AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Friday – March 3, 2023, Adar 10, 5783
FRIDAY NUGGETS
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – JOY
Greetings dear and precious saints of God and those who are not yet saints. Become a saint today if you are not, simply repeat the following verse putting it in the first person and in your own hearing.
Romans 10:9 (KJV)
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Simply say out loud: I declare Jesus as Lord of my life and I believe that God has raised Him from the dead, I receive salvation, I am saved. Welcome to the Light, the Kingdom of God.
As I move forward, please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible by every means available to you. Thank you so much for sharing. Now, let’s move to our primary text for the study of the fruits of the spirit. I will be finishing with love and picking up with joy. Please continue to read out loud.
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
I spent six weeks on love (agapē/agapaō) and even that only scratches around on the surface of the topic. I have a short book coming out soon titled Agapē. I will keep you posted. You will recall that there are three major components to the God level love which only those born again can express. First is obedience to Scripture. This obedience is not a here and there or a pick and choose but all the time. Second is a selfless lifestyle, way of thinking and speaking. We all have a tendency to say inwardly and outwardly, “what about me?” This is a part of our fallen nature and needs to be put to death, completely denied. And, third is to abide in the Blood Covenant. You will recall that there are ten major components of this Covenant between us and our Lord. These same points apply to our spouse as well. Remember these two verses from the “love chapter”.
1 Corinthians 13:1 (ESV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Now, let’s explore the fruit of joy. The word translated from Greek to English as joy is chara from the root word chairō meaning cheerfulness, calm delight, to be cheerful, calmly happy or well-off according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. As you know experientially joy is catching just as sadness and sorrow are catching. There is a strength that comes in all areas of life with the expression of joy. In joy we are able to build others up. Let’s listen to Jesus talk about joy.
John 15:10-14 (KJV)
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Here we can clearly see that none of the fruit stand alone. There is an intimate mixing in this passage of love (agapē/agapaō) and joy. It would seem that joy is not possible, at least not Godly, supernatural joy, absent love (obeying the Word) and a selfless lifestyle. What did Jesus say was the most important thing to bring and maintain joy in our lives? Keeping the commandments, not just the so called big ten, all of them, especially the love (agapē/agapaō) commandment.
I will pick up on this supernatural fruit of joy a little more next Friday.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Receive the blessing in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (MSG)
24 GOD bless you and keep you,
25 GOD smile on you and gift you,
26 GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.
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