Jesus in this reference scripture explains that no matter how rich a man is, when he losts part of his inheritance, he goes ahead in search of it. When he finds it, his joy will be unstoppable. The story of the prodigal son is proof of this.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.- Luke 15:20
A sinner or an unbeliever in Christ is seen as lost. When such surrenders his life to Christ, he is found. At this point, there is so much joy in heaven, according to the Bible. The joy of salvation is in three folds.
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Streams of joy well up in the heart of the new believer. There is a kind of peace, joy and love that accompanies salvation. A joy that stems from the assurance that you're in good hands, that your prayers and heart desires will be granted, the joy that you have a family of believers who will always look out for you. The joy that there is no more condemnation for you.
There is joy in heaven, and among the angels. This is the joy of a lost son who has been found again. The step of salvation underscores the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross of Calvary. It shows that His death and resurrection is not in vain. It is also the joy of victory over the kingdom of darkness.
There is also joy among the saints. The new birth is an indication that the gospel is being preached abroad and the efforts are yielding good fruits. It is also a proof that the Holy Spirit does the work of conviction.
This is the kind of joy that filled the atmostpere in my church last Sunday, when an old woman who has been a long time member stepped out to share her testimony. According to her, she has made it a duty to talk about Jesus to everyone that works with her. She owns a primary and secondary school, and there, talks about the gospel of Christ to both students and teachers.
At a time, there was a youth corper (under the National Youth Service Corps) who came from the part of the country where Christianity is largely less popular. The seeds of the words spoken into the heart of this gentleman began to grow more and more, even after he left the woman's school and went back to his place of abode.
Nine years down the line, he returns to share the testimony of his new birth with the woman, who in turn decided to share it with the church. There was so much joy in the sanctuary, it felt like the highest point of the service. The church welcomed him and prayed with him, especially as we know that he will face persecutions as a result of this wise decision that he has made.
This is a call once again to believers not to relent in preaching the gospel. Let us all with this message, cause an explosion of joy in heaven everyday.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.- Romans 1:16
