The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
The Fruit of the Spirit • Sermon • Submitted
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
This passage identifies the fruit of the Spirit. It shows nine aspects of that which comes from the Spirit of God to help those that are believers live a Christ-like life. I firmly believe that our world is in such a mess today because there is an absence of this fruit being lived out among Christians. It is time for us to be bold and courageous exemplifying this fruit in our families, our communities, our nation and world.
Last week I shared with you that the first aspect of this fruit is love. Love comes first. Love comes forth. Love comes forever. Without love, none of the other aspects we will talk about will even exist. It becomes a matter of priority of the heart. These nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit are divided up into three subsets. The first three, love, joy and peace are focused on the attitude of the believer towards God. The second set, patience, kindness, and goodness are focused on the attitude of the believer towards others. The third set, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are focused on the attitude of the believer towards self. It is interesting to note that long ago someone came up with the acronym for joy to mean Jesus, others, and you. That acronym certainly comes into play as these subsets are carried out. We are to serve Jesus first, others second and ourselves last. It if fitting to study joy so that we can fully understand joy and experience it in the way that God has designed for us. As we look at this second aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, we will look at joy introduced, joy instructed, joy initiated, and joy intrigued.
Joy Introduced
Joy Introduced
As previously mentioned, joy is listed second in this list of aspects right after love. It is interesting to note that it is right after love but just before peace. You will see that joy is in the middle of love and peace. I do not think that is a coincidence. Joy is the center of this triplet and ties the other two together. One who has never loved does not have joy. One who does not know peace has no joy.
Joy is defined as that inward peace and sufficiency that is not affected by outward circumstances. It is from the word CHARA which means a deep and abiding inner rejoicing which was promised to those who abide in Christ.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Joy does not depend on circumstances because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things. My favorite verse has long been Romans 8:28.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
There are many who fail to see that God is indeed at work in all things for His good of those called according to His purpose. When this happens, there is an absence of joy. This causes one to constantly be looking within one’s own self instead of looking to Christ. Joy does not come from what one has but what one is. It does come from where but whose. It is not from what one experiences but from knowing the One who experienced all for us! That is joy!
Do you have joy today? James 1:2 says to “Count it all joy.” So how does one do that? Again, it is best to turn to God’s word to see how He has instructed us about joy.
Joy Instructed
Joy Instructed
The Bible is full of instructions about joy. There are many throughout the scripture but I want to share with you ten of them.
1 Thessalonians 1:6 instructs us that joy is given.
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17 also tells us that joy is given and a way of life by the Holy Spirit.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Romans 15:13 tell us that joy is filling and can overflow in our lives.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 3:9 shows us that joy is contagious.
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
We are given joy in knowing that joy is present in us because of others.
2 Corinthians 6:10 shows us that joy comes even with sorrow.
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
In Philippians 4:4 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16 we see joy is a command.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Be joyful always;
1 Peter 1:8 tells us that joy is glorious.
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
1 John 1:4 tells us that joy is complete.
We write this to make our joy complete.
Isaiah 35:10 tells us that joy is everlasting.
and the ransomed of the Lord will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Joy Initiated
Joy Initiated
Scripture certainly tells us how precious joy is as an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. Charles Spurgeon cautioned saying, “Precious as the fruit is, do not put the fruit where the root should be. Joy is not the root of grace but the fruit of it.” Joy comes from God and He gives it to us in various forms. Let’s look deeper at how joy is initiated.
Joy comes from God Himself.
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Joy comes in hearing.
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
Joy comes in believing the word brought to us.
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
Joy comes in salvation.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
Joy comes in redemption and it is precious.
For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
Joy gives us eternal security.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
Joy comes from the fact that God is mindful of us.
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
Joy comes to us in the form of prayer.
these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.”
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
Joy comes to us when others receive salvation.
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
Joy comes even in our suffering.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
You might thinking, “Wow, I never knew that joy was so prevalent!” If that is the case, then perhaps we need to look at some reasons for not knowing joy. First, joy may be absent from our lives because we have put our joy in things that have become idols. Some of these could include joy of self, joy of job, joy of relationships, joy of money, or joy of health. All of those things are good things, but when we make idols of them they become bad things.
Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.
Secondly, joy may be absent because our unbelief has squelched our joy. When you experiment with unbelief, you are becoming part of a crowd I do not think you would want to be!
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
That does not sound like a joyful place does it?
Joy Intrigued
Joy Intrigued
What happens when we allow joy to be intrigued? In other words, what happens when we become fascinated with joy? By the way, all these aspects of the fruit of the Spirit are given to us to develop character and become like Christ. It is a process and it is the result of our choices. When we choose joy, there are several advantages.
First, choosing joy means choosing to be strong.
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Choosing joy means choosing to be happy.
But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.
Choosing joy means to be what we are designed for.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Choosing joy means we are preparing for our future in heaven.
and the ransomed of the Lord will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Choosing joy means we are defeating Satan.
Martin Luther said when he hear any very bad news, “Come let us sing a psalm, and spite the devil.”
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
Choosing joy is pleasing to God.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy in his dwelling place.
The Galatians were dealing with the questions whether they were to be justified by religion or a relationship with Jesus. The Bible says that joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit. That tells me that joy teaches us we are not bound to rituals and religion. Rather, we are placed near the heart of God because His mercy through Jesus Christ. That makes me want to shout and experience, JOY JOY JOY! What about you?