Joy

January 29, 2021January 24, 2021

Think on These Things…Whatsoever things are…JUST

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Galatians 3:11

KJV Dictionary defines JUST as In a moral sense, upright; honest; having principles of rectitude, or conforming exactly to the laws, and to principles of rectitude in social conduct; equitable in the distribution of justice; as a just judge.¹

Webster defines JUST as 1a: having a basis in or conforming to fact or reason : REASONABLE b: conforming to a standard of correctness : PROPER 2a(1): acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good : RIGHTEOUS (2): being what is merited : DESERVED b: legally correct : LAWFUL²

The apostle Paul wrote this letter as an encouragement to the Christians at Philippi. The book of Philippians is a blueprint on how to have joy in all circumstances.

Paul dedicated his life to following Christ. His desire to know Christ above all else is best expressed in Philippians 3:8-10: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

The Greek word for Just is δίκαιος, ία, ιον (dikaios)³ which means correct, righteous, by implication innocent: a state of being right. It can simply mean someone who is righteous in their ways.⁴

Paul is admonishing us to keep our focus on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praise worthy (Philippians 4:8). You’ve heard the old adage: “garbage in, garbage out”. The same is true for applying good things in our lives. What we allow to go into our minds will determine what we dwell upon and therefore what comes out in words and actions.

Many times we choose to focus on things that can bring happiness, and pleasure. We frequently think about things that serve our self will. Though we say that we desire to live a righteous life, our minds are usually focused on things that feed fleshly desires (Galatians 5:19-21). Would your thought life be described as just?

We must train our minds to focus on things that are wholesome. We must pay attention to what we allow to enter our minds through television, internet, books, movies, radio, etc. Spend time in God’s Word and pray. Ask Him to fill your life until your heart and mind only dwells upon that which is in harmony with God’s standards as stated in Scriptures.

Sources:

http://www.kingjamesbibledictionary.com/Dictionary/just
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/just
Strong’s Concordance – https://www.biblehub.com/greek/1342.htm
https://misfitministries.org/word-just-hebrew-and-greek/
Life Application Study Bible KJV

January 1, 2020January 2, 2020

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11

Webster’s dictionary defines joy as “the emotion evoked by wellbeing, success, or good fortune by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” That definition by the world’s standards leaves something lacking; however, Theopedia defines joy as “a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence, and hope.”

The word Joy appears 155 times in the Bible. It appears 82 times in the Old Testament and 73 times in the New Testament. Joy is the keynote of Philippians “Joy in Prayer” (Philippians 1:3-11).

“Joy” and “Rejoice” are repeated multiple times throughout Scripture. Joy is not to be compared to happiness. Happiness is an emotion based on your circumstances. Just like holding your child for the first time or making a final payment on your car or moving into your first home – these things make you happy. As long as things are going well in your life, you are happy. As soon as circumstances are out of our control or things aren’t going just so, we become irritated and disgruntled and lose the emotion of being happy. Joy is being contented in whatsoever state you are in whether it’s good or bad (Philippians 4:11).

Man has an inexplicable desire to seek Joy in all they do. We seek out happiness through all we do. Some seek to climb the ladder of success thinking that if they’ll obtain joy when they reach the top. Some look for joy in seeking out fame, but they find no joy

“Joy isn’t a passing moment of happiness, but rather, an entrenched anchor that keeps our hearts from descending into the deep pit of bitterness, because thankfulness is what keeps us afloat.” True joy is found in having an ongoing relationship with God. It is knowing that our lives originate from the True Vine – Jesus Christ (John 15).

April 27, 2019January 26, 2023

Abiding in Christ

I enjoy how Christ uses tangible illustrations in Scripture to helps understand what He is trying to teach us. In John 15, Christ uses the example of the relationship of the vine to the branches to portray how our relationship with Christ should be.

Our Christian life can be successful as long as we are obedient to Him. As a result of our obedience, we will be have the following fruit in our lives: we will have abiding love, full joy, love for one another, a personal relationship with Christ, exemplify the fruits of the Spirit, and have an answered prayer.