Tag Archives: Spiritual Joy

The religion of JOY

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The religion of JOYย 
(Octavius Winslow, “The Sympathy of Christ”)ย 
The religion of Christ is the religion of JOY. Christ came to take away our sins, to roll off our curse, to unbind our chains, to open our prison house, to cancel our debt; in a word, to give us the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Isย  not this joy? Where can we find a joy so real, so deep, so pure, so lasting? There is every element of joy; deep, ecstatic, satisfying, sanctifying joy in the gospel of Christ. The believer in Jesus is essentially a happy man. The child of God is, from necessity, a joyful man. His sins are forgiven, his soul is justified, his person is adopted, his trials are blessings, his conflicts are victories, his death is immortality, his future is a heaven of inconceivable, unthought of, untold, and endless blessedness. With such a God, such a Savior, and such a hope, is he not, ought he not, to be a joyful man?ย 
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Spiritual Joy!

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Spiritualย  Joy!ย 
ย (by Octavius Winslow)ย 

Spiritual joy is a holy, sensitive plant.ย 
It shrinks from the rude, ungentle touch;ย 
from every influence uncongenial with itsย 
heaven born nature. Watch it with sleeplessย 
vigilance; shield it with every hallowed defense.ย 

There are many hostile influences to whichย 
it is exposed, any one of which will seriouslyย 
injure it. Temptation courted, sin tamperedย 
with, worldliness indulged, the creatureย 
idolized, means of grace slighted, Christย 
undervalued.ย 

Any one of these things will dampen your joy,ย 
and cause it to shrink, and compel it to retire.ย 

But nothing will sooner or more effectuallyย 
do this than looking away from the Objectย 
and Source of joy, the Lord Jesus Christ.ย 

There is everything in Christ to make you aย 
joyful Christian. There is all redundance ofย 
grace to subdue your corruptions, anย 
overflowing sympathy to soothe your sorrows,ย 
a sovereign efficacy in His blood to cleanseย 
your guilt, infinite resources to meet all yourย 
needs, His ever encircling presence aroundย 
your path, His ceaseless intercession on yourย 
behalf in heaven. His loving attention of allย 
you feel, and fear, and need.ย 

ย  Oh, is this not enough to make your heart aย 
constant sunshine, and your life a pleasant psalm?ย