MINNESOTA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION

Restoring the Joy of Salvation!

by Dr. Lance T. Ketchum, MBA State Missionary

Address the Issue of our Despair

III. We need to address the issue of our despair to God. There are certain principles we must be clear about before we can ever hope to enjoy our salvation.

"Why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" (Psalm 43:2b)

Why does God cast us off? Because Christ must take us to the low ground of the conviction of our sinfulness before He can take us to the high ground of fellowship and joy.

"The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever, and if you are not doing so you are a sinner of the deepest dye, whether you know it and feel it or not." (Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, page 30)

Imagine the worst sins you can think of: murder, rape, homosexuality and child molestation (to name a few). We are self-righteous when we think we are better than the people who commit such acts when we know within our hearts that apart from the grace of God we would be doing the same things.

Knowing God and living for Him should be the greatest source of joy in a Christian's life. If it is not, there is a serious spiritual problem.