1 Thessalonians 1:6
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit…

As we have already seen, a Christian is one identified with Christ in both word and deed. Having placed the sum of their faith in Christ’s death as a substitution for their sins, they now live in a way that seeks to imitate His faith and obedience, empowered by the Holy Spirit. And this is an important distinction. A Christian’s call is not to simply follow Christ’s teachings or to become acquainted with his history. No, we are to imitate him, and that imitation is marked by two distinct characteristics: affliction because of the gospel and the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Having already dealt with affliction, we now turn our attention to the joy of the Holy Spirit. How can joy and affliction work together? Listen to the words of James: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” [James 1:2-4] Affliction is hard to endure, but joy reminds us that it has purpose in the Christian's life.

As new life grows in its mother's womb, the mother can feel pain as the child grows. Months of sickness, sleepless nights, and sore muscles would never be called enjoyable, yet the mother gladly endures through these. Why? Because of the joy that fills her spirit at the thought of her unborn child. When we think of what the Lord has done for us, our response should be a joyous one! It is this same joy of the Lord that Nehemiah called his strength, and it is this same joy that caused Paul to rejoice in suffering, knowing that adversity produces hope in the lives of God's children.

If we were asked to say what compelled Christ to give himself over to be murdered on a cross, most of us would answer "love." And while this is true, God's word also tells us that Christ endured the cross for the "joy set before him" [Hebrews 12:3]. Our Savior's joy came from being in complete submission to the perfect will of His Father. Not only that, but God promised his Son that if he were to be obedient, even to the point of death, that His sacrifice would be received and it would purchase a people of His own possession.

The joy of the Holy Spirit is rooted in the eternal providence of the Father and His perfect plan for our salvation, made possible through the all-sufficient work of the Son on our behalf. Those who follow Christ should also have a joy rooted in the unchanging character and promises of God.