The following thoughts on true joy are taken from Charles Ross’ almost forgotten little book called The Inner Sanctuary
From Banner of Truth:
Charles Ross was brought to a knowledge of the truth while very young. He could trace back religious impressions as far as his memory could carry him. He had a pious ancestry—a fact which he often recalled with gratitude to God. Grace does not run in the blood, but there is a law of spiritual heredity by which it often descends from parent to child, and of this law Mr. Ross furnished an illustration….keep reading
True joy is divine joy. How often in the midst of trials and bad times have you ever suddenly felt a wonderful calm come over you? Have you ever felt it? Where do you derive your joy from? If your joy comes from this world it is only temporal. True joy is everlasting. Listen to what Charles Ross wrote in his book:
There is a joy indeed, which shall end in eternal sorrow; but there is a sorrow, on the other hand – a godly sorrow on account of sin, and from love to the Saviour – which shall end in everlasting joy!
Finally, let us learn here that all true spiritual joy is to be traced up to the divine Spirit as its author. There is indeed a natural joy, and there are also sinful joys, which are as the crackling of thorns under a pot. But there is also a holy joy in God, every drop of which comes from above. Whence did all the joy promised to the disciples proceed? It cam from the outpouring of the Spirit from on high. And how could they but rejoice, when they obtained the unction from in high? – when they got clearer views of the King in His beauty? How could they but rejoice, when their hearts were enlarged at the throne of grace? This is just what we all need still. May the Holy Spirit take of the things that Christ’s, and show them to us. ~ The Inner Sanctuary
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