Rightful Rejoicing

 “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

(Luke 10:20 ESV)

As we hear and receive the gospel, we take comfort in the fact that we are saved by the grace of God. We take comfort in the fact that God’s blessings are not earned or deserved by us in any way. They have been provided for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus, are given to us freely, and are received by us through faith.

This, then, is nothing in which we can take pride. It’s nothing for which we can take credit. It’s the work of God from first to last.

When it comes to our service of God, however, this is something for which we take pride. It’s something for which we take at least a measure of credit, no matter how small it may be. And we rejoice in what we have accomplished.

This is true, even when we recognize that we can do nothing by our own strength or power. This is true even when we realize that we can do nothing by our own wisdom. And this is true even as we realize that our efforts and successes result only from the power of God.

We see this mindset being played out in the passage above. Jesus had sent out the seventy-two at the beginning of this chapter. He told them that, wherever they were received, they were to eat what was set before them. And they were to heal the sick, declaring to them the kingdom of God.

As they returned to Jesus, they did so with joy. And they reported to him that even the demons were subject to them in his name. They reported to him that even the demons submitted to them in his name.

They recognized that this subjection resulted from the name of Jesus. They recognized that the power was not their own. Yet, they rejoiced in this nonetheless.

Jesus acknowledged the victory which had been won. He told them that he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. And he told them that he had given them authority over the enemy, reassuring them that nothing would hurt them. But he then added the statement seen above.

He told them that, even though this authority had been entrusted to them, they were not to rejoice in this. They were not to rejoice in the fact that the spirits were subject to them. They were to rejoice, rather, that their names were written in heaven.

They were to rejoice, then, not in the authority Jesus had given them. And they were to rejoice not in the results of their ministry. They were to rejoice in their salvation.

As we engage in ministry today, we often rejoice in the size of our church. We rejoice in the number of souls who attend our services. We rejoice in the number of YouTube and website hits we get. We rejoice in the number of those who are joining our church. We rejoice in the number of those being baptized or confirmed. And we rejoice in the growth and expansion of our ministry.

In the same way, if someone comes to faith in Christ as we share the gospel with them, we rejoice in this. If someone receives Christ as they attend our worship service, we rejoice. And it is something for which we should thank God. 

But, again, we can take no credit for this. Nor should we consider ourselves successful because of it. We should rejoice not in what God has entrusted to us. And we should rejoice not in the fact that God has worked through us. We must, rather, rejoice that our names are written in heaven. We must rejoice that the Lord has saved us and provided for us his eternal blessings.