"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
JOY is different than happiness. It’s not a fleeting feeling or reactive emotion that comes and goes with circumstances. We are happy when we have fun with our friends, find the perfect outfit, or receive a gift.
But JOY is abiding. We live IN joy as it fills us inside. That’s why it’s called joyful.
The Bible tells us joy is a fruit of the Spirit. In other words, it’s an attribute produced by the Holy Spirit of God.
So, how do we get JOY?
If joy is produced by the Holy Spirit, we need the Spirit in order to have true joy.
The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts, living within us, when we trust Jesus Christ to forgive our sins.
“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:38
We must acknowledge and be sorry for our sins, believe that Jesus is God’s Son who died to pay for our sins and rose from the dead, and trust in Jesus for salvation from sin’s punishment in hell and for eternal life with Him in heaven. Upon our salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit living in us.
"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." Romans 15:13
To live in JOY once we have salvation, we must daily repent of our sins as we submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading, follow Jesus’s ways, and obey the Father’s commandments to the best of our ability. When we fail, as we often will, our salvation is not lost. But our JOY is lost.
As we celebrate His Spirit living in us, we are blessed with JOY and all the fruits of His Spirit. We also become more loving, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.
"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with JOY." Psalm 126:3
May you be blessed with the JOY of the Lord, my friends!
Dianne
How do YOU live in God’s joy?
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