THE JOY OF THE SPIRIT!
Galatians 5:16-26
INTRODUCTION: The fruit of the Spirit is not nine fruits of the Spirit but the Spirit’s fruit has
nine characteristics. Also it is not some of the fruit from some of the believers, but it is all the
fruit of the Spirit for all of the believers. Also the fruit of the Spirit is not something we can
produce. God’s fruit is not produced by the flesh of man. So if we cannot produce the fruit of
the Spirit how does the fruit of the Spirit come into our lives? John 15:4, 8. So the fruit we bear
is in direct relation to our abiding in Christ! There is our motivation to bear the fruit of the
Spirit: it brings glory to God. Galatians 5:22-23. Our God is the God of joy! Nehemiah 8:9-10.
Joy is part of the character of the God we worship! John 15:9-11; 1 John 1:4. There is a
difference between God’s joy and the things of this world that bring temporary joy:
2 Timothy 3:1-5. The Bible warns God’s children that self-indulgent pleasure-seeking does not
lead to God’s joy: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11; Proverbs 14:13; Luke 8:11-15. Worldly pleasure seeking
often leads to addictions that lead to great sorrow: Titus 3:3; Romans 14:17-18.
I. THE SOURCE OF THE JOY OF THE SPIRIT!
Romans 14:17: there is no joy of the Spirit outside of a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
Joy of the Lord is not the same as human happiness because happiness comes from good
circumstances. We truly can rejoice in the Lord in good times and bad times: Philippians 4:4;
1 Thessalonians 5:16; Proverbs 15:15. If we abide in Christ we can have a continual feast even
in our times of famine.
II. THE PERMANENCE OF THE JOY OF THE SPIRIT!
1 Thessalonians 5:16: it literally means “always rejoice and keep on rejoicing.” Nothing that
happens in our lives can take away that kind of joy: Romans 8:28-29; Acts 16:25. Remember a
cold, dry, and joyless faith has no appeal to the lost. But a life filled with the joy of the Lord
even when things are not going well for you will draw people to faith in Jesus Christ. When you
get into God deeply and God gets into you deeply His joy will flow from you to others:
Ephesians 5:18.
III. KING DAVID’S EXAMPLE OF LOST JOY AND LOST WITNESS!
When King David got out of fellowship with God he lost his joy. And when David lost his joy
he stopped witnessing for his God: Psalm 51:12-13; Psalm 100:2; Psalm 4:7. If today the Lord
has not put gladness in your heart it is not because trouble has come into your life, it is because
you are not abiding in Jesus Christ: Nehemiah 8:10. It is the joy of the Spirit of God that lifts the
burdens of our lives and makes them easy to bear: Matthew 11:28-30. It is the joy of the Spirit
that gives us His strength! It is the joy of the Spirit in our lives that draws the lost to our Lord!
If it is joy you are looking for you will not find it. We must abide in Jesus Christ in order to find
the joy of the Spirit! When we abide deeply in Jesus Christ the fruit of the Spirit, joy will be
abundant! John 15:8; Romans 15:13; Proverbs 31:25: Are you laughing as you look at the days
to come?