God's Joy in Repenting Sinners

God is a righteous Judge who hates sin, but because He is essentially good and loving in His Being, He pities sinners, and has joy in seeing one sinner truly repent, more than 99 righteous persons (supposedly righteous persons, trusting in their own righteousness) who supposedly need no repentance. God's joy is in seeing people turn to Christ for salvation, and repent of their sins. It is in seeing them turn from their sins unto Him for forgiveness, and the power to do what is right by the grace of His Son, that He finds joy and delight. The emphasis here in verse 31 is upon God's joy and delight in seeing the actual activity of the sinner; to cast away from themselves all their transgressions which they had committed.