A. Let's be reminded of our keynote passage for this series from Psalm 16:11 – "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

B. In this lesson, we will consider what should be the greatest source of joy for all sinners, which is salvation through Jesus Christ.

II. THE MISERY OF CONDEMNATION AND THE JOY OF SALVATION

A. Three psalms of David present a brilliant contrast between the misery of condemnation and the joy of salvation: Psalm 32, Psalm 38, and Psalm 51.

1. David described unbearable burden of sin that crushes the mind, body, and spirit. Notice a few of his words:

a. Psalm 32:3-4 – When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.

b. Psalm 38:2-8 – For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, and Your hand has pressed down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow foul and fester because of my folly. I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long. For my loins are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

2. He pleaded with God to remove the guilt of sin and forgive him. Consider his pleas:

a. Psalm 38:1 – O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger.

b. Psalm 38:21-22 – Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

c. Psalm 51:1-2 – Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

d. Psalm 51:7-14 – Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

3. At last, he rejoiced when God answered his prayer and relieved him of his misery. Notice the joy of his salvation:

a. Psalm 32:1-2 – How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!

b. Psalm 32:11 – Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

B. Consider a series of thoughts that should cause us to rejoice for our salvation in Jesus Christ.

1. Our sins forgiven and forgotten.

a. Hebrews 8:12 – "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

b. Let us rejoice for the new covenant in Christ's blood that provides genuine forgiveness so that our sins will never be remembered again.

2. Our debt is paid.

a. Colossians 2:13-14 – When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

b. The joy of salvation in Christ is infinitely better than the joy of having any monetary debt paid or any penal debt forgiven, for the debt of sin has been paid by Christ.

3. Our burden is removed.

a. Matthew 11:28-30 – "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

b. Like David, we rejoice when Jesus removes that crushing weight of guilt for sin.

4. Our lost souls have been found.

a. The Luke 15 parables (lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son) show how there is more joy for recovering what is lost than there is for retaining what is already possessed.

b. How joyful we must be when our souls, which are more valuable than all the world (Matt. 16:26), are restored to us in Christ.

5. Our fear has been relived.

a. 1John 4:17-18 – By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

b. Through Jesus, the terrifying prospect of falling into the hand of the living God at the judgment (Heb. 10:31) is replaced by a joyful expectation of a crown of righteousness from the Lord (2Tim. 4:7-8).

C. Not only should we rejoice for escaping condemnation, but also we should rejoice for obtaining a heavenly reward.

1. Notice 1Peter 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

2. Like the Ethiopian eunuch who was baptized into Christ for forgiveness of sins and "went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39), every Christian should rejoice every day for the salvation of his soul.

3. Consider the seventy disciples of Jesus, who rejoiced that they could cast out demons, but Jesus told them, "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Likewise, our greatest joy should be in anticipation of our reward in heaven.

4. We rejoice not only for our own salvation but also for the salvation of others.

a. In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus said, "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). Should we not also rejoice with them?

b. In Romans 12:15, Paul instructs us, "Rejoice with those who rejoice…” There is no better time to share the joy of others than when they know they have been saved.

III. CONCLUSION

A. The salvation of our souls should cause us to declare the words given by the psalmist in Psalm 95:1-2:

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

B. The joy of salvation shines through every dark cloud of trouble and hardship in this world. If you don't have that joy in Jesus, then make no delay to take hold of the joy that Jesus died to make possible for you.