"The Joy of Faith" by Charles H. Welch in The Berean Expositor.

We have heard of the "work of faith," and realize increasingly the
necessity there is to remember that "faith, if it hath not works, is
dead, being alone."  We have heard that "faith worketh patience," and
can understand even by our own small experiences that as we realize by
faith all the goodness, grace and glory laid up by virtue of
redemption, patience is no effort, but is rather one of the precious
fruits of faith.

We seem, however, to hear little of the "joy of faith."  All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God and is profitable.  All Scripture comes
to us with a demand for conformity to its teaching. What of the "joy of
faith"?  Can we have the real faith of the epistles if it is a joyless
faith?  We know the "faiths" or "creeds" of man's construction (even
though framed with the Word in view) often become grievous burdens, and
shackle those who subscribe to them as with fetters of iron.  We want
none of these joyless creeds, but still let us ask, Do we know
experimentally "the joy of faith"?

The expression is found in Phil. i.25.  The apostle writes, "I know
that I shall abide and continue with you all, for your furtherance and
joy of the faith."  J. N. Darby in a note says, "Progress and joy go
together, not 'progress -- and joy in faith.'"  Whatever the exact
meaning of the apostle may be in this passage, the truth which we feel
we must emphasize is that to believe the truth of the mystery, to
realize the fact of acceptance in the Beloved, to know that we have
been raised together and made to sit together in the heavenlies, in
Christ, to know that we have been delivered out of the authority of
darkness, and translated into the kingdom of the beloved Son of God,
this "faith" surely must bring "joy" with it (the very writing of the
words stirs our heart with joy), and a furtherance or progress in this
faith, while it may deepen our love, increase our sympathy, perhaps
cause us much conflict and many tears, yet seeing of Whom it speaks,
and the untold riches of grace and glory that it reveals, cannot but
bring with it joy.

Already in Rom. xv.13, with reference to other things, the apostle had
written, "Now the God of the hope (namely of verse 12, trust being
hope) fill you with all joy and peace in believing."  Or again, in 2
Cor. i.24, he had written, "Not for that we have dominion over your
faith, but are fellow workers of your joy, for by faith ye stand." 
"Joy" is a fruit of the Spirit mentioned early in the wondrous cluster,
"love, joy, peace," &c. Peter was not a stranger to the "joy of faith,"
for speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ he said, "Whom having not seen,
ye love, in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable, and full of glory."

What is the ground of this joy?  A reading of either Philippians, or I
Peter, will dispel the idea that external circumstances contributed to
this joy of faith.  In both epistles suffering and sorrow are emphatic,
yet in the midst of it all there breathes a pure unconquerable joy. 
"Joy" and "rejoice" are keywords of Philippians.

One point of deepest significance, which must not pass unnoticed,
arises out of the connection of the theme of the "joy of the faith"
with the peculiar object of this epistle.  "Philippians" assumes that
the blessed teaching of "Ephesians" is known and believed.  On that
basis the apostle speaks of working out our own salvation with fear and
trembling (working out, not working for), and has in prospect a prize
not attained but sought.  It is not until he wrote 2 Timothy that he
knew he had finished his course, and that henceforth there was laid up
for him a crown. In Acts xx. he had said that he counted not his life
dear unto himself, but that he desired to finish his course with joy. 
This therefore is the reason why in Philippians the apostle passes from
salvation by faith, or justification by faith, to speak of the joy of
faith, the anticipation of the crown or prize.  The idea may be found
in the well-known words of Matt. xxv.:-

"Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into
the joy of thy Lord."

This joy, connected as it is with reward for faithfulness, may be seen
in Heb. xii.1,2:-

"Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, Who for the joy that was set
before Him endured a cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the
right hand of the throne of God."

When the apostle spoke of the fulfilling of his joy it was in respect
to the good of others,and not of his own ease or comfort. "Fulfill ye
my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one
accord" (Phil. ii.2).  Or again in iv.1, "Therefore, my brethren,
dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the
Lord, my dearly beloved."  Look at the first six occurrences in the
prison epistles of the word "rejoice."

"What then?  Notwithstanding every way (and some of these ways were
humanly hard to endure), whether in pretense or in truth: CHRIST is
preached, and therein I do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" (Phil.
i.18).

Had the apostle thought of himself, thought upon the baseness and
ingratitude that moved some in their preaching to suppose they thereby
added affliction to his bonds, what cause would he have found for
rejoicing?  He had learned, however, a little of the mind that was in
Christ Jesus, he thought of others rather than of himself.  He who
could say, "Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life
or death," could rejoice in the fact that Christ was preached, even
though some who preached sought his injury.  Again, this utter
regardlessness of self is manifested in his words of ii.17,18:-

"Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith,
I joy and rejoice with you all.  For this cause also do ye joy and
rejoice with me."

What words are here!  The apostle willing to be poured out as a drink
offering over the sacrifice and service of their faith, and they,
seeing his utter abandonment to the service and glory of his Lord,
rejoicing together with him.  Can earth furnish such joy as this?  A
joy which no tears can blind, but which, the rather, through those
tears will take on added lustre as the rainbow from the storm.  His
"finally" is still the same blessed theme, "Finally, my brethren
rejoice in the Lord" (iii.1); "and again I say, rejoice" (iv.4).  If we
rejoice in our attainments we shall fall into grievous error and
sorrow.  If we rejoice even in the increased light shed upon the Word
we must remember the One Who alone is to be praised for the opened eye
to see.  Let our rejoicing be "in the Lord," then it will be real and
full.

Are we joyful enough?  We seek grace to manifest the fact that we are
fellow-members of the One Body, we seek grace to exhibit all lowliness
and meekness, to walk worthy of the calling, but let us not forget
"joy."  We may in times past have been misled into believing that a
solemn face, a funereal air, a joyless, sunless, rigid demeanour,
glorified the Lord.  Thanks be to God for deliverance from such things.
 Let us be glad and rejoice in the Lord.  The faith which is ours to
hold is full enough to fill us all to the brim with "joy unspeakable." 
We need not be trivial, frivolous or emotional to experience and shed
abroad something of the radiance that should be evident in those who
"rejoice in the Lord alway," and who have received the truth in the
love of it, and the faith in some measure of its joy.

Moses "wist not that his face shone," but it was evident he had been
with the Lord.  So, in like manner, may it be ours to reflect something
of the radiance of the "joy of faith."