Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
The righteous are called to find joy in the Lord and to give thanks whenever His holiness is remembered. That rejoicing stands together with loving the Lord and hating evil, with His keeping the souls of His saints and delivering them from the hand of the wicked, and with light sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart. The righteous who so rejoice are those clothed in the garments of Christ's righteousness.
The same rejoicing fills the repentant sinner when he perceives the privilege of being enabled to unite with Christ. That union is possible because Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, so that human beings may partake of the divine nature and overcome the corruption in the world through lust. Such rejoicing expresses itself in serving the Lord with gladness and singing, in knowing that He is God who made His people as the sheep of His pasture, and in coming before Him with thanksgiving and praise and blessing His name, because the Lord is good and His mercy and truth endure forever.
That joyful service is how every soul now seeks higher ground in serving the Lord. Living it requires putting away all evil speaking, all selfish plans, and all speech that would injure the influence of others or confuse their judgment. It requires keeping words free from impressions contrary to what should be received, emptying the heart of all self-seeking, and living so that no soul is led to make false moves. It means believing the promises of God, magnifying His holy name, and continually honoring Him with praise and thanksgiving.
It means ceasing all repining, complaining, faultfinding, evil speaking and evil surmising, hating evil, and keeping the heart in harmony with God and pure. It means being cheerful and speaking pleasant words from a heart aglow with the love of God, so that complaining ones who see the brighter side of life are led to rejoice. The joy gives all glory to God with no ambitious exalting of self. True peace and joy and victory come from the Lord alone, holy joy is a sanctified privilege of believers, and the Lord will surely humble those who uplift themselves.
The rejoicing belongs to those who remain humble and lowly and dependent on God as the source of mercy and peace and love. It is lost when self-exaltation and self-sufficiency put self in high places. The verse is to be obeyed with a sensible understanding of the times, realizing that the end of all things is near and that character building will soon bear the test of the investigative judgment.
The righteous are called to find joy in the Lord and to give thanks whenever His holiness is remembered. That rejoicing stands together with loving the Lord and hating evil, with His keeping the souls of His saints and delivering them from the hand of the wicked, and with light sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart. The righteous who so rejoice are those clothed in the garments of Christ's righteousness.
The same rejoicing fills the repentant sinner when he perceives the privilege of being enabled to unite with Christ. That union is possible because Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, so that human beings may partake of the divine nature and overcome the corruption in the world through lust. Such rejoicing expresses itself in serving the Lord with gladness and singing, in knowing that He is God who made His people as the sheep of His pasture, and in coming before Him with thanksgiving and praise and blessing His name, because the Lord is good and His mercy and truth endure forever.
That joyful service is how every soul now seeks higher ground in serving the Lord. Living it requires putting away all evil speaking, all selfish plans, and all speech that would injure the influence of others or confuse their judgment. It requires keeping words free from impressions contrary to what should be received, emptying the heart of all self-seeking, and living so that no soul is led to make false moves. It means believing the promises of God, magnifying His holy name, and continually honoring Him with praise and thanksgiving.
It means ceasing all repining, complaining, faultfinding, evil speaking and evil surmising, hating evil, and keeping the heart in harmony with God and pure. It means being cheerful and speaking pleasant words from a heart aglow with the love of God, so that complaining ones who see the brighter side of life are led to rejoice. The joy gives all glory to God with no ambitious exalting of self. True peace and joy and victory come from the Lord alone, holy joy is a sanctified privilege of believers, and the Lord will surely humble those who uplift themselves.
The rejoicing belongs to those who remain humble and lowly and dependent on God as the source of mercy and peace and love. It is lost when self-exaltation and self-sufficiency put self in high places. The verse is to be obeyed with a sensible understanding of the times, realizing that the end of all things is near and that character building will soon bear the test of the investigative judgment.