Gospel Forward Living - Happy I am saved!

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Recently, a young lady came forward at our church and received Jesus Christ as her Savior! It was a wonderful time of rejoicing for her, her friends and family, and our church.

Later that day, I saw this young lady post on social media that it was the best day of her life and that she was happy to be saved!

I thought that was a wonderful thing to share and was glad she felt the way she did, and then I continued scrolling.

A week passed, and I began working on different projects about sharing the gospel message. How urgent it was for every believer to share Jesus's saving message.

As I climbed the stairs on my walk, I began to think about how we have time for everything else and that many Christians probably have never shared the gospel.

Mumbling to myself, I considered why this was the case, and then the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to me, “Christians aren't sharing the gospel because they have forgotten the joy and happiness of being saved.”

Immediately, my heart was convicted. When did I last genuinely express happiness or joy in being saved?

The Holy Spirit brought David’s prayer in Psalms fifty-one to mind,

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

Psalms 51:12

I realize now that I would be encouraged to share the gospel freely and easily if I am to be happy about being saved!

Notice verse thirteen:

“Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”

Psalms 51:13

David says that when the joy of his salvation is restored, he will share the gospel, and people will be saved!

We love to share the good news!

Whether it’s an answer to prayer, a good deal, or a winning team, our successes—whatever they may be—the good news is fun and easy to share!

Think about that: the good news is easy and fun to share!

An engaged couple loves to share that excellent news of love!

A newly expecting couple loves to share they are having a baby!

Proud grandparents are unashamedly pulling out phones and sharing pictures of grandkids with literally anyone around!

Oh, how we need to have the joy of our salvation restored!

Imagine the day/evening you got saved. Weren’t you happy? Excited?

I remember the evening I received Jesus as my Savior. I told my parents, grandparents, and sister, called my uncle and even went to my great-grandmother’s house to tell her the good news: I was saved!

The word “Gospel” means “Good News.”

If we can find happiness in salvation, we will be excited to share the gospel message of Salvation.

What can we do to have the joy of our salvation restored?

Looking at Psalms fifty-one, we learn a few things that will help.

1.) Let’s see our need to reflect:

David recognized that he hadn't been as excited or joyful about being saved. He had gotten busy, faced challenges, and was navigating life, and part of the toll was a lack of reflection on the value of his salvation.

Life does the same thing to us.

When we work, raise kids, pay bills, and handle all the other details, little time is left for reflection and realizing the joy in our salvation.

Recognizing I need to slow down and reflect is critical to maintaining the joy once it’s restored.

2.) Let’s ask God to restore the Joy:

David wisely prays and asks God to restore the joy of his salvation.

Once joy is diminished, it is not something that we can reignite within our hearts. David needed God to do this work within him.

I believe this step is as easy as described in the scriptures: begin asking God to restore the joy of our salvation. Let us again understand and rejoice in what it means to be saved!

3.) Let’s be yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit:

David asks God to uphold him and keep that joy because David recognized, left to himself, that flame of joy that would once again be quenched!

The same is true of our hearts. Life will continue to be a great labor, but if we seek the Holy Spirit to aid us, we can reap the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in our hearts and lives.

How do we know this?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:22-25

Nestled between love and peace, we find that wonderful word, Joy.

The Holy Spirit can keep the flame alive. I use this language because oil is one of the picture types in the Bible for the Holy Spirit. The type of oil that fuels a lamp.

As we yield our hearts and lives to the Holy Spirit, we will find that tremendous oil replenishing our joy, and we will be able to relish being saved and happily share the gospel with others!

Let’s be happy once more about being saved! Let’s see the day that Jesus saved us as the best day in our lives, and let's tell others the good news!