Chapter 17 – A History of a Happy God

 

What do the following theologians throughout church history all have in common?
·        Gregory of Nyssa (335–394),
·        Augustine,
·        Anselm,
·        Aquinas,
·        Peter Abelard (1079–1142),
·        Thomas à Kempis (1380–1471),
·        Martin, Luther,
·        John Calvin,
·        Stephen Charnock,
·        Matthew Henry (1662–1714),
·        John Gill (1697–1771),
·        Jonathan Edwards,
·        Charles Hodge,
·        Charles Spurgeon,
·        AW Pink,
·        Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987),
·        Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981),
·        AW Tozer,
·        Wayne Grudem,
·        and Thomas Oden

They all emphasized that God is a happy God and the core of our happiness. For example, Jonathan Edwards wrote, 

“He has created man for this very end, to make him happy in the enjoyment of himself, the Almighty, who was happy from the days of eternity in himself… The beholding of God’s happiness will increase the joy, to consider that he is so happy.”

Why is this important? Alcorn makes the point that it is only in our day that we have neglected the importance of the happiness of God. Some in our generation even feel describing God as happy seems blasphemous. We are the ones out of step with the consistent stream of church history that has found great joy in a joyful, happy God.