CE 1 YEAR: 26 The Spirit’s Joy

Week 26

The Spirit’s Joy

Christian JOY is feeling happy and content

A result of God’s Spirit controlling you is “joy” (Gal 5:22). We define Christian JOY as: “THE POWER TO ALWAYS FEEL HAPPY AND CONTENT.” The Greek words in the NT for joy (chara) mean to feel happy. The meaning of “happiness” in English ranges from feeling CONTENT (pleased, satisfied) to feeling DELIGHT (pleasure, enjoyment, excitement). Therefore, we define Christian JOY as: “The power to always feel happy and content.”

One false belief is that the Spirit’s JOY somehow feels different than human happiness. It does not. The Greek words in the NT translated “joy” mean “happiness.” Think of the happiest moments of your life. That is what the Spirit’s JOY can feel like. When God says the fruit of the Spirit is joy (Gal 5:22), He is saying being controlled by His Spirit will make you feel HAPPY!

Most people would identify the feeling of joy with smiling and laughing. But JOY can mean something more like feeling CONTENT. The Spirit’s JOY can be a general feeling of well-being.

The Spirit’s JOY is feeling happy and content. Of course God’s Spirit is the Holy Spirit. But He is also the Happy Spirit because He always has JOY. And when He controls us, we will feel His Joy too.

This biblical fact begins to reveal just how seldom God’s Spirit controls many Christians. The Bible teaches that you will feel JOY when God’s Spirit controls you. Therefore, if you are not feeling JOY, then your sinful nature is probably controlling you. Because the fruit of the Spirit is joy (Gal 5:22).

The importance of JOY

JOY is a huge theme of God’s word. And a repeated command. The Bible says always be joyful (1 Thess 5:16) and always be full of joy (Phil 4:4). God not only commands you to always feel JOY and happiness, but this is the purpose of all His commands. Jesus said He told us His commandments so that we would overflow with joy as we obey them (John 15:10-11). When Jesus said He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10), He surely meant a happy life. This is why JOY is as central to Christianity as “righteousness” (Rom 14:17-18).

JOY and happiness are a repeated topic and command in Scripture because it is a defining virtue of Real Christianity. Christianity is not Real Christianity without LOVE. Likewise, Christianity is not Real Christianity without JOY and happiness.

God wants us to serve Him with JOY in order to prove that we are serving Him with LOVE. It is easy to be deceived about this. Many Christians believe they are doing something for God or people with LOVE merely because it feels SACRIFICIAL and HARD. Think of a person who serves someone, but their “sacrifice” feels like a duty and burden to them. Because they choose to overcome their reluctance, and do the good deed, they assume it must be LOVE. Doesn’t the fact that something feels like a struggle and sacrifice prove that it is LOVE? No.

Remember the Apostle Paul’s warning about love. You can do something for God that is even as hard and sacrificial as giving away all of your money and possessions, and even being martyred, but “not have love”! (1 Cor 13:3). Just because serving God or people feels HARD and SACRIFICIAL does not mean you are doing it with LOVE.

What are signs that your serving and sacrifice are not with LOVE? Complaining and feeling like your service is a duty or a burden. Doing something for God or people because you feel you have to instead of want to, is not LOVE. And serving God out of duty instead of delight is a bad reflection of who we think God is. Our gladness about serving Him, glorifies Him as a great God!

Why are these the signs of a lack of LOVE? Because the Spirit’s LOVE is ALWAYS accompanied by the Spirit’s JOY! You will feel the Spirit’s JOY and happiness whenever you do something with the Spirit’s LOVE. Always. Why do we always experience the Spirit’s LOVE and JOY together? Because the Holy Spirit is a Person. When He controls you, it is not with just one part of Him. You are not going to experience His LOVE without experiencing His JOY. The powers of God’s Spirit are always experienced together.

This is probably why the Apostle listed the power of JOY right after LOVE in his list of the “fruit” of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). Of course, LOVE had to be first in the list because it flavors all the other fruit of the Spirit. Why did he list JOY second? Because it is the surest sign that LOVE is controlling you.

Real Christianity is not just what you DO, but also what you FEEL. If anyone tells you that only obedience to God matters, regardless of how you FEEL, then they don’t understand God’s will. The Bible says “righteousness” alone is not enough to be “pleasing to God.” It is “righteousness” and FEELING “peace and joy” as you serve Christ that is “pleasing to God” (Rom 14:17-18).

Does obeying God and serving people ever feel like a duty? Something you have to force yourself to do but don’t really FEEL like doing? That is not Real Christianity. Do you see how much your feelings matter to God? Pleasing God is not just a matter of good DEEDS done in your body, but also good EMOTIONS of peace and joy felt in your heart.

While many Christians ignore this, God makes His opinion on this very clear in Scripture. (Deut 15:10; 28:47-48; Ps 100:2; Rom 12:8, 11). We are to feel excited and motivated when we serve God. Does God want you to give your money and time to His Church generously? Yes. But, God is pleased with a CHEERFUL giver, not one who gives reluctantly (2 Cor 9: 5, 7).

Only when you are doing something with the Spirit’s JOY can you be certain that you are doing it with the Spirit’s LOVE. Only the Spirit’s joy can ensure that you are doing something with God’s power instead of your own will power. And only the Spirit’s joy can tell you that your motives are right too.

Even reading the Bible, prayer, and going to church do not please your Father if you really do not feel like doing them. When we do things for God or people out of a sense of duty instead of delight, it does not please our Father. Aren’t we the same with our children? Do we want mere obedience or a joyful heart? Your Father is the same. This is why God wants you to love Him with all your heart, because your heart certainly includes your feelings (Matt 22:37).

Paul said he wanted to minister to Christians so they would be full of joy (2 Cor 1:24). Does that describe your spiritual leaders? Are they content with people simply serving and doing the right things regardless of how they feel? Paul was not, and neither is God.

The reason for JOY

Writing from prison, the Apostle Paul commanded all Christians to always feel joy. And because he knew many would struggle to believe the command was possible, he repeated himself: “I will say this again. Be joyful!” (Phil 4:4). Likewise, Paul told the persecuted Thessalonian Christians “Always be joyful” (1 Thess 5:16; cf. 1:6).

How is this possible? Why does God expect His children to always be happy? Because our heavenly blessings ALWAYS give us overwhelming reasons to be happy! For example, read Ephesians 1:3-5. Christian, THIS is why you NEVER have any excuse for not feeling joy and happiness. These things can never be taken from you and they far exceed whatever might disappoint you in this life.

What earthly blessing could possibly be better than “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms”? What would you rather have, a happy marriage or God the Father’s love? What is better, to enjoy good physical health, or have all of your sins forgiven? What makes you happier, your temporary “treasures here on earth” or “your treasures in heaven” (Matt 6:19-20)? Christian, you are going to live a perfect life in a perfect place FOREVER. And you still want to claim there are good reasons in this life to not feel HAPPY?

This is why the biblical command is: “Always be full of joy in the Lord” (Phil 4:4). The source of this never-ending “joy” is our trust, belief, and appreciation for all the heavenly blessing we have “in the Lord.”

This is why God expects us to feel happiness and joy even in our sadness. This is the power of the Holy Spirit’s joy. It can accompany sadness and suffering. Of course, there are times to be sad (Rom 12:15). Jesus Christ was sometimes sad (Matt 26:38; Luke 19:41; John 11:35; Isa 53:3). But He always felt joy, even in His sadness, because God’s Spirit always controlled Him. Because the Spirit’s joy can be mixed with sadness, you too can always have joy. This is why the Bible tells us not to grieve like the world when a beloved Christian dies. We have a hope that will give us joy (1 Thess 4:13).

Likewise, the Spirit’s joy can mix with suffering. Few suffered more than Paul, but no one wrote more about joy (2 Cor 7:4; Col 1:24; Phil 2:17; 4:4). In fact, Paul described himself as sorrowful but happy (2 Cor 6:10). He described other Christians as experiencing the joy given by the Holy Spirit even in the midst of severe suffering (1 Thess 1:6). Paul told the Colossians, “I am glad when I suffer for you” (Col 1:24; cf. Phil 2:17-18). He said of himself and his companions: “In all our troubles my joy knows no bounds” (2 Cor 7:4). He wrote of “the Macedonian churches” that “In the midst of a very severe trial” they still experienced, “overflowing joy” (2 Cor 8:1-2 cf. Heb 10:34).

That is the amazing power of the Spirit’s joy. God wants you to experience it no matter what is happening to you. Nothing is supposed to stop your JOY Christian. Not even severe suffering. True Christian suffering always includes JOY. If yours does not, then you merely have the world’s kind of suffering.

This very power of Christian JOY was demonstrated by the Apostles who were “flogged” by the Jewish authorities (Acts 5:40). Flogging was the Jewish practice of whipping a person 39 times causing deep and painful cuts in their body. Nevertheless, “The apostles left the high council rejoicing [chairontes: “feeling happy!”] that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41).

What excuse do you have to lose your JOY and feeling happy and content? The Bible gives you none. God expects you to smile in every trial. Why? Because of your great and unchanging heavenly blessings. And appreciating and trusting in those will enable you to always be full of joy in the Lord and to be happy (Phil 4:4).

Your “JOY button”

Imagine God created you with a button on your body that made you feel joy. Like your belly button. Whenever you pushed your belly button, it sent hormones to your brain that made you feel joy. Wouldn’t that be great? If somebody is mean to you, instead of being mad, you push your belly button and feel glad. Well God does give you a joy button. Any time you will use it, no matter what is happening, you will experience happiness. Your joy button is PRAISE.

Paul told the suffering Thessalonian Christians “Always be joyful” (1 Thess 5:16; cf. 1:6). How could they do that? In the very next verse Paul told them “Be thankful in all circumstances” (1 Thess 5:17-18). Do you see the secret to obeying the command to “Always be joyful” (1 Thess 5:16)? It’s “be thankful in all circumstances” (v. 18). Do you see that PRAISE gives you a tremendous POWER in your life? There is nothing better in life than JOY and happiness. And you can always experience these if you choose to praise God no matter what is happening. (See the same connection in Philippians 4:4-8).

Why is praise so powerful to give you JOY? Because it helps you TRUST the TRUTH. Remember in Week 24 you learned that trusting God’s truth “turns on” God’s Spirit in you. Praising God focuses your mind on all of those blessings God has given you in Heaven and on Earth. The only reason we do not always feel HAPPY is because we ignore, forget, or diminish the value of “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Eph 1:3) that God has already given us and will never take away. When you are trusting in the love of God, the forgiveness of God, the goodness of God, and your future with God, JOY will fill your heart and your day. This is because when you are trusting God’s truth, it activates God’s Spirit to control your life and give you joy.

Practical Application: Complaining is a sure sign we have lost the Spirit’s joy. Commit one week to never complaining. Watch over your heart with diligence (Prov 4:23) and notice when you are not feeling happy and praise God to restore your joy in Him.

In your small group meeting this week, share praises and prayer requests and then discuss these questions:

1) What is the full meaning of joy? Why is it important to understand this?

2) Why is it wrong to define the Spirit’s joy only with high emotions like excitement? How does this help you identify the Spirit’s joy in your life?

4) Why is the Spirit’s joy perhaps the surest sign you are controlled by the Spirit’s love? What are feelings we often confuse with love?

5) Why can we obey the command to always feel joy?

6) What Christian habit will enable us to always experience joy?

7) What did God speak to you through this chapter? What will you do because of this?