Fruit Of The Spirit (Bible Study) - Joy Series

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I’m glad you came back this week. I hope that you have been thinking about love being the foundation in which everything grows, tilling your ground, and pulling any thorns that you have found. This week’s study on joy from the Holy Spirit will change your life and possibly be the missing piece to your answered prayer. We can never produce too much joy! Joy is fun and infectious. Most people are drawn to joy, which is why it’s a very desirable fruit to produce.

But first, homework!

-We don’t need personal details, but did anyone pray over their ground this week and look for confusion, cursing, and fear? Did you notice a difference as soon as you dealt with it, lighter inside maybe?

- I know everyone meditated on Hebrews 3:14-15 and 1 John 4:18, so I won’t ask. Amen!

- How is the use of the easy definition of Biblical love working for you?

(Joyfully choosing to take the best action to promote the welfare of others)

Before we jump into joy, let’s read Galatians 5:22-23NKJV.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Love is the ground, or the base, and joy is the first offshoot. Are you ready to have a life changing experience revealing the characteristic of joy? I am!

First, let’s look at what joy means in Hebrew. Of course there are different Hebrew words for joy, and if you feel lead by the Holy Spirit or need more joy in your life, I encourage you to continue the study at home. You’ll notice they all carry some type of meaning to outwardly express joy, not just smiling or saying like a robot, “I’m so full of joy.” Our English Bibles fail us, yes fail us, to convey the point that we are being TOLD to express joy outwardly. So please don’t say, “We aren’t commanded to do that!” Yes, we are! The meaning is lost in translations. Our New Testament is translated from Hebrew to Greek, at least certain books, and the Greeks translated according to their meaning and culture.

Psalm 51:12 NKJV

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

The Hebrew word for joy is sason. Strong’s Lexicon give this definition for usage: The Hebrew word "sason" conveys a sense of joy and gladness, often associated with celebration and exultation. It is used in the context of expressing a deep, heartfelt joy that is often communal and celebratory in nature. This joy is not merely an internal feeling but is often expressed outwardly through actions and communal gatherings. We all need to be restored to the outward expression of our salvation.

People often get joy and happiness confused. Unfortunately, there was a period of time amongst Christians where joy meant smiling, pretending to be happy, and using a happy upbeat voice. As we talked about in the first study, that’s doing an impersonation of God as opposed to letting Him Breathe His Life through you. We don’t have to pretend. It doesn’t benefit you or anyone else. I came across this testimony; and I wanted to share it, because it’s a perfect illustration of manifesting God’s character verses the impersonation.

(Tell a true story, or use mine below)

Over 20 years ago, I was tormented in my mind. I was a Christian, regularly went to church, grew up in church, and read my Bible occasionally. Things just kept getting worse. I felt crazy, depressed, suicidal, and started having panic attacks more frequently. My family, Christians, wanted me on medication. I kept praying and getting worse. One day, I was thinking about killing myself, but I didn’t want to go to hell. Then a strong urge came over me to play online games on my computer. It was weird, and I didn’t want to but I did! The game found an opponent and it was this kind chatty lady, which I wasn’t nearly in the mood for at the time. She kept telling me how God changed her life, while blah blah blah God didn’t help me. She kept talking about her life’s transformation and I started to feel like God might love me and help me too. I just kept reading her messages and neither of us cared about the game. Then I felt a spring of hope inside me like never before. I felt peace come over me that settled my mind like never before, and I felt happy and excited to read two books she recommended. The next day, I made a 40-minute drive to get the books and read them immediately. I learned God did really love me, wasn’t hurting and punishing me, and He wanted me free from fear that was tormenting me. I now know the Spirit of God on her ministered to me as she was typing, or she would be like every other Christian I knew full of fake love, fake care, and fake prayers. Since then and for the rest of my life, I want to be like this woman. No more clanging cymbals, but let God’s love through me minister to the hurting. I can’t wait to meet this woman in Heaven and let her know the one person she took time and helped turned around and helped so many people. She helped God save my life.