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Joy in the Holy Spirit
Why does the Christian
seem to have a different kind of happiness than
others? Conversion does not alter his physical
body, the color of his eyes, or the shape of his
nose. His financial standing is not changed. Yet,
his attitudes, interests, and desires are
different. He has a new way of life and a new
kind of joy. There is no dictionary definition
for this kind of joy. Kaleidoscopic, with many
facets, it simply has to be experienced to be
appreciated. When David portrayed Christ, he
said, God
hath anointed thee with
the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Psalm 45:7. Everyone who accepts Christ becomes
anointed with the same oil of
gladness.
A contagion of joy
surrounds true Christians! After Pentecost,
wherever the disciples carried the message of
redeeming love, irrepressible joy sprang up. The
Spirit of God so filled the disciples that they
actually rejoiced that they should be found
worthy of suffering for Christs sake. (Acts
5:41.) In this, they resembled their Master
who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:2.) For the
encouragement of the church of the church to the
end of time Peter wrote, If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye;
for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon
you. 1 Peter 4:14.
The fifth book in the New
Testament called the Acts of the Apostles could
well have been called the Book of Joy, for as the
disciples preached Christ in the power of the
Spirit, they filled hearts and homes and whole
cities with heavenly joy. When Philip preached
Christ in Samaria, the Sacred Record says,
there was great joy in that city.
(Acts 8:8.) Moreover, speaking of the Gentile
converts who took their stand in Antioch of
Pisidia, the Bible says, The
disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy
Ghost. Acts 13:52. Joy invariably
accompanies the operations of the Holy Ghost.
In times like these when
so much feuding and fighting divides homes and
neighborhoods, churches and nations, we need the
fresh winds of the Holy Spirit to breathe upon us
heavenly joy. If we have the Holy Spirit, then we
will count trials and temptations for
Christs sake a joy! (James 1:2.) In this
twilight hour of earths history that
precedes Christs actual coming in the
clouds of glory, we need a new revelation of the
joy that filled and overflowed the heart of
Christ, the happiest Man that ever lived.
Paul described Gods
kingdom as righteousness, and peace, and
joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17.)
There must be joy where God says there is joy.
Moreover, God says there is joy in the Holy
Ghost. How do we receive this joy? Paul said,
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, that ye may abound in
hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Romans 15:13. How do we get all joy?
By believing. What is the source of
all joy? The power of the Holy
Ghost. The presence of the Holy Spirit in
the soul brings health-giving, life-giving joy.
Can the mentally ill and
the emotionally disturbed experience all joy and
peace? Indeed, God specializes in what man calls
hard cases and impossible situations! Is there
hope for the irritable and nervous? Of course.
For the gambler and alcoholic? Surely! For the
philanderer and the adulteress? Yes!
God wants His children to
be happy. Pauls admonition in Philippians
4:4 speaks to every Christian: Rejoice in
the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
We may find the same happiness Jesus had just
where He found it. Jesus rejoiced in the
Holy Spirit. (Luke 10:21, R.S.V.) Weymouth
translates, Jesus was filled by the Holy
Spirit with rapturous joy.
Joy
unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8)
awaits you if you open your heart wide to the
Holy Spirit. Begin today to obey the inner
promptings of the Spirit by doing those things
you know the spirit would have you to do. You
will find joy in reading your Bible, in prayer,
in telling someone else about your faith in
Jesus. You may find inner satisfaction in being
kind, thoughtful, and considerate; in giving help
to the needy, encouragement to the downhearted,
and love to the lonely.
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