Love has been briefly covered.
Now lets talk about the next fruit of the Spirit mentioned.
Remember, we are going through the nine fruits of the spirit first, and then repenting of the flesh portion that has overtaken the fruit.
That way we can understand the way we SHOULD be walking and WHAT to replace with good action.
Focus on the good and godly and then see where to replace the negative.
Let us seek first the Kingdom of God. The face of God is much more pleasant to seek out instead of the evil ways of man.
The Table (in no certain order at this point.)
Looks like the second of the Fruits is JOY(If you are a "good" christian then you have these memorized. I don't have it memorized so whoopsie).
Joy
Let's get into it!
Chara - khar-ah'
From G5463; cheerfulness, that is, calm delight: - gladness, X greatly, (X be exceeding) joy (-ful, -fully, -fulness, -ous).
There are a total of 57 Verses relating to Joy in the NT.
Many of the uses are as you would expect from Joy.
Joy when seeing the star of Jesus being born, Joy in receiving the word (even though you have no roots...)
but the question I pose is this.
Calm delight in what?
Gladness for what?
In what is your joy found? If it is in things and or people that will pass away one day then you have a major problem on your hands.
Your joy is finite when based on things outside of Yahweh
The parable of the Talents
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it is like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and handed over his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one with two gained two more. 18 But the one who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed me five talents. Look, I’ve gained five more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’
22 “The one who had received the two talents also came up and said, ‘Master, you handed me two talents. Look, I’ve gained two more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’
24 “Then the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 So I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master responded, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you should have brought my money to the brokers, and when I came I would have received it back with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For to the one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw the worthless servant out, into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Why does the master tell his servants to enter into his joy? Because they were faithful with a little.
Notice that both the servant who was given 5 and the servant who was given two both had been faithful with Little.
Let's get into Jeriah's head canon here. Hear me out:
The servant who was given 5 talents immediately went out to increase the master's money. He didn't spend part of it and leverage the other part. He didn't make five and only return eight total back the the master. He made five and gave all ten back to the master. He earnestly (seemingly) went to increase the master's wealth.
And when the master returned the servant was happy to give the money back to his master saying, "Look, I have gained five more." I can just imagine him being so proud to have increased his master.
Look master! I have increased the money you gave me!
This servant seems to have Joy in his master. Not fear like the last servant.
The last servant who tells his master he knows his master is a "hard man."
Look at the heart posture of the two. One servant is ready to return to the master what he was given with the increase. (remember how charging interest is not good in Torah?) This servant was not required to give the increase to his master? Maybe. If it is true then he delighted so much in his master that he gave him EVEN THE INCREASE AND KEPT NONE FOR HIMSELF. Knowing that his master would still provide for him no matter the circumstances.
and what was his reward?
His master's endless joy. Yahweh is the master (MY head canon I can say what I want. You believe it or not.).
Do you have endless cheerfulness and endless calm delight? Or are you looking to only give the master back what he gave you because you know he is a hard man?
Replacement
So let's think about what this endless joy is supposed to replace.
Here is a list of the fruits of the flesh.
Adultery - moicheia G3431; adultery: - adultery.
Fornication - porneia G4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: - fornication.
uncleanness - akatharsia G169; impurity (the quality), physically or morally: - uncleanness.
lasciviousness - aselgeia From a compound of G1 (as a negative particle) and a presumed σελγής selgēs (of uncertain derivation, but apparently meaning continent); licentiousness (sometimes including other vices): - filthy, lasciviousness, wantonness.
idolatry - eidōlolatreia G1497 and G2999; image worship (literally or figuratively): - idolatry.
witchcraft - pharmakeia G5332; medication (“pharmacy”), that is, (by extension) magic (literal or figurative): - sorcery, witchcraft.
hatred - echthra Feminine of G2190; hostility; by implication a reason for opposition: - enmity, hatred.
variance - eris Of uncertain affinity; a quarrel, that is, (by implication) wrangling: - contention, debate, strife, variance.
emulations - zēlos G2204; properly heat, that is, (figuratively) “zeal” (in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one, jealousy, as of a husband [figuratively of God], or an enemy, malice): - emulation, envy (-ing), fervent mind, indignation, jealousy, zeal.
wrath - thumos G2380; passion (as if breathing hard): - fierceness, indignation, wrath. Compare G5590.
strife - eritheia Perhaps from the same as G2042; properly intrigue, that is, (by implication) faction: - contention (-ious), strife.
seditions - dichostasia From a derivative of G1364 and G4714; disunion, that is, (figuratively) dissension: - division, sedition.
heresies - hairesis From G138; properly a choice, that is, (specifically) a party or (abstractly) disunion. (“heresy” is the Greek word itself.): - heresy [which is the Greekord itself], sect.
Envyings - phthonos Probably akin to the base of G5351; ill will (as detraction), that is, jealousy (spite): - envy.
murders - phonos From an obsolete primary φένω phenō (to slay); murder: - murder, + be slain with, slaughter.
drunkenness - methēApparently a primary word; an intoxicant, that is, (by implication) intoxication: - drunkenness.
revellings - kōmos From G2749; a carousal (as if a letting loose): - revelling, rioting.
So how to live in a place of endless cheerfulness?
I leave that as an exercise for the reader.
Replace the flesh with the ways of the spirit.
In the above list, where is your joy in the flesh?
Prayer
Read through the places of the flesh and repent of the ones you have placed your joy.
Ask that the God of Heaven above, your Kingly Father who loves you so much, would help you learn to delight in him.
That you might one day enter into his joy FOR YOU.
Finally, beloved, I leave you with this.
John 16:16-24
16 “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again in a little while, you will see Me.”
17 Then some of His disciples said to one another, “What does He mean by telling us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again in a little while, you will see Me’? And, ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
18 They kept on saying, “What’s this He’s saying, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what He’s talking about!”
19 Yeshua knew that they wanted to question Him, so He said to them, “Are you asking each other about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again in a little while, you will see Me’? 20 Amen, amen I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will celebrate. You will be filled with sorrow, but your sorrow will turn to joy!
21 “When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you!
23 “In that day, you will ask Me nothing. Amen, amen I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 24 Up to now, you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be full.