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"For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit."
In the Stegenga Concordance, on page 808-811, we can find every place the word JOY is found, including all related words.
We are making a more thorough search of the JOY family tree.
This will enable us to come up with a very accurate definition of the word JOY, far more accurately than you will find in a Webster's or Vines Dictionary, and even the Strong's Concordance.
First, let's compare what we would find in the Strong's Greek Dictionary for the word JOY.
Strong's #5479 - Chara, from #5463; cheerfulness, joy, joyful, joyfully, joyfulness.
Vines Dictionary is very wordy, you can read it for yourself, but we chose not to quote it here, as it said almost the same things that the Strong's did, but with about 20 times the amount of words!
God willing, we're going to search out the fullness of the word JOY and the conclusion will surprise you, as these two dictionaries leave out some of the most exciting parts to the puzzle.
The root word for JOY is χαιρω (chairo). In section 1A of the Stegenga (as shown below), is the first stem - 1A.
εχαιρεν (echairen), found translated into the English as: joy, glad, and most often as rejoice.
We've chosen the following Scripture verses to demonstrate how this particular form of the word chairo is used in the Bible.
χαιρων (chairon) - nom. sing. masc. part. pres. act. - Eng: rejoicing, joyfully, joying (KJV)
Luke 15:5 (1-10) "What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does he not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? When he has found it, he JOYFULLY puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, REJOICE with me, because I have found my lost sheep! I tell you, in the same way, there will be more JOY in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the 99 righteous people who don't need repentance."
Luke 19:6 (1-10) "When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because today I must stay stay at your house. So he quickly came down and welcomed Him JOYFULLY". Jesus told Zacchaeus in verse 9 that today salvation as come to this house.
Acts 8:39 (26-40) "...both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him. When they both came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer, but he went on his way REJOICING."
Colossians 2:5 (1-5) "For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, REJOICING to see your good order and the strength of your faith in Christ."
Please read each full context, or thought, for yourself. This word is used to express the JOY, or great pleasure in the salvation of a lost soul (sheep), salvation coming to a man's house, the eunuch receiving salvation and Paul having JOY in a church being faithful to Christ.
Wow! This trunk looks very different, as we closely examine the main root stem. We not only see JOY and REJOICING, but now FORGIVENESS!
The Greek language says way more than what we see in the English Bible. So, is the Bible saying that in order to have joy, we need to be forgiven? And also to forgive others?
Well, lets take a closer look!
Next - Stegenga page 809 - Section 1C (charis)
Luke 7:41-43 (36-50) "A creditor had two debtors...one owed 500 days wages adn the other 50. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously FORGAVE them both. So, which of them will love him more? Simon answered, I suppose the one he FORGAVE more. You have judged correctly, He told him."
Ephesians 4:32 (4:25-5:2) "And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, FORGIVING each other, even as God also in Christ FORGAVE you."
Colossians 2:13 (8-15) "And you being dead by the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you did, He make alive together with Him, having FORGIVEN us all trespasses."
Colossians 3:13 (12-17) "Put on therefore, as chosen of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and FORGIVING each other, if any one have a complaint against any, even as the Lord FORGAVE, do also.
Conclusion: Joy and forgiveness are inseparable, we cannot have joy without forgiving others from the heart.
Next - Stegenga page 809-810 - Section 1E (charis)
In God's house is RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE and JOY in the Holy Spirit. Why we have JOY is because we have forgiveness of sins not only from God, but all His children are forgiving. Next we're going to look into another form of the root word for JOY - χαιρω (chairo)- found in the Stegenga on page 809-810. Section 1E - χαρις (charis). Charis is found translated in the following passages as:
Grace – John 4:33
Favor – Luke 1:30
Benefit – 2 Cor. 1:15
Acceptance – 1 Pet. 2:20
Pleasure – Acts 24:17
It took all of these English words to attempt to tell us what the Grace of God is all about!
So, what does the Grace of God do for us?
Luke 2:40 - "The Boy (Jesus) grew and the GRACE of God was upon Him."
GRACE IS A COVERING: very likely the covering Adam and Eve lost when they sinned, and realized that they were naked and ashamed. It also says in Luke 2:52 "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in FAVOR with God and with people."
Through grace we have favor with God and man, but don't forget all the related words - we now have with GRACE, JOY, REJOICING, FORGIVENESS, FAVOR, ACCEPTANCE, BENEFIT, PLEASURE, and so on.
Next, we're going to build on GRACE being a covering. It not only covered Jesus, but also in Acts 4:33, it says that God's grace upon, or COVERED all those who believed.
In Psalms 17:8 it says, "Keep me (Jesus) as the apple of Your eye, HIDE ME UNDER THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS."
So we might conclude with the following example, for those who's sins are forgiven, and are covered by Christ Jesus' blood.
Ephesians 1:1-2 & Ephesians 1:3-14
Ephesians 1:1-2 "Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus through God's will, to the saints that are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus; GRACE to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 1:3-14 "Blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenliness in Christ; even as He chose us in Him before the world's foundation, that we be holy and without blemish before Him inn love having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His GRACE, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved; in whom we have the sending away through His blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of His GRACE, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made know to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him unto a dispensation of the fulness of the seasons, to sum up all things in the the Christ; those upon the heavens, and those upon the earth; in Him in Whom also we were made a heritage, foreordained according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel if His will; that we be unto praise of His glory, we who had before hoped in Christ; in Whom, you also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, in Whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of the possession, unto praise of His glory."
Ephesians 1:15-2:10 Describes the difference between life in God's grace and favor - versus a life of being dead in trespasses and sins.
Which side are you on? Which group above describes you?
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves whether you are in the faith, prove your own self..."
Ephesians 1:15-2:10
"For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rile and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things in the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by GRACE you have been save), and raised is up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His GRACE in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by GRACE you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
Sonship is promised in the Old testament and brought to fulfillment in the new testament beginning in the book of Acts.
Hosea 1:10 "...And in the place where it is said to them, 'You are not My people', it will be said to them, 'You are SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.' (The Hebrew word ben Elohiym). This Old Testament scripture is quoted in Romans 9:26 "And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people', there they shall be called, 'SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.'"
Romans 8:14-15 "For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the SONS OF GOD. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out 'Abba Father.'"
Galatians 4:4-7 "But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that we might receive the ADOPTION AS SONS, because you are sons, 'GOD HAS SENT FORTH THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON INTO OUR HEARTS, CRYING 'ABBA FATHER'. Therefore you are no longer a slave, BUT A SON, AND IF A SON, THEN AN HEIR through God."
Hebrews 10:29 "...who has trodden under the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was made holy, as common and insulted the SPIRIT OF GRACE."
Let's look at the common thread that is in these five verses in the light of what we have discovered so far. The evidence of one being a son of God is by being led by the Spirit of God who has been sent into our hearts. The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Grace, so it is the Spirit of God in us that brings about our adoption as a son of God and into God's grace, favor, acceptance, a place of pleasure, joy unspeakable and full of many benefits. But don't forget that this word is also related to forgiveness and joyfulness, to the place where God say's to His sons; keep trying My son, I forgive that mistake, if you keep practicing you'll do it just like My Beloved Son.
The next time we get together, we'll be continuing on by looking to the following subjects:
- The difference between our spirit and the soul.
- Why doesn't the natural man understand the things of the Spirit of God.
- The creation on man.
- Mankind before the fall.
- The fall of man.
- Mankind after the fall.
- The return back to God now begins on the inside - in man's heart.
- The Tabernacle or God's Temple points the way - it begins on the inside.
- SONSHIP - HOW DO WE BECOME A SON OF GOD?
- A look ahead - This is big, we'll be better than ever!
- The Goal today!
- On the maturity.