2.
The Fruit
of the Holy Spirit. Joy.
Bible Reading: Galatians
5:22.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is joy.”
2: JOY.
1. THE PLAN OF JOY.
A. Christ's birth brought joy, Luke 2:10. Christ brought good tidings of great joy to all people.
B. Christ's life brought joy, Acts 10:38. Wherever Christ went, He brought joy, through His
teaching, ministry, healing, or miracles.
C. Christ's death brought joy, John 1:36. Because Jesus is the Lamb of God, we no longer need to
make sacrifices. Through His death we have full forgiveness.
D. Christ's resurrection brought joy, John 14:19. Because He lives, we too shall live (cf. John 11:25-26).
E. Christ's ascension brought joy. Note Christ's words
before His ascension (John 14:1‑3)
and the angel's words after Christ's ascension (Acts 1:11).
2. THE POWER OF THIS JOY.
He wants our joy to be full (John 16:24).
A. Joy in sorrow. Job's life.
I. Job lost all that he had (Job 1:21).
2. Job had faith in God (Job 12:15).
3. He knew God was alive (Job 19:25).
4. When Job was tried, he was as
gold in a fire (Job 23:10).
5. Even in times of sorrow, Christians may find joy in the
Lord (Psalm 30:5).
B. Joy in sickness. (Paul had a thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul knew that God
had a plan and purpose in everyday happenings of men (Romans 8:28).
C. Joy in suffering, 2
Timothy 3:12. Persecution and suffering will come. Paul and Silas were in
prison, yet they still sang praises to God (Acts 16:25).
3. THE PERIL OF THIS JOY.
One may lose the joy of the Lord.
David prayed for God to restore the joy of salvation (Psalm 51:12). One may lose this joy:
A. Anger. When one becomes angry, he loses the joy of the
Lord.
B. Criticism. Being critical toward others shows the lack of
the joy of the Lord.
C. Sin. Sin always separates men from God, causing them to
lose the joy of the Lord. David is an example.
D. Spiritual pride. This leads to criticism, as well as a
fighting spirit.
E. Lack of patience. A patient person is a joyful person.
