When doing a WORD STUDY, we must remember that several different
original language words are often translated into one English word.
Therefore, a WORD STUDY must be based on the original language words and
must consider the context of the word being used. The two words I used to demonstrate the WORD STUDY method of Bible study were JOY (rejoice) and HAPPY (happiness). We discussed the difference between being "happy" and being "joyful"
Joy has both cognitive and affective aspects. It rests on knowledge, faith, and
hope. It is something to be expected and experienced. It involves the totality
of our being, not simply knowing or having. Let us look carefully at three main
points.
1. CHRISTIANS HAVE JOY BECAUSE OF THEIR PLACE IN CHRIST
Joy is linked with the central message of the gospel, the
coming of Jesus Christ into the world. In Luke 2:10 the angel said, "Do
not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be
for all the people." People who believed in Jesus and received Him by
faith experienced a new birth. This is a work of the Holy Spirit. This
spiritual experience is marked by joy. Sins are forgiven. A right relationship
with God has begun by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). An inward state of
joy is present.
The parable in Matthew 13:44 illustrates the supreme value
and joy experienced when one finds the hidden treasure of the kingdom of
heaven: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field,
which a man found and hid; and for the joy over it he goes and sells all that
he has, and buys that field."
In Romans 14:17, Paul says, "The kingdom of God is not
eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit." The believer in Christ is graciously given these precious
qualities and needs to cultivate a continued life-style of growth. The apostle
John says, "No one takes your joy away from you" (John 16:22). The
joy of a Christian does not depend upon other people or the circumstances of
life. The believer can sing with meaning the words of a song, "I’ve got
something that the world can’t give, and the world can’t take it away."
This joy is in Jesus.
Paul found his place in Christ. Whatever the
change, the challenge, the circumstance, or the crisis, he learned to rejoice.
He came to know that his sufficiency was in Jesus Christ alone. Joy is an expression
of confident faith grounded in a love relationship with Christ. It is gladness
in God, contentment with excitement and exuberance in communion with the Lord.
The Holy Spirit helps Christians grow in the
development of joy. It also takes human effort in order to cognitively learn
and emotionally experience this fruit of the Spirit. The process will last a
lifetime.
2. CHRISTIANS HAVE JOY BECAUSE OF THEIR PURPOSE IN LIFE.
God has not created people without a purpose. We
can know His plan and grow in our understanding of the meaning of the purpose
He has for every one of us. When we align our wills with the will of God, He
gives us His joy.
The gospel of John emphasizes a "fullness of
joy." In chapter 15 the context of fruit-bearing involves abiding in
Christ, keeping His commandments, and continuing in His love.
Jesus states the purpose of this teaching in
verse 11, "that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made
full." In chapter 16 Jesus encourages the disciples to pray in His name,
and He promises they will receive, "that your joy may be made full"
(verse 24).
In Romans 15:13 Paul prays, "Now may the God
of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Joy does not stand alone. In this
verse it is linked with believing, hope, and peace. A believer’s purpose in
life includes many qualities. My focus in this message is mainly on joy
Even in the midst of pain and suffering, Paul
knew well that a believer can have joy. He experienced disappointment and deep
sorrow. Still, he wrote, "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2
Corinthians 6:l0). In the next chapter Paul says, "I am overflowing with
joy in all our affliction" (7:4)
Paul learned that his purpose in life included
times of imprisonment. In Acts 16:22 and following, Luke described the occasion
of Paul and Silas at Philippi. As a result of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus
Christ, they were violently disrobed, beaten with rods, and thrown into prison.
And their feet were fastened in the stocks. Paul and Silas could have chosen to
gripe. But they chose to grow-in joy. Others may have decided to have a pity
party, but they decided to pray. Some may have decided to swear, but they chose
to sing. A harvest of joy is possible—even in prison. The other prisoners were
listening to them, and so was God. Their singing did not awaken the jailer. The
earthquake did that. And as a result of the joy and testimony of Paul and
Silas, the Philippian jailer was saved, baptized, and rejoiced greatly. His
whole household came to believe in God.
Even in the painful realities of life, such as bombardments from enemies
or betrayal by close friends, joy can prevail in our suffering when we both
know and feel God’s purpose in spite of our present pain.
Years later, Paul wrote the epistle to the
Philippians while he was incarcerated in another place. His expression of joy
and admonition to rejoice come to a climax in this letter. Words of joy occur
19 times.
Paul learned to be content in every circumstance
(Philippians 4:11). He kept the joy growing in his own life. And he exhorted
the believers by saying, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
rejoice!"(Philippians 4:4).
James 1:2 says, "Consider it all joy, my
brethren, when you encounter various trials." This involves a cognitive
reckoning, a way of thinking. The trials, tests, or temptations believers face
are part of a process God purposes for our maturity (verse 4). In time, the
Christian can learn to feel joy too, along with pain, suffering, and grief.
Peter commended his suffering addressees when he
wrote, "You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory"
(1 Peter 1:8). And he exhorted them to "keep on rejoicing; so that also at
the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation" (1 Peter
4:13).
3. CHRISTIANS HAVE JOY BECAUSE OF THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF ETERNITY.
The New Testament clearly teaches believers to
cultivate an eternal perspective. This life is not all there is. We are called
to look ahead.
Joy is tied to hope, and hope always relates to
the future. Paul admonished Christians in Rome to be "rejoicing in
hope" (Romans 12:12). The believer should look forward. Jesus did this.
The writer to the Hebrews encourages Christians to run the race, "fixing
our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).
This calculated, Christ-like perspective, is
essential. It brings into focus and into feeling part of what is yet to be
fully experienced in eternity. Many have caught this vision and have drawn upon
biblical truth to affirm cognitively and feel emotionally enough joy to get
them through the dark tunnels and death valleys of life. In a sense, they
borrow from the beyond, the life to come in heaven, and radiate in earthly life
the joy of Jesus who is physically with God the Father but spiritually present
within them. Jesus said to His disciples, "Lo, I am with you always"
(Matthew 28:20).
Stephen exemplified such joy when he was stoned
to death, as recorded by Luke in Acts 7:54–60. No doubt he had an eternal
perspective. He felt the gnashing teeth and the pain caused by the stones his
persecutors hurled at him, but he also experienced something else: "Being
full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (verse 55).
The New Testament church had plenty of problems,
yet the people were joyous Christians. They learned that an eternal perspective
is more than nice. It is necessary. The realities and rewards of heaven are
true. When tested and tried, Christians have triumphed as the fruit of inward
joy has grown and manifested itself outwardly for other people to see. Some of
their persecutors later on have been saved; for example, Saul of Tarsus who was
present when Stephen was stoned to death.
When everything around us in this world today
seems to be falling apart, Christians can grow in joy. We know God is in
control. He knows the number of hairs on our heads, and He cares for each sparrow
and for every human soul. God is guiding the future. What a joyous assurance we
have. The words of the song are uplifting, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is
mine. O what a foretaste of glory divine." The best is yet to come for the
believer. We get our perspective of the future from the eternal Word of God. We
sense and feel His presence in our hearts. He is with us in our pain and
suffering. He gives us joy, His joy. It grows.
In 2 Corinthians 4:17,18, Paul says, "For
momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far
beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at
the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but
the things which are not seen are eternal."
Jesus Christ is our primary role model. In life
and in death He had joy. Working for God is joyous when one walks with God.
Life has a tremendous variety of experiences. Non-Christians have moments of
joy; too. But three things make the joy of a Christian’s life unique: (1) One’s
place in Christ; (2) One’s purpose in life; and (3) One’s perspective of
eternity. You can grow in what you know and how you feel in these three areas.
Joy is both cognitive and affective. It is "feeling what you know."
It includes knowledge and emotion. It involves facts and feelings. It takes
human cooperation with the divine Holy Spirit to produce joy. With this
combination, we can continue growing and apply Paul’s exhortation in
Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
rejoice!" Such joy is a harvest of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
The words of the chorus are true, "The joy
of the Lord is my strength." Thank God for this joy!
