantly and continually rejoice in Him (Phil. iv. 4). The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. The Word of the Lord enduring for ever, the joys that flow from it, and are founded on it, do so too.
The words "that your joy might be full" surely mean not only that you might be full of joy but that your joy in me and in my love may rise higher and higher, till it comes to perfection, when you "enter into the joy of your Lord". They,