Fellowship in Joy

“Rejoice with them that do rejoice”…Romans 12:15

It is supposed that some are rejoicing, and this is a happy supposition. You are invited to sympathize with them, and this is a happy duty. Sympathy is a duty of our common humanity, but far more of our regenerated manhood. Those who are one in the higher life should show their holy unity by true fellow feeling.

Joyful sympathy is doubly due when the joy is spiritual and eternal. I invite you to this joy because of those who have lately been bought to Jesus and are now to be added to the church. The occasion is joyous. Let the joy spread all around.

Rejoice with the converts:

1.    Some delivered from lives of grievous sin. All saved from that which would have ruined eternally, but certain of them from faults which injure men in society.

2.    Some of them are aged. These are called at the eleventh hour. Rejoice that they are saved from imminent peril.

3. Some of them rescued from agonizing fear and deep despair. Could you have seen them under conviction, you would indeed rejoice to behold them free and happy.

There is great gladness in these newborn ones, and shall we be indifferent? Let us welcome them with hearty joy.

Rejoice with their friends:

1.    Some have prayed long for them, and now their prayers are heard.

2.    Some are relatives with a peculiar interest in these saved ones, parents, children, brothers etc.

Holy parents have no greater joy than to see their children walking in the truth. Do we not share their joy?

Rejoice with those who brought them to Jesus:

The spiritual parents of these converts are glad.

·       The pastor, evangelist, missionary.

·       The parent, elders in the family or other loving relation.

·       The friend who wrote or spoke to them of Jesus.

Rejoice with the Holy Spirit:

1.    He sees his strivings successful.

2.    He sees his quickening power operating in new life.

3.    He sees the heart comforted by his grace.

Let us rejoice in the love of the Spirit.

Rejoice with the Angels:

1.    They have noted the repentance of the returning sinner.

2.    They will henceforth joyfully guard the footsteps of the pilgrim.

3.    They look one day to bear him home to glory.

Rejoice with the Lord Jesus:

1.    His joy is proportioned to the ruin from which he has saved his redeemed ones.

2.    His joy is proportioned to the love which he bears to them.

3.    His joy is proportioned to their future happiness and to the glory which their salvation will bring to him.

An ungodly youth accompanied his parents to hear a certain minister. The subject of the discourse was the heavenly state. On returning home, the young man expressed his admiration of the preacher’s talents, “But,” said turning to his mother, “I was surprised that you and my father were in tears.” “Ah, my son!” replied the anxious mother, “I did weep, not because I feared my own personal interest in the subject or that of your father; but I wept for fear that you, my beloved child, would be forever banished from the blessedness of heaven.” “I supposed,” said the father, turning to his wife, “that those were your reflections, the same concern for our dear son made me weep also.” These tender remarks found their way to the young man’s heart and led him to repentance.