This morning for our Bible study,
I would encourage you to get your Bible and turn to Philippians
chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4. And let
me read my text at verse 4, 5, and 6. Rejoice in the Lord always,
and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known
unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful
for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving Let your request be made known unto God." Now,
here's our subject this morning, rejoicing in the Lord, rejoicing
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, keep in mind, when Paul
was writing this letter to the believers there at Philippi,
Paul is in a Roman prison. Even though he finds himself
in prison, he always writes back to these believers and encourages
them to rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ. He always finds reason
to give thanks unto the Lord. And throughout this letter to
the believers here at Philippi, he constantly talks of finding
great joy, finding joy and rejoicing in the Lord of his salvation.
At least eight times he talks about rejoicing in the Lord. Let me give these to you. In
Philippians chapter 1, verse 18, he says, Notwithstanding,
in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached,
and I therein do rejoice and will rejoice." In Philippians
2, verse 16, he says, "...holding forth the word of life, that
I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,
neither labored in vain." In Philippians 2, verse 17, he says,
And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your
faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. Philippians 2.18 For
this same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me. Philippians
2.8 Talks about Paul sending a preacher back to these people
and he says when you see him again you may rejoice. In Philippians
3 verse 1 Paul says finally my brethren rejoice in the Lord.
To write the same things to you, to me, indeed, is not a burden,
it's not grievous, but for you it's safe. Rejoice in the Lord. Philippians 3, 3, he says, we
are the true Israel, the true believers, which worship God
in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence
in the flesh. Now, my prayer for you and myself
this morning I pray that God, the God of all grace, would give
unto us this heart of thanksgiving and rejoicing in the Lord Jesus
Christ. As Paul says in another epistle,
Rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks, for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus. Now, we see here in this text
where Paul says in Philippians 4-4, Rejoice in the Lord always,
and again I say rejoice. The command of grace here is
to rejoice, give thanks, be thankful. The object of our rejoicing is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the time we are to rejoice
is always, he says, always. And again, I say, rejoice. Now, I want to remind you of
seven important principles, seven important principles of grace
whereby every believer can find reason and great comfort to joy
in the Lord Jesus Christ." Seven reasons to rejoice in Christ. Now, here's the first one. Now,
you think with me. Now, listen to me carefully.
Now, think with me. Reasons we have to rejoice in
the Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the greatness of
His person. In the same epistle, Philippians
2.5, We read, Let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. We see here we are to rejoice
in His person, God Almighty, yet made in the likeness of sinful
flesh, took upon Him the form of a servant, and made in the
likeness of men, and died for our sin. We rejoice that God
Almighty was pleased to manifest Himself in human flesh as our
high priest, surety, and mediator of the covenant. So we do rejoice
in the greatness of His person. Secondly, we rejoice in the richness,
the fullness of His grace, which alone justifies us before God. Now, Romans 3, 24, we read, were
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer knows and acknowledges
that his salvation from start to finish is all of God's sovereign,
free, eternal grace, not by our works. The Apostle wrote to the
Galatians, knowing that a man is not justified by the works
of the law. but by the faith of Jesus Christ,
that is, by the faithfulness or the grace of Jesus Christ.
Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified
by the faith of Christ, by the obedience of Christ, not by the
works of the law. For by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified in his sight." You see, my friend, we
rejoice in God who saved us and called us with a holy calling
not according to our works, but according to God's own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ before the foundation
of the world. So we rejoice in His person,
the greatness of His person, God incarnate. We rejoice in
the fullness and the richness of His grace, which alone justifies
a guilty before God. Thirdly, we rejoice in His blood
atonement and substitutionary work that makes atonement for
all our sin. Now listen to me carefully. All
our religious efforts cannot put away sin. If righteousness
is by my doing, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2.21
All my religious efforts cannot put away sin. You see, it's not
my faith that puts away sin. It's not my repentance that puts
away sin. It's not even my baptism that
puts away my sin. Well, how is sin put away? Well,
listen to the Scripture. Hebrews 9, 26, But now once in
the end of the age hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. It's the blood of Jesus Christ
that cleanses us from all sin. So how is sin put away? Not by
my doing, rather by His obedience unto death. The blood of Jesus
Christ cleanses from all sin. We're not redeemed with corruptible
things of silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. It's in Christ's redeeming blood
that we have redemption, deliverance from sin, and we rejoice in His
atoning sacrifice, His substitutionary work. Fourthly, we rejoice in
Christ our righteousness. We rejoice in Christ and that
righteousness that is freely and sovereignly imputed to all
who believe. I must have a justifying righteousness
just as I must have an all-sufficient atonement for sin, but I must
also have a justifying righteousness. And this we have fully and freely
imputed to us in Christ Jesus. He is called the Lord our righteousness. Now listen to this scripture
in Romans 4 verses 1 through verse 7. For if Abraham were
justified by works, he hath whereof the glory, but not before God.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted to him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is a
reward not reckoned of grace, but of death. But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. Saving faith looks to Christ
and receives him who is the Lord, our righteousness." Now listen
to this scripture. Even as David also described it, the blessedness
of the man unto whom God would impute righteousness God imputed
righteousness without work, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities
are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to
whom the Lord will not impute sin. This is a righteousness
that alone will justify us before God, who is holy. The Lord Jesus
Christ, as a surety of the covenant of grace, by His obedience to
the law, satisfied all of its precepts and all of its penalty
for His chosen people. He is the Lord, our righteousness. God made Him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. By one man's disobedience, many
were made sinners. So by the obedience of another,
the Lord Jesus, shall many be made righteous. We rejoice in
Christ, our righteousness. Fifthly, we rejoice in God's
sovereign love to His people, which never fails. The love of
Christ never fails, 1 Corinthians 13.8. This love of Christ never fails
to secure our salvation. We read in 1 John 4.10, here
in His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation, the sacrifice, the mercy seat
for our sins. This love never fails to provide
and perform all things necessary to the saving of our soul. And nothing can separate the
believer from this love of God that's manifested in Christ Jesus. Paul writes this in Romans 8, We are counted as sheep for the
slaughter, and they in all things were more than conquerors through
him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, this love
of God in Christ never fails and will never be separated from
this love of God. That is to the believer. And
we rejoice in God's sovereign mercy and sovereign love. Here's
the sixth reason we rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice
in God's sovereign providence that works all things to God's
glory and our eternal good. Now here's the scripture. We
know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified,
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. We rejoice in
God's sovereign providence that works all things for our eternal
good and to God's ultimate glory. Lastly, every believer rejoices
in the everlasting intercession, the eternal interceding work
of Christ. He ever lives to make intercession
for us. We read in Hebrews 7, Wherefore
he is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such
a high priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled,
and separate from sin. John writes, My little children,
these things I write unto you, that you sin not. When you do,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We rejoice in His eternal interceding
intercession for us by His person, by His work, by His substitutionary
death, by His glorious resurrection whereby He was raised for our
justification, delivered for our offenses and raised again
to justify us before God. You see, every believer has great
reason, as Paul says here, rejoice in the Lord always. And again,
I say rejoice. Now, if you would like to listen
to these comments on rejoicing in the Lord again, you can order
a copy of this message. You can call me at 631-9053,
or you can write to me at Zebulon Baptist Church, 6088 Zebulon
Highway, Pikeville, Kentucky.