TEXT: Galatians 5:22-23

SUBJECT: Fruit of the Spirit #2: Joy

With the Lord's blessing, we'll continue the study we began last week, called "The Fruit of the Spirit".

Every believer is to have this "fruit" in his life; he's to have all of it; he has it because He's indwelt by the Holy Spirit; he has the Holy Spirit through believing in Jesus Christ.

This "fruit" is good for you; it's good for others; but most of all, it's good for God. "Herein in My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit".

Last week, we looked at the first fruit of God's Spirit. Now, we go on to #2,

"The fruit of the Spirit is...joy".

WHAT IS JOY?

"Joy" is happiness--felt in the soul and expressed in the life. In it often seen in the Bible.

Think of David "dancing before the Lord with all his might". Or the healed man "Leaping, walking and praising God". Or the demoniac "Publishing [what Christ had done for him] and blazing it abroad".

When God made the world, "the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy". When He brings it to an end, "There shall be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain"--nothing but "His presence with exceeding joy".

As for now? The Lord is so good, that He gives everyone joy--"the just and the unjust; the evil and the good". Oh, how sinners ought to praise and thank God for making this world a good place for them and making them able to feel the joy of life.

THE BELIEVER'S LIFE IS FULL OF JOY

Although God is good to all, He has a special joy for His people, for those who belong to Him through in Christ. The believer's life, in short, is to be full of joy.

The texts are well-known:

This sounds too positive, doesn't it? Don't bad things happen to believers? Of course they do. Don't they affect our joy. Yes. They temper our joy, but they don't remove it!

This year we lost two members--one old, one young--but both dearly loved. Do we miss them? Of course we do; did we cry at their funerals? And every day since? Yes! But the losses have not brought despair. God has put a pinch of joy into the mix.

This is not unique to us. The Early Church "Greatly rejoiced, though now, for a little while, they were grieved by various trials".

How is joy consistent with pain and sickness and poverty and death? Here's how:

Thus, the believer's life is not one of misery, with a drop of joy here and there. No, life in Christ is a life of joy. Overflowing joy. With David, every believer can say,

"My cup runneth over".

WHY DOES THE BELIEVER HAVE THIS JOY?

Why does the believer have this joy? Is he just tougher than other people? More optimistic? Do we train our people to "keep a stiff upper lip" no matter what? No!

The believer has great joy for the simple reason: God loves him! Before the world was, He loved us enough to choose us for salvation. At the cross, He "Loved us and gave Himself for us". Now, He indwells us with His Holy Spirit. And promises "I will never leave you nor forsake you".

That's why we have joy. A joy the world doesn't have. And can't have. So long as it doesn't know "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord".

BECAUSE HE IS LOVED BY GOD, THE BELIEVER CAN FIND SPECIAL DELIGHT IN...

Because He is loved by God, the believer can find special delight in God Himself. He goes to "The altar of God, to God [his] exceeding joy" (Psalm 43:4). "Whom have I in heaven, but You, O Lord? And there is none that I desire on earth besides You".

God is a Judge--make no mistake about that. He is an Executioner, too. But that's not all He is. To the believer, He is a "Father who pities His children". He is a Savior who does not "Deal with us after our sins nor reward us according to our iniquity". If you believe in Christ, think of God in these terms. If you do, you'll "Delight yourself in the LORD your God".

We also find joy in His Word. His Gospel because it tells us what He did for us and how much He loved us. But not only the Gospel, the Law also gives joy to the believer. "His commandments are not grievous" said the Apostle. The Psalmist thinks it is

"More to be desired than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey

and the honeycomb".

We find joy in His people. One of the striking features of the New Testament is the "shared joy" of God's people. They "rejoiced together"; they "rejoiced with those who rejoiced"; together they "ate their food with gladness of heart". And so on.

The Church is to be a community of joy. We're to take pleasure in Christ--and in each other. Look for the Lord's Image in your brother and sister. You'll find it if you really want to. Remember, that Christ loved him or her as much as you.

We find joy in giving. "God loves a cheerful giver". We know that, of course, but does such a person exist? He does. "Blessed is he who remembers the poor" says the Psalm. "Blessed" or happy is the one who takes money out of his own pocket and gives it to someone who needs it more than he.

When the Tabernacle was built, Moses had to stop the people from giving. They were so caught up in its joy, they had to be restrained.

Lydia "urges" hospitality on Paul and Silas. In the first church, nobody said, "That's mine", they were so happy to give.

Many of us can bear witness to that. You know I'm far from rich, but I have never begrudged one dime given to the Lord. It is the only bill I enjoy paying.

"What shall I render to the LORD

for all His goodness to me?"

In a culture dominated by money, this seems hard to believe. That there could be joy in giving. But there is. Why don't you try it and find out?

THE BLESSINGS OF JOY

The blessings of joy are obvious. Joy is good for you--Proverbs 15:15;17:22.

It is good for other Christians. "The joy of the Lord is your strength" said Nehemiah. Without it, you can't truly serve the Lord--at least not very well. Thus, there is no better way to "Stimulate to love and good works" than to "rejoice in the Lord".

It is good for the world. Unbelievers want joy, too. We have to show them it can be had--through faith in Christ.

It is good for God, as it brings glory to Him. Richard Baxter abhorred a "joyless Christianity". Here's why:

Is he right? He is. God is good and His service is freedom. We know that. But do we prove it by living for Him with joy?

We ought to, for "the fruit of the Spirit is joy".

YOU CAN HAVE THIS JOY

The best thing about "joy" is that it never runs out. There is an infinite joy in God. He can dole it out by barrel and still have plenty...for you. Why don't you take it? It's freely offered to everyone. How?

Paul tells us, Romans 15:13: "Now may the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace...in believing".

Why don't you believe in Christ and know "the joy of the Lord"? Why not? Is unhappiness that enjoyable to you? Why not drop the misery of this life and find joy in Christ. Others have; you can too.

As for the believer, you can have joy on the same terms. Through believing in Christ. If you don't have it, why not pray with the man, "Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief". He will. Through a renewed faith in Christ, you can have "that former blessedness".

God give it to you--and me, too. For Christ's sake. Amen.