We have heard of the "work of faith," and realize increasingly the necessity there is to

remember that "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." We have heard that

"faith worketh patience," and can understand even by our own small experience that as

we realize by faith all the goodness, grace and glory laid up by virtue of redemption,

patience is no effort, but is rather one of the precious fruits of faith.

We seem, however, to hear little of the "joy of faith." All Scripture is given by

inspiration of God and is profitable. All Scripture comes to us with a demand for

conformity to its teaching. What of the "joy of faith"? Can we have the real faith of the

epistles if it is a joyless faith? We know the "faiths" or "creeds" of man's construction

(even though framed with the Word in view) often become grievous burdens, and shackle

those who subscribe to them as with fetters of iron. We want none of these joyless

creeds, but still let us ask, Do we know experimentally "the joy of faith"?

The expression is found in Phil.1:25. The apostle writes, "I know that I shall abide

and continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of the faith." J. N. Darby in a

note says, "Progress and joy go together, not 'progress--and joy in faith'." Whatever the

exact meaning of the apostle may be in this passage, the truth which we feel we must

emphasize is that to believe the truth of the mystery, to realize the fact of acceptance in

the Beloved, to know that we have been raised together and made to sit together in the

heavenlies, in Christ, to know that we have been delivered out of the authority of

darkness, and translated into the kingdom of the beloved Son of God, this "faith" surely

must bring "joy" with it (the very writing of the words stirs our heart with joy), and a

furtherance or progress in this faith, while it may deepen our love, increase our sympathy,

perhaps cause us much conflict and many tears, yet seeing of Whom it speaks, and the

untold riches of grace and glory that it reveals, cannot but bring with it joy.

Already in Rom.15:23, with reference to other things, the apostle had written, "Now

the God of the hope (namely of verse 12, trust being hope) fill you with all joy and peace

in believing." Or again, in II Cor.1:24, he had written, "Not for that we have dominion

over your faith, but are fellow-workers of your joy, for by faith ye stand." "Joy" is a fruit

of the Spirit mentioned early in the wondrous cluster, "love, joy, peace," &100: Peter was

not a stranger to the "joy of faith," for speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ he said, "Whom

having not seen, ye love, in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice

with joy unspeakable, and full of glory."

What is the ground of this joy? A reading of either Philippians, or I Peter, will dispel

the idea that external circumstances contributed to this joy of faith. In both epistles

suffering and sorrow are emphatic, yet in the midst of it all there breathes a pure

unconquerable joy. "Joy" and "rejoice" are keywords of Philippians.