Well, how is my obedience connected to my joy?

It's a question today from Jonathan.

Hi, Pastor John.

I'm a seminary student in South Africa.

My question is about Christian hedonism.

What a deep and powerful thing enjoying God is, which God used greatly in my conversion.

After a couple of years, however, my joy in God grew very dim.

Not only my joy, but also my contentment and pricing of God above all else, a most

joyful state, but it disappeared.

This is especially true when I fall into sin.

I feel that sin blinds me to who God is, and thus I don't enjoy Him for who He is because

I can't see Him for who He is.

Is that true?

And how much of our joy in Christ is only achievable and possible in a state of robust

obedience to Christ?

Pastor John, what would you say to Jonathan?

I'm going to say things a little differently than Jonathan, but first let me affirm his

insight, namely that when we are living in disobedience to Christ, our joy in Him will

be minimal or non-existent, depending on the depth and duration of the disobedience.

That's true.

So you might say our greatest enjoyment of Christ can only be enjoyed, can be had in

a robust state of obedience.

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