2 Corinthians 2:3 — This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all.
We are continuing to look at the gifts we are given by God that are to be enjoyed through fellowship and this week we want to focus on the gift of joy (second after "love" in the fruits of the Spirit that Paul lists in Galatians 5:22).
It is certainly true that a believer can and should know joy in the Lord and that he or she can know this without having to be in the presence of other believers. Simply to meditate on Christ and all His beauty should be a source of joy to the soul.
However, as we look through the pages of the New Testament in particular, we see that believers are intended to be a source of joy to one another. This is what Paul says in our text. The Corinthians ought to make him rejoice, and he should do the same for them.
One way this happens, of course, is that the Holy Spirit forms Christ in each believer and as we see Christ in a brother or sister, our hearts spontaneously rejoice. Christian joy is contagious among believers. When we see someone filled with an abundance of Christian joy, radiating Christ, we rejoice - we cannot help it.
But suppose we rarely met with other believers to experience fellowship with them. While we still could have joy in Christ, who is always with us by His Spirit, we would not know the joy that is derived from the fellowship of believers - the joy that we ought to have in one another - the contagious joy of the children of God who are indwelt by His Spirit. Furthermore, we would effectively rob our brothers and sisters of the joy they ought to have in us. As we have seen before, we are not made to exist in isolation as believers!
So then, while we may know joy as believers without engaging in fellowship, we cannot know the fullness of joy unless we do. This is something we ought to know and to enjoy, so let's give ourselves this week to the practice of that fellowship that will mean fullness of joy both for ourselves and also for our brothers and sisters!
We are continuing to look at the gifts we are given by God that are to be enjoyed through fellowship and this week we want to focus on the gift of joy (second after "love" in the fruits of the Spirit that Paul lists in Galatians 5:22).
It is certainly true that a believer can and should know joy in the Lord and that he or she can know this without having to be in the presence of other believers. Simply to meditate on Christ and all His beauty should be a source of joy to the soul.
However, as we look through the pages of the New Testament in particular, we see that believers are intended to be a source of joy to one another. This is what Paul says in our text. The Corinthians ought to make him rejoice, and he should do the same for them.
One way this happens, of course, is that the Holy Spirit forms Christ in each believer and as we see Christ in a brother or sister, our hearts spontaneously rejoice. Christian joy is contagious among believers. When we see someone filled with an abundance of Christian joy, radiating Christ, we rejoice - we cannot help it.
But suppose we rarely met with other believers to experience fellowship with them. While we still could have joy in Christ, who is always with us by His Spirit, we would not know the joy that is derived from the fellowship of believers - the joy that we ought to have in one another - the contagious joy of the children of God who are indwelt by His Spirit. Furthermore, we would effectively rob our brothers and sisters of the joy they ought to have in us. As we have seen before, we are not made to exist in isolation as believers!
So then, while we may know joy as believers without engaging in fellowship, we cannot know the fullness of joy unless we do. This is something we ought to know and to enjoy, so let's give ourselves this week to the practice of that fellowship that will mean fullness of joy both for ourselves and also for our brothers and sisters!