“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23)

This week we are looking at the second of the nine characteristics listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as the fruit of the Spirit: joy.

Remember, we don’t speak of the “fruits” of the Spirit. The Greek is singular – fruit of the Spirit.

The Greeks did not have an “etc” to denote that the listing of like qualities. The way they expressed “etc” is to make a list of like qualities. What this means is that there are other God-honoring, people-blessing qualities that could also be included with the nine in Galatians 5:22-23 as long as they are God-honoring, and people-blessing.

Joy. The Greek for joy is chara. Joy is closely related to both “rejoicing” (chairo) and “grace” (charis). They all share the same root.

Joy, is not only an emotion we feel as a result of having something good happen to us. Joy is a deep sense of knowing that everything has changed for the better because of God’s grace. Joy is the result of grace. Grace comes first. Joy is the result.

When someone has experienced grace, they are forever changed. When someone has experienced God’s grace, there is nothing in the created universe that can take our joy. We are reminded by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:37-38, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

That is quite a comprehensive list!

When we have experienced God’s unconditional love, a love which no one is deserving of, that’s called grace. And because we are the recipients of grace, joy is our result.

Look forward to getting to know “joy” better with you this week!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Love has three components:

1. An object – the world – you and me
2. A choice and decision – love is not an emotion. Love is a decision
3. A sacrifice

Today, we come across the third component of love: sacrifice.

When God chose the world as his object of love, God made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the beloved. In order that we might have life, God gave up his own life for our sake. That the decision for us required a rejection of everything that is not us was most clearly demonstrated on the cross of Jesus Christ.

For all of eternity, God the Father and the Son was in perfect relationship. There was never a time when God the Father and the Son were not unity and harmony.

But when the moment came for God to choose the world to be his beloved, it necessarily meant rejecting everything and everyone that was not the beloved – even his own Son.

For the first time in all of creation, when the Son turned to the Father, there was no response…just a deafening silence.

“And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'” (Matthew 27:46-47).

Everywhere else, when the New Testament speaks about God the Father and his relationship to the Son, the verb used to describe the purpose for Jesus coming to earth is always “send” as we find in John 3:17 – “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world…”

But when God wanted to remind the world how much he loves us, the word God uses is “gave.” The Greek word means “I offer,” “I give,” “I place,” “I put.” To love us, to save us, to redeem us, God offers, gives, places, and puts his Son on the cross to pay the debt of sin for us so that we might live with Christ through his resurrection.

Wow! What amazing love!!!

God absolutely loves you and that’s the God honest truth.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16)

In order to speak about God’s love, we have to start with John 3:16. You cannot love in a vacuum. Love must love someone or something: love must have an object. Yesterday we saw that God’s object of love is the world – you and me. What is surprising about this is that God doesn’t love the perfect you and me, God loves the sinful, messed up you and me. And the most amazing news is that God loves us so much, that God refuses to leave us in our sinful messed up conditions. God transforms us through his love.

The second thing that love requires is a choice. By choosing the world – you and me – as the object of love, it necessarily requires a decision against anything that would cause harm to you and me. That’s what it means to make a choice.

This is huge!!! Love is not a feeling or an emotion. Ultimately, love is a decision, it’s a choice.

By choosing us, it is a rejection of everything that is not for our best. That’s what love does. When we love someone, we hate the things that hurt and injure our loved ones. It would be preposterous to love the things that hurt and injure our loved ones.

It is impossible to love all things. When I say I love God, it’s much like saying I love Helen, my wife. It would be preposterous to say I love Helen, but I love Lisa. And, oh. I love Margo too. Don’t forget, Heidi. Love her too! Pledging one’s love to your spouse necessarily means a rejection of everyone that is not your spouse. There is a love relationship and decision for your spouse that must exclude a decision for anyone else.

When God makes a decision to love you and me as the object of his love, that meant a rejection of everything else that is not you and me. We will see that more clearly tomorrow.

Love is not love in a vacuum. Love requires an object of love.

Love is a decision. The decision to love requires a rejection of everything and everyone that is not the object of love.

God loves you. God chose you.