Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say it, Rejoice!

 [Philippians 4:4]

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To Rejoice is to connect our inner being with God’s Ruach HaKodesh, His Holy Spirit. A Holy God seeks holy disciples. So how do His faithful followers attain holiness? The easy answer is to walk in His Spirit. However, this is not a typical walk. This type of movement requires genuine effort, a higher purpose, and a selfless commitment.

 

The Kingdom of God has been built on sacrifice. Such sacrifice is more than atonement for sin. Sacrifice reminds us of the cost paid for holiness. This degree of giving points to a lifestyle of submission to someone and something far greater than ourselves. Submission means we understand where we stand, and therefore, why we gratefully bow.

 

Our praise, our rejoicing, is a manifestation of our faith. Enthusiastic worship means putting my all into it. Consider the earnest bowing, or davening, exhibited by Jews during their prayers. This is as an outward manifestation of deep inward concentration and focus on God’s word. Here’s a picture of sacrificial giving that places God above all things.

 

The One New Man from Ephesians 2:14 recognizes the price of unity. Without the willingness to see our Lord’s divine plan demonstrated by the Firstfruit of Righteousness that He sent, we won’t grasp or embrace the identity of God’s children. It’s clear we can’t be holy when we succumb to the value system of the old man. The obvious sign of a sincere believer is heartfelt prayer and exuberant worship. Rejoicing expresses both attributes.

 

To consciously decide not to rejoice permits a dangerous backward recession, allowing the self-centered state of our old man to take back control over our lives. Even after our conversion and acceptance of Yeshua, facing this broken world continues to expose humanity to mankind’s distractions and hell’s diabolical ploys, dragging us back to drink from old polluted wells. Yech!

 

Hebrews 13:15 brings our proper posture back into alignment with our King. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.”

 

That’s the perfect image of rejoicing. This places our Lord at the first and the last. This points to a constant attitude of worship. This says we’re making a holy offering to our Creator. It identifies praise as a form of sacrifice. Finally, we recognize the fruit that God seeks comes from speaking words that intentionally and uninhibitedly declare His holy name. “Again, I will say it, Rejoice!”