No Greater Joy

III John 4 - I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.


The greatest joy is not a joy of personal accomplishment, or personal fulfillment, but a joy of what others are doing.


Hear - Not necessarily see or be involved in. This seems to show that a person is getting on with their live, doing what God wants them to do, yet continues to be interested (praying, teaching, etc.) in what their children are doing. What their children are doing is out of their hands, they are completely trusting in God to work a work of grace in their children’s hearts.


Children - Perhaps not their flesh and blood children, but young people they are concerned with.


Walk - They are past the era of first finding out what the truth is, but have discovered many of the elementary elements of truth. They are past the time of “running” in the truth, and have settled from a “trot” down to a steady and continuous walk.


Truth - Many people don’t know what truth is. Many people spend their entire lives trying to figure out what truth is. Many people follow the current “truths” set forth by the various “experts” of the day. The truth is found in the Word of God, nowhere else. This is the only thing that will last.


What are these truths? As this person thinks about the past, they reminisce about the many stages of life their “children” have gone through.

  1. Eph. 2:1-3 - That they were lost and didn’t know anything about the truth. When they were presented with the truth, there was no recollection or no dawning on them that this was the truth. The children simply filed this information with all the other information about living. Eph. 2:5 - The “children” were dead in trespasses an sins. Only the Holy Ghost could bring them life, and there was nothing at all the “parent” could do.

  2. Acts 8:26-40 - The Ethiopian eunuch - The “children” discovered they were lost, by the leadership of the Holy Spirit who used the work given to them. This is a time of great confusion and unrest.

  3. Deep conviction set in. This is a time that is considered by some to be a time of great depression. A time of “aloneness” with God. Other are with you, but only God matters. It is a realization of personal condemnation and sinfulness. A time of reading and studying the Word of God to discover the truth for themselves. A time of great helplessness. A time of calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for His forgiveness. It matters not if the entire world forgives, the only thing that matters is that God forgives.

  4. Salvation came to them. Acts 8:37 - “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” This is a time of great spiritual joy and contentment. A time of realization that sins are gone, that there is perfection before God, regardless of what men may think.

  5. Acts 2:38,39 - Baptized because of salvation and receive the promises of God. The “children” were scripturally baptized, joined one of the Lord’s churches and began to learn the basic principles of the Word of God and apply them daily to their lives.

  6. The “children” grew more and more faithful to the house of God because of the Word of God, and became more and more interested in the salvation of others. Not just of their eternal souls, but of their eternal lives.

The “children” are now helping others become strong Christians.