Rejoice evermore. This two-word sentence is included within a series of short commands to the congregation in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22). These are corporate commands, intended for the entire church at Thessalonica. However, these commands hold true for individual Christians, as well.
Rejoice evermore. This is a command. It is not optional. However, it also is important to note what this verse does not mean. It does not mean Paul commanded us to be, pardon the phrase, “happy, happy, happy” all the time, in a way that ignores or downplays the hard realities of life. Just two issues ago, while examining 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, we found a valid place for grief in the Christian life, ultimately because we are human and living in a sin-cursed world.
A quick way to get booted from a funeral home, either by the owners or the family, would be to suggest a party atmosphere, because, after all, “We are commanded to rejoice.” How silly! Ecclesiastes makes it clear human existence includes a season for everything, including a time to mourn.
Still, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. It comes from Him, yet this passage and others emphasize we, too, have a responsibility in rejoicing. This command is stated in imperative form and present tense. In other words, both as individuals and as a congregation we are to keep on rejoicing.
You may respond, “Well, some people are happy; others are grumpy, and I fall into the latter category.” No! We are all called to be joyful. This command is for all of us. This was illustrated vividly by Paul and his traveling companion Silas in the Philippian jail. The pair had every reason to complain, to focus on their mistreatment and pain.
Instead, we read about them rejoicing in chains and singing praises at midnight. I can’t imagine they were muttering the words at half-volume like we sometimes do after a hectic Sunday morning. Instead, the account seems filled with “joy unspeakable and full of glory,” in the words of hymn writer Barney E. Warren.
How do we practice joy evermore? In another passage, Paul suggested we can be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Corinthians 6:10). You cannot deny the tension, the two extremes possible at the same time: we experience sorrow—over the passing of a loved one, over a friend abandoning the faith, over the loss of a job—yet, at the same time, we rejoice in faith. Our rejoicing doesn’t stem from the pain and grief but supernaturally from the Holy Spirit, who works within us to help us understand what we have in Christ. While we suffer loss and disappointment in our humanity, through our suffering, we still hold everything we need in Jesus. He is the ultimate reason for joy.
The greatest example of joy in suffering is provided by Jesus as recorded by Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross...” Jesus is the “pioneer” of our faith. He blazed this difficult trail for us, walking in perfect faith and obedience before us, showing us how to live with joy by faith in Him.
How did Jesus reach the point where He could cry out from the cross in victory: “It is finished”? The author of Hebrews says Jesus endured “for the joy that was set before him.” Of course, this joy didn’t stem from the pain of the cross or being rejected and scorned. It did not come from taking upon Himself the sin of the world. The joy set before Jesus was knowing what His death would accomplish, knowing He would soon be seated once again at His Father’s right hand. Joy through suffering. Victory through suffering.
Paul returned to this imperative to rejoice time and again:
“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 3:1a).
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
“We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience” (Romans 5:3).
We humans are prone to seek joy and happiness in the wrong places. Inevitably, seeking joy in this world only leads to disappointment and frustration. Instead, we must choose to rejoice in the Lord; that is, we choose to focus on who we are in Christ and all that is given to us in Him. The phrase in Him or similar phrases like in Christ Jesus are used more than a hundred times in the New Testament to describe the Christian.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin. In Him we are no longer under condemnation. In Him we stand justified by faith. In Him we have access to God. In Him we have an inheritance that never fades. In Him we have been brought into a spiritual family. In Him we have reason to rejoice on the worst of days!
How do we practice this awareness that leads to joy in our lives? Consider two simple suggestions:
Make the choice to rejoice. Don’t leave your joy at the whims of circumstances or feelings. Both are subject to change and wholly unreliable. Instead, remember joy is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. As such, joy can be cultivated, grown, and developed by our attitudes and choices.
Find the right focus: the lens of faith. As Jesus demonstrated, we must keep joy before us, especially when times are hard. Faith enables us to see what the world cannot, to grasp the invisible yet very real. If we cannot learn to see beyond the trouble, trials, and blessings of this life, our rejoicing will be weak, inconsistent, and minimal.
Scientists have produced eyeglasses that enable color-blind people to see shades and colors they previously could not see. Satisfied customers say things like: “These glasses gave me a new view of the world,” or “I now see colors that were always there, but I didn’t know it.”
This second testimonial captures what I mean about faith. Of course, the colors existed! They were real and vibrant, but without the glasses, these individuals could not see them. The same is true with faith. Looking through the lens of faith enables us to see what we already have in Christ, and when we truly grasp what we have in Christ, we will find the ability to rejoice…no matter what life throws our way.
About the Columnist: Dr. Barry Raper pastors Bethel FWB Church near Ashland City, Tennessee. He also serves as program coordinator for ministry studies at Welch College. Barry and his wife Amanda have five children.
