Romans 3:23. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
How can you tell whether you enjoy the gospel to the fullest extent? Isn’t that why Jesus had to come? He said, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). He came to make the gospel your gospel. He wants you to experience the true happiness found in the answer and power of the gospel 24/7.
But are you truly happy? What makes you happy? What makes you sad? What is the condition of your happiness? Does it have anything to do with your present circumstances? What do you do to maintain your happiness? Do you fear that you might lose it?
True happiness has nothing to do with the present reality of your life or the prospect of your future. It has everything to do with who you are—the you God made. In the beginning, God intended the fundamental happiness for mankind when He created them, that is, being with Him. He made mankind a spiritual being in His own image and blessed them to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:27-28). The true and only source of happiness, God Himself, was with them.
God breathed into us His breath of life (Genesis 2:17). This is the breath of life God commanded Ezekiel to call: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army (Ezekiel 37:9-10).
The resurrected Christ breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit breathed into His church: Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting (Acts 2:1). We were dead in our transgressions and sins, but God made us alive in Christ so that we may breathe again.
God placed the first man and woman in the position of true happiness in the Garden of Eden. So, their existence itself was happiness. As the trees must be rooted in the ground and the birds must fly in the air, they had to be with God to have, enjoy, and maintain happiness.
Why, then, are people unable to find true happiness? Many are suffering spiritually, emotionally, and physically, driven by the problems of family, health, finances, mental issues, and the future. In desperate pursuit of happiness, they turn to various religions and lifestyles, only to fall deeper into despair. Why?
Today’s Word states that people have been separated from God. They have fallen to a place completely cut off from the glory of God. The Bible calls this displacement sin, also called original sin. People are unhappy because of their position, not because of their problems. No one can be truly happy while they remain in this position.
No one is righteous (Romans 3:10). Everything people do does not come from faith, which Scripture calls sin (Romans 14:23). As a result, the entire human race fell into the state of sin and death, and all kinds of suffering followed, including serious mental issues such as depression (Matthew 11:28), worthless and unbalanced lifestyles (Matthew 12:25), physical illnesses (Acts 8:7-8, Matthew 8:16-17). All of these are the result of the spiritual problem stated in Scripture. People have turned to religions, superstitions, philosophy, and upright living to find good news.
Scripture tells us when this unhappiness began. It began with the first couple, Adam and Eve. The cause: unbelief and disobedience (Genesis 3:1-6). The consequence: eternal separation from God (Genesis 3:1-6), life under the power of sin and curses (Romans 3:23), life with the identity of children of the devil (John 8:44). Tragically, this unhappiness continues even now (Ephesians 2:1-2), continually increasing (Matthew 11:28-29). It worsens despite all human efforts to pursue true happiness (Matthew 12:43-45).
But why are people still unable to solve this problem? Scripture reveals the instigator of all these—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan (Revelation 12:9). He controls evil spirits and demons to bring disasters and calamities. When did he appear? The angel Lucifer became proud and rebelled against God (Ezekiel 28:14-19).
Then, there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against Lucifer (also known as the great dragon) and the angels who followed him. The dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. Since then, the devil has been leading the whole world astray ever since (Revelation 12:7-9). All he does is steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Eventually, however, he will be locked up in hell (Matthew 25:41).
If one remains separated from God, that person is destined to live as a child of the devil (John 8:44), worshiping idols (Exodus 20:4-5), suffering mentally (Matthew 11:28) and physically (Acts 8:4-8), eternally condemned in hell (Luke 16:19-31), and, in the end, leaving generational curses to future generations (Matthew 27:25). Nothing in this world can give you the true happiness you are looking for. The happiness in this world is only temporary and of the flesh, causing greater unhappiness.
Compelled by His great love for us, God sent the One with the position to solve all our problems. While we were still sinners, He died for us to move us into the position God had placed us in the first place (Romans 5:8). To that end, He destroyed what the devil had done to us. He completely removed the power of sin and death from us. His name is Jesus. His position: the Christ, the Anointed One.
When God raised Christ from the dead, He raised us from death along with Christ and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Restoring our position is called salvation. It was a gift of God to us when we believed Jesus as the Christ. It has been given to us by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).
So do not let anything deceive you about your position in Christ, the most secure place in the universe. God is reminding you once again: Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord (Deuteronomy 33:29). Discover your true happiness only in the gospel: Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:1-4).
Prayer. Father, I thank You for the gospel: Jesus Christ our Lord. You have given me Christ, the kingdom of God, and the Holy Spirit. Through this gospel, I possess life, mission, and power from Your throne. Thank You for calling me so good, precious, and honored in Your sight and bringing me to a place of true happiness. Help me continue to remain in Your covenant, gospel 24, and enjoy Your covenant through prayer 24. Help me not to be deceived by the enemy and the voices of this world. May the fruit of the gospel—life, re-creation, and eternity—fill my mission field and the lives of those You have entrusted to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.