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
ย ย
The religion of JOY
Spiritual Joy!
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

June 7, 2018 





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