The Joy Of Salvation

The joy of salvation abides within the believer like an inexhaustible and refreshing underground stream. Because he knows it is always there, he can go to it often, drink from it deeply, and find his life renewed. When the way becomes difficult, and the nights grow long, the thought of his salvation and all that Christ has procured for him can revive his spirit. Knowing he is secure in Him quiets his fears, and gives him the strength to go on.

In an interview for Discipleship Journal, J. I. Packer, the eminent British theologian who wrote Knowing God, was asked what gives him joy. "The first and basic thing," he responded, "[is] knowing that lam a child of God—knowing that I am secure in His hands, that He is my Heavenly Father, that this is His world and everything that happens to me is programmed by Him for my good, so that in the deepest sense I have nothing to worry about.... I would testify in any company," Packer went on, "to the fact that this is the complete opposite of where I was and what I was before I became a Christian.. . . Because then I was running, if not scared, at least nervous. I was insecure. I didn't know where I was. I was frightened of many things. And God has changed all that. There is joy in the knowledge of that relationship."

The person who is saved has a deep, abiding joy that's always there, whether or not things are going well. And, my friend, it can be yours. Come to the wells of salvation and drink deeply, as suggested in Isaiah. You will find a joy that never ends.