Regardless of your reputation, the difference between being dead or alive on the inside is a matter of rejoicing greatly. Not rejoicing that you’re alive - though that is a worthy reason - but rejoicing greatly in God.

In John 3, Mr. the Baptist lists three occupations of a friend of the Bridegroom. They (1) Stand, (2) Hear his voice and (3) rejoice greatly. Rejoicing greatly in the voice of the Bridegroom is not only to delight yourself in the Lord but to love what he loves and hate what he hates.

Let me tell you something: There is a coming expression of Christianity that will be filled with people who love righteousness with all they are and they will hate sin with all they are. And this new expression of Christianity will change the way others view the church.

Something we often don’t realize is that we can stand and hear without rejoicing. This is called deceiving ourselves.

Paul describes this type of person pretty well in Romans 2.

You are called a [Christian], and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things which are excellent, being instructed out of the law and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.

You therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?

Just as the church of Sardis had a name that they were alive but they were dead so can we. We can grow up in the church, approve the things that are excellent, and even give advice and teaching to others but does that mean we are alive on the inside?

If you are truly a friend of the Bridegroom then you are alive on the inside. You have intimacy with God. You not only stand before God and hear his voice but you rejoice greatly.

You love what God loves and hate what He hates.

You may not have it all figured out and you may not be walking in perfect righteousness, but you are grieved by the darkness in your heart and you are hungry for more of God.

Even as I type this out I realize how distant I am from this reality. There are so many areas in my life and in my heart that I want to hold on to. There are things I don’t want to give up, and attitudes I want to hang on to, and lifestyle practices that I want to continue doing.

The Lord can point those things out and even help us to despise them. But ultimately it is up to us to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to them. And that, my friends, is the very decision upon which our entire destiny hinges. We must choose to rejoice.