Everyone who has truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and have experienced His salvation knows something about this glorious and inexpressible joy. Pay attention to the superlatives that are mentioned in 1 Peter 1. Superlatives are the highest degree or quality of a thing.
1 Peter 1:3 NLT All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation,
There is no greater mercy than what God has given to give us His salvation and new life. We can have no greater or higher expectation. That expectation is our hope of heaven.
1 Peter 1:4 NLT and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
Our inheritance is greater than any other and is impossible to be valued. Think about the value of the things that have been prepared for us in heaven. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” We shall walk streets of gold beyond gates of pearl and live in a mansion that has been prepared for us. This inheritance is pure, undefiled, beyond change or decay. What God has provided for us in Christ is absolutely certain.
1 Peter 1:5 NLT And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
There is no power greater than God’s power. His power is keeping and protecting you until you receive the end of your salvation which will be revealed in the last day. These things cause us to have inexpressible and glorious joy.
1 Peter 1:6 NLT So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.
Regardless of what you are facing, wonderful joy is ahead. Everything is going to work out.
1 Peter 1:7 NLT These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Do whatever you must to keep your faith strong through your tests and trials. If you hold on in faith, you are going to come out of these with much praise, glory and honor when Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:8-9 NLT You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.
What the Lord does for us should increase our joy. Think about these things. He has shown us His grace, mercy and love. Everything He gives us is so vast and wonderful that they are boundless and unsearchable. He has given us new life and the end of the things that God does for us will result in our eternal salvation. It is good for us to keep in mind the things that God has prepared for us. All of these things cause us to rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy.
1 John 3:1 NKJV Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
Being made God’s children has given us access to the bounty of all of His provisions for our everyday lives. God has set us aside as His very own precious children. He has marked us with all of His goodness. This marvelous grace, mercy, and love has made us a public display to the world. The world knows that you are blessed of God. This change God gives is reason to rejoice.
Philippians 4:4-5 NKJV Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Rejoice in the Lord. Delight and gladden yourselves in Him. Don’t hold back your joy in the Lord before the world.
1 John 4:4 tells us: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
This is why we rejoice. Don’t hide or hold back the wonderful things that the Lord has done in you. You are blessed. Let it show.
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Since God has given us this great salvation, as Christ’s representatives we have been given glorious and inexpressible joy. This joy of the Lord is deep in our heart, soul, mind, and body regardless of the circumstances we face. His joy sustains us during every situation of life. His joy is our strength. We should practice letting His grace, mercy, and love show.
The Apostle Peter is telling us we can have glorious inexpressible joy regardless of what happens. As a result of what God has done, we can live with confidence and boldness. We have a better answer to life’s situations than the world has. We know that the Lord is near and is walking with us in our circumstances. He is helping, sustaining, and protecting us in every situation. He is working everything out for our good.
In the parable to the sower, Jesus said the cares of this life can and will choke out the Word of God in our hearts. What does that mean? We must reject the excessive preoccupation with the issues and troubles of this world! When faced with these things, bring them to God in prayer and roll the burden of them over on the Lord. Allow God’s love, joy and peace to bathe you with His hope.
1 Corinthians 7:32 “I want you to be free from the worries of this life.”
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
How can we have this glorious inexpressible joy in every circumstance? There is more to this than developing a positive confession or outlook on life. Since God is working in us and is in control, we can think differently about what is happening. We have been elevated to a new position in Christ. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world, (1 John 4:4). Our perspective or outlook is different. We really know that God Almighty is working on our behalf.
As a result, glorious inexpressible joy is a result of our new life in Christ. We have confidence even when we go through deep valleys.
Psalm 23:4 NIV84 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Worry and fear calculates the end of your circumstances in human terms and equations. In the world there is no hope. The world says, “There is a lion outside the door.” The normal human response is fear. When your confidence and trust is in the Lord, you know that the end of your circumstance is in God’s control. We can have glorious inexpressible joy.
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJVFor God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
The Holy Spirit produces this joy, peace and love that says, “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.” This joy, peace and love should be evident to those around us. The way we handle hard situations demonstrates what God has given us and what He is doing in us. We will not live with the same attitude or anxiety as the world. We refuse to have a spirit of fear.
God is in control of everything. Do you really believe that? Since God is in control, you don’t have to be afraid. Since God is in control, you can rejoice and be glad. When you start living like this, God will give you a peace that passes understanding. Since God is in control, you can live with full joy that gives you strength.
Paul’s counsel is to roll all our burdens, problems, sorrows, and needs over on the Lord God in prayer. The Living Bible says this in common terms.
Philippians 1:18-19 Living Bible “I am going to keep on being glad, for I know that…this is all going to turn out for my good.”
Paul believed that God was managing his life. Regardless of the things he faced, he had confidence in God and that everything was going to turn out for his good. Do you believe that God is your burden bearer? Do you believe that you can give Him your burdens, needs, problems, and sorrows? By faith, lay your burdens down.
Psalm 43:4 David said: “I will go to God – the source of all my joy.”
When we tell God everything in prayer, we can give up and let Jesus take over. He wants to be included in every aspect of your life. He wants to hear about your struggles. He wants to hear your emotional plea. Bring it all out into the open to God. Put it in the light of His presence. Come before Him presenting what is really on your heart.
In John 15:11, Jesus is talking to believers who abide in Him.
John 15:11 NCV I have told you these things so that you can have the same joy I have and so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy.
John 15:11 NLT I have told you this so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
John 15:11 NKJV These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
If you want glorious inexpressible joy, stop practicing your troubles and start practicing the presence of God.
Psalm 42:11 NIV Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
John 14:1 NKJV Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
Jesus is saying, “Stop giving yourself permission to be troubled.”
John 14:27 NKJV Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Since Jesus has given us His peace, you can take control the way you respond to life’s situations. Face your various trials, tests, and afflictions with faith. You can choose how to respond to these things. You can choose to have peace or to be troubled. You can stay calm or become agitated. You can rejoice or complain.
The Psalmist said, “My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” The Lord God Almighty is on your side. He is telling you that there is glorious inexpressible joy up ahead. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5)
John 16:33 NIV84 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
God wants you to live in His joy. We have been given glorious inexpressible joy.
Jesus made this point clear and we need to hold steadfastly. He said: “My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) “I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” (John 16:22-24)
Notice the permanence of this joy.
The Lord Jesus does not want His Church and bride living in sorrow, grief, and defeat. We should cast off the spirit of heaviness and take up glorious inexpressible joy.
Follow these verses and pay attention to the role the Holy Spirit plays in giving you joy.
Acts 13:52 NKJV And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17 NKJV For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NKJV Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…
Galatians 5:25 NKJV If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
When your spiritual roots go deep, you are going to produce fruit of glorious joy. The Spirit-filled life is “fullness of joy.” God has given us a life of glorious inexpressible JOY! This gift of glorious inexpressible joy is an essential part of our relationship with Christ. Jesus said: “My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
