Latest / Reformed Thinking / Joy, Joy for Ever (Psalm 5:11) | Charles Spurgeon

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Joy, Joy for Ever (Psalm 5:11) | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reform thinking. Today we're doing a deep dive
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into quite a sermon from Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
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It's called Joy, Joy Forever from way back on May 25, 1890.
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He's unpacking Psalm 5.11. And it's really about much more
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than just, you know, feeling happy for a moment.
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Our aim today is really to get into the rich understanding of
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Christian joy that Spurgeon lays out, helping you see how this
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kind of joy is, well, different and really essential for every
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believer. We'll look at where it comes
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from in Scripture, what it actually is, its source, and
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why, Spurgeon argues, every single Christian should.
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Well have it indeed. And we got a good amount of
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material here, excerpts right from Spurgeon's Metropolitan
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Tabernacle Pulpit. That's volume 36, plus briefing
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docs, study guides, things that help distill what he's saying.
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What's really interesting, I think, is how clearly Spurgeon
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separates the believers joy from, well, anything the world
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offers. It's not just a feeling.
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He frames it as logical, actually, the state of the heart
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that comes from God. Logical jewelry, OK.
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Yeah, and it should mark out every single person who trusts
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in God. So it's not just pleasant, it's
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like a vital sign of being a believer, foundational.
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OK, let's unpack that core idea then.
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This distinction Spurgeon starts off talking about a a
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fundamental difference God makes between the Egyptians and
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Israel. What's he getting out with that
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imagery and how does Joy fit in? Right, he's pulling from the Old
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Testament, specifically Exodus. Think about Israel living safely
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in Goshen while all those plagues in that thick darkness
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hit Egypt. The separation.
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Exactly, he says. The physical separation points
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to something deeper, something eternal in God's purpose, which
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you see woven through the covenant of grace.
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Right. God's plan to save his people
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through faith. Precisely so.
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Being of the House of Israel here means being set apart from
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the workers of iniquity, from the world's ways.
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And for Spurgeon, this difference should show up in 2
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main ways in your life. OK, what are?
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They holiness in your life and joyfulness in your spirit.
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Holiness and joy, Interesting pairing.
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Does he give us like a a picture of how they work together?
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He does, and it's quite memorable.
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He calls them the royal livery of God's servants.
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Livery like a uniform. Yeah, think of a King's servant
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wearing something distinctive that shows who they belong to,
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he says. Holiness is the the fine cloth,
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the substance of it, and joy is like the lace trimming on that
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cloth. It adds the beauty, the
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attractiveness. He argues that when both are
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present, holy conduct and a joyful spirit, we're not barren
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or unfruitful. So they're both needed for a
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full picture. Right.
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Without joy, even holiness might look a bit stern.
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Maybe off putting joy makes it appealing.
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That's a helpful image. And he contrasts this with the
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unbeliever state, doesn't he? The light versus darkness again.
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Absolutely. Just like that thick darkness
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covered Egypt while Israel had light right in their homes.
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Believers should have this light of joy.
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It should stand out against the unrest of the unbeliever.
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A visible difference. Yeah, and this brightness, he
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says, should make people notice that you have been with Jesus.
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It reflects Christ's own peace, the kind he gives his followers,
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which is totally different from what the world offers.
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The world's is temporary fleeting, right?
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Often follows by anxiety, but this joy points beyond your
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circumstances to God. It's about reflecting who He is.
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OK, so if joy is this key marker, what kind of joy are we
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talking about? Spurgeon describes it in what
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some surprising ways. He starts by saying it's for all
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who trust. That sounds very broad.
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It is. He really stresses that it's
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universal. All those that put their trust
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in me, no exceptions. He wants us to get that this
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isn't some bonus feature for spiritual lazites or people
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having a good run. Not dependent on circumstances,
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not at. All it's a promise for everyone
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who genuinely trusts God, doesn't matter your situation,
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your health, your bank account, even how spiritually mature you
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feel. So all really means all.
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Can you flush that out a bit? Who does he specifically make
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sure to include? He paints a really inclusive
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picture. It's for the healthy and the
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sickly, the successful and the disappointed.
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Those with a lot, those with little, even, he says.
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Babes and grace, or those with feeble constitutions, People.
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May be prone to sadness or anxiety naturally.
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Exactly, He gives these wonderful character names like
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Miss Much Afraid rejoicing, Mr. Despondency learning to sing,
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Mr. Ready to Halt dancing on his crutches, and Feeblemind playing
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music. That's quite the image.
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It is, and he explains for these people, maybe joy isn't always
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loud shouting. God's grace kind of softens it,
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adapts it. It might be more like a deep,
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quiet contentment running underneath everything.
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Oh, it fits the person. Yes, it suits their nature.
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It shows God's tender care, providing joy that works for
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them, not overwhelming them. That's quite liberating, and
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it's not just inclusive, Spurgeon says.
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It's meant to be constant, not just occasional.
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How does he argue for that? He pushes us to aim for
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perpetual joy, not just moments of delight.
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He makes this bold claim. There is never a time when the
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Saint of God has not great cause for gladness.
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Never a time that's strong. It is, and he makes this
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interesting point. If you only worried when you had
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a justifiable reason, you'd actually never worry, because
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the reason for gladness in God is always greater.
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Interesting perspective. He points to Paul saying rejoice
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in the Lord always, always and even says to go on piling up
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your delights like it's something that should grow.
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Abide. So it's not about denying hard
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time. No, not at all.
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It's about tapping into a deeper source of joy that doesn't
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depend on circumstances, because it depends on the unchanging
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God. It can be there even in trials.
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Piling up delights. And if it's constant, what about
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expressing it? Spurgeon seems to think it
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should be pretty visible. Maybe even, well, loud sometime.
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Definitely not hidden, he says. It should be manifested, made
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obvious, and yeah, sometimes even shouting for joy.
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Shouting like in church? Potentially, he compares it to
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the natural outburst after a big victory, or dividing spoils, or
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celebrating a harvest. Times when you just can't hold
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back the gladness. Right.
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Natural human responses. Exactly.
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He notes, somewhat Riley perhaps, that some religious
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folks might shout without really knowing why, but believers,
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knowing the deep sources of their joy, shouldn't be quieted.
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He actually mentioned someone crying Glory during one of his
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sermons. And he was OK with that.
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He affirmed it, welcomed the genuine expression he felt that
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a glorious outburst of enthusiastic joy would quicken
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life in all around like a spiritual spark.
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And he makes this pointed comparison.
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The ungodly are not half so restrained in their blasphemy as
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we are in our praise. Kind of a challenge, isn't it?
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We should be at least as open about our joy in.
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God, that is a challenge to being too reserved.
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But OK, if it's constant and can be shouted, does it risk
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getting, I don't know, monotonous?
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Or maybe just too much. He addresses that.
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He says, well, it's constant. It's definitely not monotonous.
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It blends many colors in its one ray of light meaning.
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Meaning it shows up in lots of ways.
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It can be quiet. It could be tears of happiness.
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It could be singing that he says rivals the angels.
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Singing is the natural language of joy for him.
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But not the only language. Right.
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Sometimes silence fits it better, just quietly thinking
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about God's goodness. The point is, it lives in Christ
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whether you feel it quietly or express it loudly.
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It's always fresh because God is infinite.
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OK, so adaptable, constant, expressive.
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But then he calls it logical. That word still stands out for
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something we usually think of as purely emotional.
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How does he back that up? This might be one of his most
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striking points, He insists Christian Joy isn't just feeling
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good, it's logical. It has a because a solid reason
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you can calmly explain and justify.
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And the core reason is. Simply this the Lord hath done
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great things for us, whereof we are glad.
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It's a reasoned response to God's actions.
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It's not irrational wishful thinking.
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He compares it to worldly fears, right?
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He does. He says our joy is as soberly
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reasonable as the world lengths fears.
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Think about that. People worry about all sorts of
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things that might never happen. Totally illogical fear.
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Sometimes, Sure, Spurgeon flips it.
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He say our joy in God has more solid reasoning behind Find It
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than those fears. It's based on divine reality,
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God's character, His promises, his actions and history.
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It holds up. That really shifts the
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perspective on joy. It's not just spontaneous, it's
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grounded. So beyond being logical, where
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does it actually, you know, live within the believer?
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Ultimately, he says, it's a thing of the heart.
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It springs from a deep love for God's name, for who God is, his
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character. Love for God Himself.
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Yes, when your heart is really taking up was so delightful an
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object as the ever blessed God, you experience an intensity of
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joy nothing worldly can match, he says beautifully.
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Measureless depths of unutterable love are in the
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soul, and in those depths we find the Pearl of joy, the.
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Pearl of Joy found in love for God.
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Exactly. It's an inner communion, not
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dependent on what's happening outside.
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OK, it's clear this joy is something special, very
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different from just surface level happiness.
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But what's the actual fuel? What are the specific reasons
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and sources making it so stable, so distinct?
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Well, the absolute core source is God Himself and our trust in
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Him. Spurgeon lays out several direct
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sources that really anchor this joy.
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And he's some great word pictures for that.
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Trust that finding rest in God. He really does.
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He talks about a dove flying back to Noah's ark, finally
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finding a quiet resting place after all the chaos of the
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flood. Safety.
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Or a chick perfectly happy and safe under its mother's wings.
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Total security, he puts it plainly.
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True joy dwells where it dwells, the living God, and nowhere
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else. Nowhere else.
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Not in worldly things, right? He mentions things like
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theaters, music halls. They might offer temporary fun,
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but not this deep, lasting joy, because their source is
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temporary. Trust in God, though, supplies
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our real needs, satisfies our deepest desires in a way nothing
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else can. That complete trust is primary,
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and the Psalm itself, Psalm 5.11, gives a specific reason
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too, right? Because thou defend us them.
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Yes, the Psalm gives that direct because let them shout for joy,
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because thou defend us them. God is our keeper, our
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protector, our preserver from all evil.
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Seen and unseen evil both. And this divine defense gives a
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security no earthly fortress can match, Spurgeon says.
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No fortress guards the soldier so well as God guards his
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redeemed. That's a strong statement of
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security. It is.
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And it's not just physical protection, but spiritual
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emotional protection too, from the enemy's attacks, from life's
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anxieties, knowing you're absolutely safe in God's hands.
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That's a huge source of gladness.
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OK, so trust in God, God's defense, and then he connects
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the amount of joy we experience to our love for God.
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How does that work? It's quite direct for Him.
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The more you love God, the more you will delight in Him.
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Simple correlation. So little love.
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Little love to Christ brings little joy in Christ, and great
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love to Christ brings great joy in Christ.
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It follows when you really embrace God, not just
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intellectually, but with your whole heart.
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My Savior, my Father, my God, forever and ever, Spurgeon says.
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You feel like you have everything.
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And therefore must be joyful. Right, that deep personal love
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frees you from fear about the past, worry about the present,
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anxiety about the future, because your joy is rooted in
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this unchanging relationship with the unchanging God you
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love. OK, beyond these direct sources,
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God, his defense, our love. Spurgeon argues pretty strongly
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that faith is crucial in, like, cultivating this Joe, making it
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grow. It's not just passive.
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How does faith do that? Faith is the channel really the
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means through which this divine joy flows and actually increases
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in your life. It does this in a few key ways,
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mainly by opening your eyes to certain truths and changing how
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you see things. Right.
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He starts with faith, making joyful discoveries.
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What kinds of discoveries is he talking about?
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Both initial and maybe deeper ones.
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Yeah, faith uncovers these deep theological truths, and each one
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brings its own wave of happiness.
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The first, most basic one is realizing you're saved, your
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sins are forgiven. That relief itself is immense
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joy. The starting point.
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Definitely. But then faith keeps digging.
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It leads you to what he calls the glorious doctrine of
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election, the idea God chose his people before the world began.
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Which some find difficult. True, but Spurgeon sees it as a
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source of new, intense and refined joy.
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Why? Because your security isn't
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based on your own shaky effort, but on God's eternal, unchanging
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purpose that brings deep peace. OK, so election, what else?
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Then there's understanding, justification that through
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Christ you're seen as righteous in God's sight, as if He never
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sinned. Covered in Christ's perfect
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righteousness, Spurgeon calls this a Pearl bringing bliss.
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Being declared righteous, yes. Unearned favor, then realizing
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you're one with Jesus, united with him, part of his body.
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That's a wonderful discovery. His life is yours.
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Reunion with Christ. And adoption, being sons of God,
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heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, full access to God, his
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Father sharing Christ's inheritance, also full of joy.
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Spurgeon says. The more you search the
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scriptures, live close to God, ponder these things, the more
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joy faith uncovers. So these aren't just abstract
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doctrines. Faith makes them sources of real
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joy. Now he moves into a tougher
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area. How faith interprets affliction.
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That sounds like the opposite of joy.
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How does that work? Right.
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This is where faith acts like that prophet who can charmingly
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interpret a fearsome dream. As he puts it, Faith doesn't
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deny the pain, but helps you see gain in every loss, a joy in
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every grief. It reframes suffering.
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What perspectives does faith offer?
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Several First, it might be seen as loving chastisement for sin.
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Like who? David?
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God disciplines us for our good. Second, it's for discovery,
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helping you know yourself. God and His promise is better.
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Hard times reveal things comfort hides.
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Like Abraham's trials refining his faith.
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Exactly. 3rd it's a test showing what's real gold in your faith.
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With Job, faith actually delights in proving itself
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genuine. 4th If for development, working out the peaceable fruit
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of righteousness. Spurgeon himself said he grew
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little except under trouble. He talks about finding honey in
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the line of adversity. Like Samson, finding sweetness
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in the struggle. Yes, and 5th.
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It can even be preventative, like Paul's thorn in the flesh
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keeping him humble despite amazing spiritual experiences.
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So faith finds joy by seeing God's wise, loving hand, even in
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hardship. That's a powerful reframing.
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Then he talks about faith, believing great promises.
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The Bible certainly full of those.
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Absolutely. Faith just grabs hold of those
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exceeding great and precious promises.
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When you truly believe them, they become like fat things,
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full of marrow for your soul, deeply satisfying, bringing
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happiness. Like spiritual nourishment.
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Yes, he mentions his own book, The Checkbook of the Bank of
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Faith, just full of these promises to be claimed.
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Living on God's promises, trusting their fulfillment, is
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like a constant feast for the soul.
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And finally, faith looks ahead to the eternal reward, the
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ultimate hope. This is the anchor.
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Faith looks forward with certainty to being with Christ
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in the glory land. It's a joy of hope, he says.
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Not a vague wish, but a sure thing.
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Heaven crowns palms. Right.
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Anticipating that makes present troubles seem, well, temporary,
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finite. The end is almost within sight.
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This future certainty injects joy into the present, even
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amidst difficulties. It's the light at the end of the
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tunnel shining back on your path now.
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OK, Spurgeon left out all these clear reasons for joy, grounded
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in God, fueled by faith. Yet people might still say.
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But honestly, a lot of Christians I see seem kind of
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dull or just plain unhappy. It's a common observation.
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How does he handle that objection?
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He tackles it head on. He doesn't ignore it.
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He acknowledges the observation, but then offers several careful
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explanations and, frankly, rebuttals.
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And first, he sort of disqualifies some of the
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critics. He does.
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He basically says criticisms from unbelievers are out of
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court. Why?
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Because they lack spiritual taste or discernment.
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They simply cannot know what joy in the Lord may mean.
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His analogy. It's like a blind person
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criticizing paintings. They don't have the faculty to
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perceive it, so their judgement on a believer's joy doesn't
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really hold water. They're outside their area of
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competence. Fair enough, but what about
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people inside the church who profess faith but seem
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miserable? He addresses that, too.
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He says some who profess religion are just mere
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pretenders or hypocrites. Their lack of joy isn't a
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failure of true religion, it's proof they don't actually have
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it. Like counterfeit money proves,
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real money exists. Exactly his analogy.
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The counterfeit coin shows the reality of the genuine.
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So an unhappy pretender doesn't disprove Christian joy, they
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just show they haven't truly found it.
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The issue is their lack of real faith.
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OK, that makes sense, but what about genuine believers who just
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seem naturally melancholic or going through physical struggles
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that make them sad? He shows a lot of compassion
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here. He talks about those
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constitutionally sad, maybe due to temperament or physical
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issues, bad livers, feeble digestions or irritated brains.
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He says quite frankly. Real physical factors.
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Yes, he argues, God's grace is actually what's lifting them.
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Without it, they've been told to spare, maybe even lose, their
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minds. So their sadness is a weakness
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of the flesh, not a defect in their faith itself.
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There's still an underlying joy keeping them afloat, even if
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it's hard to see. That's an important distinction.
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Any other reasons for a genuine Christian lacking visible joy
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sometimes? He suggests it might be due to
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very severe trial. He uses the analogy of a
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normally sunny place having a few rainy days.
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A believer might be under immense pressure, persecution,
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loss, intense spiritual attack. So don't judge by 1 bad day.
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Right. Don't judge their whole
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spiritual state by isolated, difficult periods.
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It's temporary pressure, not their baseline reality in
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Christ. And he also points fingers
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outward sometimes, doesn't he, saying the unhappiness isn't
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caused by faith, but by others. Absolutely.
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He points out that the ungodly behavior of others, like a
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wicked drinking husband or a rebellious wild boy, can be the
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real reason for a believer's sadness, not their face.
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Shifting the blame, yes. He calls it abominable that a
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man should make another miserable and then blame him for
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being so. He puts the responsibility
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squarely on the source of the hurt, not on the believers faith
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reacting to it. OK, so he addresses the
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exceptions and misattributions, but what's his overall stance?
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Are Christians generally happy or not in his view?
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His underlying message is definitely that true believers
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are generally happy, or at least ought to be.
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He says. If you truly grasp your state,
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chosen, redeemed, quickened to united with Christ, you ought to
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be the happiest man in the world.
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And he felt that personally. You did.
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He tells a story about someone visiting him, impressed by his
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confidence in God's promises, who said Spurgeon ought to be
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the happiest man in the world? Spurgeon does reply.
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So I am. He affirms that genuine faith
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produces joy. But what if a true believer is
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unhappy? If none of those other
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explanations fit, where does Spurgeon ultimately say the
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problem lies? This is crucial, he says.
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If God's people are unhappy, it is not their faith which makes
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them unhappy. It is your want of faith, lack
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of faith. Lack of faith causes the
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unhappiness, not faith itself. Exactly.
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If a man begins to doubt, he begins to sorrow, he says.
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And the flip side, faith does create joy.
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Those who truly trust do enter into rest.
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So the solution isn't to question God's promise of joy,
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but to pursue deeper faith, stronger trust.
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OK, which leads perfectly into the practical side.
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Why should believers not just have moments of joy, but
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actively try to cultivate it, to abound in it?
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What are Spurgeon's big arguments for this?
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He gives several compelling reasons why Joy shouldn't just
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be a visitor, but a permanent resident, something we actively
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nurture. And it starts with seeing it as
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more than just an option. It's something God actually
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wants for us. Yes, precisely.
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First there's divine permission and command.
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The Psalm verse itself let all those that put their trust in
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the rejoice acts as a permit to be glad.
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A permit like you're allowed to be happy.
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Exactly. You have divine permission to
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shout for joy. You can be as happy as ever they
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like, but it's more than permission.
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It's also a precept, a command. Let them shout, for joy means
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it's a duty to be happy. A duty that sounds strong.
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It is, he tells mournful folks, to basically quit your
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dunghills, ascend your Thrones, enter the King's palace.
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He also sees it as a prayer God inspires and answers, meaning
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God desires this joy for us. And even as a promise, all those
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that put their trust in thee shall rejoice.
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God guarantees it. Permit, precept, prayer,
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promise. Wow, what else?
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He argues. It's just the reasonable thing
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to do. Yes, it's the only rational
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response. If you truly believe you're
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chosen by God, redeemed by Christ's blood, made alive by
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the Spirit, united with Christ and Heir of Heaven, how could
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you not be joyful? It would be illogical.
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He would fly in the face of great and precious truths.
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It just doesn't align with the reality of what God has done for
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you and who you are in Him. Makes sense and he sees
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practical advantages too, like it being a defense against
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enemies. Definitely.
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Joy acts as a strong defense. When you're attacked or
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criticized, Instead of getting consumed by worry, you just keep
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rejoicing in God. It shows an unshakable
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confidence that the enemy can't touch.
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It baffles them. It really does.
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They expect you to crumble, but your joy in God, despite the
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circumstances, is this powerful, confusing testimony.
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And how does this inner joy affect how we treat other
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people? It makes a huge difference.
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A joyful person is much more likely to be kind, patient and
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fair. Spurgeon notes that unhappiness
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often breeds bad temper, irritability, injustice.
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Whereas joy. Inner peace and joy foster
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harmony. He even calls communion with God
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and the resulting joy one of the best specifics for good temper.
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It makes you easier to live with.
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A very practical benefit. What about our own spiritual
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energy? Our effectiveness.
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Huge connection there, he quotes Nehemiah.
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The joy of Lord is your strength.
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Lose your joy and you become a poor worker living a powerless
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life. But maintaining joy.
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Makes you strong in the Lord and for the Lord.
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It enables you to give strong testimony to endure tough
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trials. Joy is spiritual vitality, the
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fuel for living the Christian life effectively.
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That's a major reason to cultivate it.
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And finally, he talks about it as a witness to the world making
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faith attractive. Yes, joy presents the charming
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side of religion. It makes godliness look
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appealing, not like some sour, burdensome duty.
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Visible cheerfulness helps win other hearts to follow Jesus.
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Because cheerfulness is next to godliness.
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That's his line. A gloomy Christian is a poor
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advertisement for the Gospel, right?
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But a joyful one shows the goodness and desirability of
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God's way. It draws people in.
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And what's the ultimate point of all this earthly joy?
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Where is it heading? He sees it as rehearsing the
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music of the skies, practicing for heaven.
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When we're constantly joyful here, we're getting ready for
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the eternal harmonies, the unending praise service there.
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Practicing worthy is the lamb. Exactly.
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We're tuning our hearts, learning the songs will sing
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forever. Our present joy is a foretaste,
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getting us ready for the real thing in glory.
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So thinking about all this joy as a divine permit, a command, a
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prayer, a promise, bringing strength, good temper, witness,
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and preparing us for heaven, what might it mean for you
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listening right now to really let this God-given joy shape
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your daily life? Yeah, consider this.
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If your joy is truly founded in God alone, like Spurgeon argues
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that it really can't be shaken by circumstances, not by life,
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death, poverty, sickness, loss, slander, nothing.
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Because the source is stable. Completely stable.
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So what could change in your life, maybe even today, if you
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actively decided to pursue that constant logical gladness that
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flows from trusting this unchanging God?
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It's not about pretending problems don't exist.
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It's about finding that deeper, unshakable gladness even in the
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middle of them. A profound thought to end on.
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And with that, we wrap up another deep dive here on
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Reformed thinking. Until next time, may you truly
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know the fullness of this divine joy.