Joy is a Foretaste of Heaven
John 14:21-26 NKJV
He who has My commandments and keeps them; he loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us and not the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; the word you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.‘
When you go for a burger, you order the main thing. Then you may order ‘fries on the side’, and other extras may take your fancy. Burger places offer so many options it is often hard to choose.
Sometimes as believers, we think that joy is an optional extra. You may buy into the salvation by grace but think that the ‘Fruits of the Spirit’ and joy being one of them, are extra somehow and will come later.
This view is a distorted view of what salvation does for you. Like all the 5 fruits (Galatians 5), the fruit of joy is a by-product of your inner change and not an ‘extra thing.
Joy Un-Speakable
Joy is not an optional extra but is evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Joy is not a side order but an essential ingredient of the main course.
During our most painful losses and sufferings, we discover just how deep the supply of Christian joy is. Such joy is not thin, frivolous, and empty but thick, substantive, and complete.
The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 1: 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.
The joy of the Lord may be peculiar to those who don’t have it. But, for the believer in Christ, the joy of the Lord comes as naturally as grapes on a vine. So, as we abide in Christ, who the True Vine is full of His strength and vitality, the fruit we produce, including joy, is His doing John 15:5.
Keep Joy Alive in You
Philippians 4:4-7
Always be joyful in the Lord! I’ll repeat it: Be joyful! Let everyone know how considerate you are. The Lord is near. Never worry about anything. But in every situation, let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.
You have the joy as a result of salvation- so allow it to grow, and nurture it to keep it alive.
Acts 8: 34-39
In this passage, the Ethiopian Eunuch heard, understood and believed the gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ, so they wanted to be baptised and asked Philip to baptise him. However, when they came out of the water, the Holy Spirit caught Philip away, and he disappeared; even so, the Eunuch rejoiced. (39). This is the Joy of Salvation.
The Joy of Salvation: What Is It?
Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is an experience that brings deliverance, restoration, and preservation, and as a result, you are filled with joy.
It is a deliverance from the grip of Satan, a restoration from eternal shame and a U-turn from the pit of hell. Salvation and the joy of salvation are closely connected though separable. Joy is the natural fruit of salvation, which you open yourself up to, so you experience it.
Joy is a foretaste of heaven (1 Pet. 1:8). Unfortunately, not many people have this joy, including those who attend Church services regularly.
This is because they don’t nurture the joy they have but neglect it and allow it to dry up.
Spiritual dryness is one of the worst things to happen to a believer. Joy is the water that will bring your life. Joy results from infilling the Holy Spirit, the Living Water Revelation 21.
Preserving Your Joy
What steps can you take to be more open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
How can you ensure that you remember the lessons of faith that you have learned in the past?
John 14 verses 25 to 26. I have told you this while I am with you. The advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. He will teach you everything and remind you of everything I told you.
Sometimes we forget all that God has spoken to us. For example, we may have some clear experience of God’s presence in our lives, such as a powerful spiritual insight gained through prayer.
Hear His Voice
The deep conviction of his voice speaking through a sermon, the transforming freedom encountered through the sacrament of reconciliation, or some form of unmistakable clarity imparted through the reading of the Holy Scriptures.
When God speaks to us, imparting his truth, strength, forgiveness, joy, and every other form of grace is yours. We are spiritually consoled as we are sent his closeness. However, moments of clarity can be easily lost when trouble comes our way.
Each time they encountered the power of God at work, they would have grown in their conviction that Jesus was the Messiah. The disciples would have had many instructive experiences during the three years of Jesus’ public ministry. They marvelled at the spiritual authority they encountered in his ministry as the son of God, the world’s saviour.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
The disciples heard sermons, witnessed countless miracles, looked at sinners who were set free, saw Jesus transfigured in glory and watched our Lord enter deeply into prayer with the Father. Yet, the same disciples would soon have their faith in Christ deeply shaken. As they looked on from a distance in fear, as Jesus was arrested, beaten and killed, they would start to forget all they had previously experienced. Fear can cause confusion; tier joy is gone.
When Jesus knew that his disciples would soon fall into the trap of confusion, Jesus spoke the words of love and comfort to his disciples. He promised them that the Holy Spirit would soon come upon them. The Holy Spirit would teach them everything and remind them all that he told them, and their joy would be complete.
How nice it would be if every lesson we learned from God remained front and centre of our lives. How nice it would be if we never allowed fear to confuse us and cause us to forget all that God has spoken to us in varied ways, just as. Jesus knew the disciples would need the help of the Holy Spirit to remember.
The Guidance of the Holy Spirit
Jesus knows that we need help from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the word spoken to the disciples is also spoken to us. The advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of everything I told you.
What faith lessons have you learned in the past that you need to be reminded of? It is the role of the Holy Spirit to bring those lessons to mind whenever we need them. Therefore, as we move closer to the glorious celebration of Pentecost, it is an excellent time to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for the gift of remembering the many ways God has revealed himself to us.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working perfect harmony with each other. But each has a distinct role in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s role is to lead us daily into fulfilling the Father’s will to perfectly conform to the person of Christ Jesus.
Reflect
Reflect today upon our Lord’s powerful promise to his disciples and us. Pray to the Holy Spirit. Open yourself to the Spirit’s ongoing direction in your life. And never allow fear to lead to confusion instead but leads to joy. Allow God to dispel all confusion and remind you of all he has spoken to you throughout your life.
Let Us Pray.
Most glorious Lord Jesus, you promised the disciples and all your people. The Holy Spirit would remind us of all you have revealed.
Holy Spirit, please continuously empower me.
Teach me and guide me. Please help me never forget the many lessons I have been taught so that I will never let fear lead to confusion but maintain my joy.
Jesus, I trust in you.
Amen
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Remember to live life on purpose, in Hope. Faith and Love
Paula Rose Parish💕
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