A. The pursuit of genuine happiness leads to the throne of God, for David says to God in 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 the joy that comes to an honest heart because of the truth of God.

II. THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE -- AND JOYFUL

A. Jesus assures believers that the truth that comes by His word will make them free.

1. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

2. It is important to notice the conditions that qualify these words of Christ.

a. Jesus was speaking "to those Jews who had believed Him" (John 8:31). The promise He made in this statement was only for those who believed in the Lord. The truth of Christ will not free those who do not believe Him.

b. He also said that those who believed in Him must continue in His word to be true disciples of His. It was possible for those believers in Jesus to forsake Him by neglecting His word, and it is possible for modern believers to do the same.

c. Those who continued in Christ's word as His disciples were given the promise, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." This promise stands for us today.

B. What is the truth that can be known by Christ's word, and what is the freedom that comes by this truth?

1. The truth of Christ's word in the gospel is the message of salvation from sin.

a. This message begins with the grievous truth about sin for every accountable man and woman. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23), and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23a).

b. This initial message carries no joy, but the joy comes in the message of the opportunity for our salvation. "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23b).

c. The joy of salvation cannot be understood until a person first understands the danger that his sin poses to his soul. For this reason, the gospel speaks of both sin and salvation.

d. The Lord's words of truth also give the commandments that man must obey to receive Christ's free gift of eternal life. Consider a few of Christ's words:

i. John 8:24 -- "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

ii. Matthew 10:32-33 -- "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven."

iii. Luke 13:3 -- "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

iv. Mark 16:16 -- "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."

2. The freedom that comes by this truth is a release from the bondage of sin and death.

a. It was for this reason that the Son of God put on flesh and blood. Notice Hebrews 2:14-15 -- "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives."

b. The liberating truth of Christ's word tells us how to be set free in Christ and how to remain free in Him. After being baptized into His death, we are to be raised up in a newness of life that is no longer lived in submission to the mastery of sin (Rom. 6:1-14).

C. The truth of Christ's word and the resulting freedom from sin is the source of real lasting joy.

1. When God forgives our sins through Christ, our experience is much like David's, which he expressed in Psalm 51.

a. Notice the connection between truth and joy in verses 6-8 -- "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 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."

b. Notice the appeal for the joy of God's salvation in verses 9-12 -- "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."

2. Truly, it is the release from the grievous burden of sin and the reconciliation to God that gives Christians such joy in life. As long as Christians continue in the word of the Lord, they shall remain free and joyful in Jesus.

III. REJOICE WITH THE TRUTH

A. Christians find joy when the truth lives in them and in others.

1. In that great chapter of love, the apostle Paul wrote that love "does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" (1Cor. 13:6).

a. Truth is presented here as a contrast to unrighteousness. Indeed, there are those who rejoice in unrighteousness, but this not the way of loving Christians. Notice Proverbs 15:21 -- "Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight."

b. Christians rejoice in the practice of truth, which is the practice of righteousness. Consider 1John 1:6-7 -- "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

2. Not only do Christians enjoy their own walk in the truth, but they rejoice for others who do the same.

a. The apostle John declared his joy in 3John 4, saying, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth."

b. Likewise, our greatest joy should come with the news of our own loved ones and brethren who are walking and excelling in the Lord's way.

B. Christians also find great joy in the spreading of God's truth to those who do not know the Lord.

1. Consider Paul's attitude from Philippians 1:18 -- "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice."

a. Paul was in prison when he wrote this, yet he found joy in knowing that the spread of the gospel to the lost continued.

b. Paul was joyful because his suffering was promoting the spread of Christ's truth. This was the purpose of his life, for he said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21).

2. We likewise should rejoice every time we hear that Christ has been proclaimed and received.

a. We should rejoice when we hear that gospel has gone out to those who have not heard before (Acts 11:18).

b. We should rejoice when we hear that a longtime doubter has obeyed the gospel message of salvation.

c. We should rejoice with heaven when an erring brother or sister has returned to the Lord (Luke 15:7, 10).

d. We should rejoice for any opportunity to participate in the spreading of the truth (Phil. 1:5; 4:14-18).

IV. CONCLUSION

A. For Christians, truth is a source of great joy. Even when the truth is unpleasant, Christians are happy to know it so that they can seek God's help.

B. Therefore, let us rejoice with the truth (1Cor. 13:6). Truth is the blessing of Christ by His word, and it is the means by which we have been set free from sin.