And from this new heart of gladness, surpassing all the joys of the world, flow all springs of life (Proverbs 4:23). Out of the abundance of this heart of new gladness, the mind thinks new thoughts, the will resolves new decisions, and hands do new deeds (Matthew 12:34–35). From this new gladness in our new Treasure, we joyfully sell all we have to possess the treasure of God’s presence (Matthew 13:44). From this new gladness in our great reward, we rejoice in persecution (Matthew 5:11–12). The abundance of this new gladness overflows through affliction and poverty in a wealth of generosity (2 Corinthians 8:2).
From this most basic, most essential distinction from the world flow all the other distinctions:
- From this new gladness comes new godliness.
- From new prizing comes new praising.
- From new delights come new duties.
- From new desires come new disciplines.
- From new happiness comes new habits.
- From new preferences come new purchases.
- From new contentment comes new kindness.
- From new cherishing comes new charity.
- From new pleasure comes new patience.
- From new satisfaction comes new sexual purity.
- From new cheerfulness comes new faithfulness.
- From new treasuring comes new tenderness.
- From new joy comes new justice.
- From new rejoicing comes new risks for what is right.
- From new savoring in the soul comes new sweetness on the tongue.
- And from new life in the heart comes new love through the hand.
May God make the truth clear and compelling: The most basic, the most essential thing that distinguishes a Christian from a non-Christian is not new decisions of the will, not new deeds of the heart, not new doctrines of the mind, but a new gladness in a new God through a new gospel.
