9 Rejoicing in Christ

Happiness is dependent upon external circumstances that we encounter. Joy on the other hand only come from a relationship with God in Christ Jesus. The joy of knowing the truth of Christ kept Paul from disparaging no matter how difficult his circumstances became. He was shipwrecked, scourged, jailed, beaten and finally beheaded for his faith. Those in political power thought he was mad with too much learning as he related the facts of the Gospel (Acts 26:24). But Paul’s perceived madness was actually joy as he persevered in his quest to fight the good fight (I Timothy 6:12, II Timothy 4:7). Paul took every opportunity to share the Gospel and issue warnings about the forces against the good fight. It was not irksome to him but Paul only desired the safety of those at Philippi and the Christian community at large.