A bit of research on the word ‘rejoice’ reveals that love does not rejoice in sin because the love of God cannot rejoice in sin. The two are totally incompatible. In other words, if I am feeling good about seeing sin in others, then I am not loving them, indicating that the love of God, which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is not in me. Thus any happy feelings that I might have are only a self-centered delight in getting my way and a certain indication that the love of God is not governing my heart.
This anomaly also indicates the reason for such delight — I could be using the sins of others to justify my own. For example, if talking about others behind their backs makes my old nature feel good and I am seeking those who also enjoy that, then we are involved in a grave sin (gossip) and trying to justify it by spending time with others who also enjoy putting down other people. This is not about love at all, no matter how good it might feel.
MacArthur gives several examples of how people justify sin yet that does not always produce joy. Some who point at the sins of others to make themselves look good are grouchy and miserable. Living without love can produce all sorts of selfishness yet it cannot fill us with joy over sin. If happy feeling exist about sin, it is from the flesh or old nature. The reasons could include making excuses for my own sin, putting down others to make me look good, giving into worldly ideas, enjoying a sense of superiority when I see others who are ’worse than me’ and all sorts of ‘me first’ self-centered ideas.
Godly love cannot produce joy over sin just like cows cannot fly and trees do not go swimming. The Lord’s nature is never thrilled over sin. He is so against it that He sent His Son to die for it. No joy. However, He may laugh at it . . .
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. (Psalm 2:1–4)
Sometimes I watch a detective show on television, not because I enjoy seeing crimes committed but because I see the justice done at the end of the show. I’ve read novels where the villain got away with his crime and tossed that book in the trash. Rejoicing over sin is not an attitude that goes away by avoiding or never seeing sin. This joy or lack of real joy is a matter of the heart and of who is in control of my life. I cannot enjoy sin because Jesus lives in me. That is one of several evidences of the new life He gives when a person is saved. The only thing that can make me feel good about sin is when I’ve said NO to God and allowed the world, the flesh, and the Liar control my thinking. Then sin becomes appealing, but since sin robs me of joy, I seldom want to stay there. Fake joy does not last.
PRAY: Oh Lord Jesus, I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit joy that You give, and that nothing can be its substitute. Feeling good when I get my way is not like the joy that is deep within, there even when things are not as I’d like. It is related to Your “peace that passes understanding” promised to those who trust You. It is the evidence of the Spirit living in me. And when that joy is gone, it is evidence that my life is not right, that something needs to be confessed, and that You are calling me to come closer. Of course love does not rejoice in sin. If it did, that would be like You applauding when I do sinful things. That runs totally contrary to what You did about sin — You died for it.
PONDER: Do a NT word search for joy and note the reasons for it. Consider passages like Matthew 5 as well.
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