Gospel-Based Joy II

Here are some implications of GOSPEL-BASED JOY (see yesterday's post)
1.You can’t live FOR the gospel if you don’t live FROM the gospel. So don’t start with trying to live for the gospel because you feel guilty. But if you are not living FOR the gospel, you surely are not living FROM the gospel Start there. Repent there. Go back to Philippians 3 and change your base of confidence. Cry uncle!
2. If you are living FOR the gospel, your devotion to the work of the gospel is not dependent on the responsiveness of people to your effort or the amount of recognition you get. If you quit or work half-heartedly because of a lack of results or recognition, that shows you were not living for the gospel, but for success and recognition. Here’s something God challenged me on: “are you more thrilled about the idea of church planting about loving individual people freely for Jesus’ sake?”
Yet at the same time, even though you don’t need results to go on, you have an intense desire to see Jesus exalted in the eyes of people. You have a jealously, a zeal for His name.

THE OUTCOME OF GOSPEL-BASED JOY
It is a joy in the Lord. And it has nothing whatsoever to do with circumstances. It can be there amidst suffering. It can be chosen (Philippians 3:1; 4:4)
“There is a joy which is given to those who love you [God] for your own sake, whose joy you yourself are. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to you, of you, for you; this it is, and there is no other.” (Augustine)
Rejoicing in the Lord produces peace and contentment. Why? Because you have it all in your salvation, in the gospel, you have no need to control circumstances. You believe in the goodness of God and the profit of trials. You get liberated from idols.
Rejoicing in the Lord produces love, unity, and friendship. Why? Because you have it all, in your salvation, in the gospel, you are not using or controlling others. You are moved by Jesus’ self-emptying to humility (Phil. 1:7,8; 2:3-8; 4:5)
Rejoicing in the Lord produces spiritual fruit (impact that glorifies God). Why? Because you have it all in the gospel, you don’t use people to be successful and your joy draws people to Jesus Christ. ( Phil. 2:14-26)
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in the first chapter of his book, Spiritual Depression, argued that a lack of joy as the main reason people are not drawn to Christ. The world should be compelled to look at Jesus because of our joy.

You want joy and peace and contentment and all that. But you wonder, “Where do I start?” You need both to live from and live for the gospel, but one of the two likely needs more attention in your life right now. Which do you think it is?
Live from. Are you nourishing yourself on the gospel? Or are you trying to fix yourself?
Live for. Some of you have been living from. But you have not put yourself out into the mix to live for the gospel. Start by praying for this. Pray for guidance and zeal and courage and a big heart. Put aside a little time to be among people who need to hear.