Dr Greg Bahnsen - The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy (Part 4)

This recording has been released into the public domain by the Bonson Institute, where we aim to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. All right, let's turn tonight to Galatians 5 again and look at the fruit of the Spirit. I spent two of our lessons discussing the first fruit mentioned that of love, and then decided I should probably move a little bit faster or else this series on Galatians will never get done. So tonight I had intended to do joy, peace and patience. And then after I put my notes together for joy, I said, no, I think that's probably enough in itself, plus something I need to hear. So we're gonna. Yeah, I'm glad Vicki put it that way, because that's what I felt too. You know, it's so much easier to preach about being thankful when things aren't going well and having a joyful spirit, and. I don't know, it's pretty tough to live that out. I guess it just reinforces the fact that this is fruit of the Spirit, not of our natural efforts. Isn't that right? Well, let me read the paragraph in which it's found, just so we can put it in context, and then we'll talk about joy in particular. Verse 16. So I say, live by the Spirit. You will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature, for the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious. Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Thus far, the reading of God's Word we know that the Galatian church had a number of internal problems, both doctrinal and personal or lifestyle type problems. Verse 15, right before where I began reading, says, if you keep on biting and devouring each other Watch out or you'll be destroyed by each other. The congregation was not able to know joy because they had fallen into a backbiting spirit. And something I think it's important for us to remember, especially people who've gone through a church split or internal dissension. Isn't it true that saps you of your joy very hard to be happy when Christians are fighting with each other. And that isn't to say that you just give in to unrighteousness or anything like that when principle has to be stood for it. Just as a reminder that division in the church and backbiting or being on edge with one another as believers is not just a social problem interpersonal, but it creates internal difficulties for us to be joyful people as well. In order to know what joy is, it's good to set it in contrast to what is not joyful. My lesson tonight is taken from Sanderson's book, John Sanderson's book, the Fruit of the Spirit, his chapter on joy. And I like the way he lays that out in his book. Each one of the particular fruits mentioned has a weed over against which are many weeds. He says, you have the fruit which is the real thing, then you have the opposite, the weeds. And then he talks about artificial fruit, that which looks like the real thing but isn't genuine. And in his chapter he mentions, well, by my numbering four different weeds that stand over against joy. And I think we can learn something from each one. The first two that I'm going to talk about are weeds that we see in the unbelieving world, the world of unregenerate men who aren't seeking to please God. Let me see if I can pass out some Bible verses and you can help me read them tonight. Dave, would you look up 1st Thessalonians 4:13 and Vicki, 2nd Corinthians 7:10 and Glenn, Hebrews 12:16. And our other Vicky, John 16, verses 19 and 20. Claudia, 1st Corinthians 10:10, Jeremy, Exodus 17, verse 2. Harriet, Numbers 14:11. Patty, Luke 10:17 and Joe, Romans 12:15. After we get around these and maybe we'll do another cycle of them, the first weed that we see in the unbelieving world is worldly sorrow that doesn't have hope and worldly sorrow that can't find true repentance. Let's read some verses and I'll explain what I'm getting at. First, Thessalonians 4:13. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Jesus said, oh, but we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. Now, who is it that has no hope? It's the unbelieving world. And what Paul says is that we are not to grieve when we have Christian friends or relatives that pass away like those who grieve, that have no hope, the world, no sorrow. There's probably nothing more pathetic and sad than to go to a funeral and watch what unbelievers do with that because they have no hope. If they admit there's more to man than just being an animal, then they're in real trouble because they have no idea about the afterlife. And yet if they take the opposite approach and try to be kind of callous, it's like, well, it's just very natural. People die. Then again, they have no hope. As Paul says, no matter how you look at it, the unbelieving world sorrows without any sense of relief being possible. There's another kind of worldly sorrow that we see in unbelievers who are sad about doing bad things. Second Corinthians 7:10.

For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted, but is sorrow of the world.

There's two kinds of sorrow mentioned in this verse. Godly sorrow is good. It leads to repentance, brings eternal life, but worldly sorrow doesn't. Worldly sorrow, it's genuinely a sad feeling, but it's not a feeling that leads to any grief over violating the holiness of God. Worldly sorrow for sin amounts to not liking the fact that you got caught. And a lot of unbelievers show sorrow once they get caught. But this, the sorrow of embarrassment, sorrow that I didn't live up to my own hopes and expectations. Is it the sorrow that is an attempt to manipulate the court or the teacher or whoever it is that's caught you? I'm sure that Tim probably arrests a lot of people that are real sorry right at the moment they get apprehended. You know, it's like all of a sudden they've had a change of heart. How could I have done such a stupid thing? That's worldly sorrow. And the best example given to us in the Bible of worldly sorrow is esau. Hebrews 12:16.

See to it that no one comes.

Short of the grace of God, that.

No root of bitterness bringing up causes trouble. And by it many be defiled that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau. Who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For ye know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. For he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Isn't that funny in the weird sense? Not funny ha ha. Esau wept over his situation, but he fell short of the grace of God. The kind of sorrow that Esau had was not genuine sorrow before God. He was feeling sorry for myself. If we can ask, what does that phrase mean, Found no place for repentance. Yes, of course, we can go back to our Hebrew series and get into that in detail. The two major possibilities is that he sought repentance, that he sought a way to have a heart that's right before God. But he couldn't because it was blocked by his own selfishness, which is what I think it means, although in context. Many have argued that he sought his Father's repentance not in the moral sense, but that his father would turn around, change his mind, have a change of mind. And though he pled with tears, he couldn't get his father to change his mind. So it's one of those two. This kind of sorrow that we're talking about is sorrow against God's providence. It displays a selfishness at base, a frustrated ego. I'm not getting what I want. And it's not grief over offending God. I think that's a good thing. Even though we are believers, it's a good thing for us to think about when we go to God, sorry about our sins. How much of our sorrow is, I know I stand condemned and caught before God. How much of our sorrow is, I have offended you. How could I possibly have offended you? It's the grief that comes from realizing the holiness of God has been crossed and he's worthy of all praise. And how could I fall short of that? There's a second worldly weed that stands over against the Christian virtue of joy, and that is worldly joy in unrighteousness, that kind of glee that the world feels when they see bad things happening. I bet each one of us could tell stories like that from school days, from people you've worked with or relatives you've known who just seem so base that they get joy out of seeing things happen to good people. You know, it's kind of. Well, let's look at an example. John 16, verses 19 and 20.

Jesus knew that they wished to question him. And he said to them, are you deliberating together about this? But I said, a little while, and you will not be. And again a little while and you will see me. Truly. Truly. I say to you that you will weep and lament that the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy.

It's that little phrase right there where Jesus says, but the world will rejoice because when I'm taken away, you're going to weep, you're going to be sorrowful. That will be turned into joy, of course, when he is raised from the dead. But when he's taken away, the world will rejoice. Am I right? Do I have to say much more about this? Do you all know what I'm getting at? There are people who take joy in bad things happening. And especially if they happen to Christians or religious people or good people. It's almost a fiendish kind of thing. That is not the joy of God's people. Obviously we don't rejoice in bad things happening to people, much less unjust things happening to good people. Let's look at two more weeds. These more particularly found in the life or lives of Christians. Weed number three, self pity. I don't have a right to teach you this lesson tonight because I'm probably more guilty than anybody of this. But the example in the Bible comes to mind is that of Elijah. Remember how Elijah despaired, ran away and really wanted to give it all up? I know how that feels. Elijah saw no immediate result from his ministry. And when Jezebel threatened him, he said, this isn't what I signed up for. Catch you later. That's the bonson paraphrase Elijah's attitude. He took off. He apparently forgot that God had done wondrous things through his ministry. Fire from heaven on the altar at Mount Carmel. The sort of thing you would think once in your life would be. Enough said. Boy, that settles it for me. You know, Elijah had forgotten that that there were enough people around to slaughter the priests of BAAL at that time Obadiah was a prophet. At the same time of Elijah, Obadiah was protecting, what is it, A hundred prophets in the cave at this time. He forgot that God fed him for a whole year with a raven. And those things happen. And when he didn't see the kind of result that he had wanted and Jezebel decided that she was going to kill him, then Elijah got very discouraged and engaged in apparently a lot of self pity to be reminded that 7,000 people had still bowed the knee to the veils. Is it possible for us to engage in self pity? We kind of get down on our circumstances. Well, woe is me, Fruit of the spirit is love joy. It's a hard thing to ask, I mean, because I've already told you I'll stand first in line to be condemned. But when people think about you, do they say, well, there's a joyful person. Look how well he or she responds, you know, and all kinds of circumstances. Ouch. Well, the fourth weed is related to this one of self pity, and that's the weed of griping and murmuring. First Corinthians 10:10.

And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel.

Okay. Paul, in 1st Corinthians 10, verse 10 is in the midst of describing the wilderness wanderings and what we're supposed to learn from what happened to the Israelites when they're in the wilderness. And he gives this injunction, don't you grumble. Because that's what they did, and God sent an angel to destroy them. Whoa. We tend to think of grumbling. It's just kind of. That's a peripheral personality problem. Right. I was born this way. I'm just kind of grouchy. Grumble, complain. No, no, no. This is the sort of thing where if God chose to, he could send an angel to destroy those who are bitter and griping all the time. Listen to Exodus 17:2. So they quarreled with Moses and said, give us water to drink. Moses replied, why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the death? Going back to the wilderness wanderings? In Exodus 17, the people came to Moses and they quarreled with him and demanded that he give them water. And Moses points out, you're not quarreling with me, you're quarreling with God. That's a pretty serious thing. I don't know if you've ever caught yourself. I do this from time to time. If I'm in a bad mood about something, let's say it's the weather. Make it kind of impersonal and easy to talk about. Say we're griping about the weather. Now, if I write to Glenn about the weather, it's not as though I expect Glenn can change the weather. But, you know, even though I'm talking to Glenn, who is it that I'm complaining against? The one who does control the weather, and that's God. Now, if you concede that point with kind of a safe subject like weather, there are other things in your life that you kind of bitch and complain about. Well, just remember that to the degree that you will not accept Your circumstances will not be content to that degree. You're saying, God, you don't know what you're doing. And I could run the universe better than you. And that's why Moses said, you're not quarreling with me, you're quarreling with God. That's very serious. What did God do for their quarreling with him? You remember Exodus 17? I've preached on it a few times. One of my favorite texts. John, do you remember how Moses was to respond to the quarreling of the people? What instrument did God tell him to take?

His rod.

His rod. Rod of blessing. Right. Well, no. This is not a good night to ask me a question. His close appliance. Oh dear. Well then we caught you. It's the rod of judgment. It's the rod with which he smote the Nile river and judged it so forth. And God then says, basically, I'm going to have you judge these people. But then the gospel is seen in that. God says, I'll stand before you on the rock and bring the rod down upon the rock. Which is to say, I will accept the judgment of the people. Why did the people gripe and complain? Numbers 14:11.

The Lord said to Moses, how long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed in them?

So what would you say, Harriet? What is it that lies behind a murmuring spirit? A failure to do what? Unbelief. Let me try the most obvious verse on you. Romans 8:28. We know all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Do you believe that? I do in the pulpit. I do when I counsel people. But I would judge from my failure to be joyful in all circumstances that I don't believe God. That all things will work together for good. Some of you might remember a sermon. I probably done it a couple of times over the last few years on unnatural thanksgiving. Because that feels so unnatural, so twisted to have bad things happen and then say, thank you God. That's what we should do. If you believe him. We believe that all things work together for good. And if we don't believe that, then what we do, we start griping and murmuring about God. Now does this mean that we should never engage in criticism? Is there no place for criticism? Is the survival calling us just kind of a Pollyanna air headed, everything is just great, there's never anything wrong in the world attitude? I don't know when the question is put that way. What do you think the answer is supposed to be? Not a very challenging question. Obviously that isn't what I think the Bible teaches. And so what is the difference between healthy criticism and unhealthy griping? Well, healthy criticism, two things stand out about it. One, it's positive in its outlook. And I know that when I murmur and gripe and complain, I'm not being positive. I'm not looking for any good or constructive thing to come out of it. I'm just wallowing. Right. And then secondly, healthy criticism is wholesome in its effect, whereas murmuring and complaining just makes the situation worse. Kind of like it takes a bad situation and then adds a circle of despair around it rather than having an effect that is wholesome. The fruit of the spirit is love. We saw how much was demanded by love, and now it seems like the second one, joy has the same kind of real challenge to us. How can we live joyful lives? We are all guilty of worldly sorrow, sometimes not really caring about the holiness of God, of self pity, of griping and murmuring. Those are weeds. Now Sanderson, in his chapter, talks about the artificial fruit of joy, that which looks like its joy. It's the fruit kind of a plastic apple that's sitting out there and you pick it up and take a bite out of it. And of course it has no flavor or nourishment. Plastic, but it looked like an apple. Now, how is it that we can look like we're joyful people, but it's really artificial fruit? Luke 10:17 is an example of artificial joy.

And the 70 returned with joy, saying, lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name.

What did Jesus tell them?

Saint says that I am watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this. The spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded.

Jesus says, be careful of where your joy comes from. Why did Jesus have to, if not rebuke, but correct and encourage them in the right direction here. What was the source of their joy? Well, yeah, I think that's well put. Power. Circumstances. Circumstances. That's right. You stop and think about it. If you had power or if your circumstances were favorable, they come back and they're just jumping for joy. Even the demons are subject to us. I think Jesus realizes that as happy as that should make them, their happiness was deriving not from the fact that their names were Written in heaven. What does this tell me about my relationship to God? It was happiness over the outward circumstances. And that's me. When things are going well, I find it easy to smile and to be cheerful and to be joyful, to rejoice. I mean, why not? We're getting the things we want, you know, we think that we have a sense of control, power over our circumstances. But when I think I'm losing it, you know, things are not going my way and so forth, then I get grumpy and I bitch and complain. So the joy that you see when it's based on everything going well is not true joy in the Holy Spirit, is it? It's joy that I'm getting my way. I mean, to put it forth. Look. Isn't that right? That's the artificial fruit. Let's talk about true joy. And I'm going to start at the opposite end of things. We have to be kind of quick about this. I see. If we're going to talk about true joy, I want to get across to you that true joy allows for sorrow. Because I really don't want to create kind of plastic Christians that we run into so many times. I feel guilty even having to bring that up. But there are people that are just so bubbly all the time, and yet there's just no substance to it, you know, And. And that isn't what the Bible means when it says the fruit of the Spirit is joy. Just go around, you know, it's just kind of, you know, fake grin on your face and just, oh, nothing could ever be wrong. No, there are things that go wrong. Have I run out of people to read verses? How about Romans 12, 15? Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Now, the Bible tells you to weep sometimes, tells you you should not rejoice when people are weeping. What kind of love would that be? Fruit of the Spirit is love joy. Well, I love you so much that when your heart is breaking, I'm being just real cheerful and singing a song. Remember how the proverb says that when you sing a song to someone with a heavy heart, it's like vinegar? You know, the Bible tells you that your joy, you're supposed to be joyful all the time. But what I'm showing here is that doesn't always mean rejoicing. Sometimes joy is expressed through weeping. I know that sounds paradoxical. We're going to get to the bottom of it in a second. Let me pass out some more verses so we can do this quickly. Acts 20, 38 Philippians 2:27 I caught that yarn. 2nd Corinthians 6:10 Luke 19:41 Romans 9:2 James 4:9 Philippians 4:4 1 Thessalonians 5:16 James 1:2 Is it possible for us to be Christians who are living Christ, a life that shows the fruit of the Spirit, joy, and yet sometimes not be outwardly rejoicing? Well, yes, because in the first place, we're not supposed to outwardly rejoice when we're with someone who's weeping. We've already seen that. But there are also times when godly sorrow is appropriate and called for. Acts 20:38 and when he had said these things, he knelt down and and prayed with him. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would see his face no more. And they were coming him to the ship. Paul met with these elders and said, this is the last time we'll ever see each other. The Bible says they wept. I can understand that weeping is not inconsistent with joy. Philippians 2:27 for indeed he was sick.

Almost unto the dead, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Here Paul is talking about his friend Epaphroditus, who had brought an offering to him. And Epaphroditus fell ill and almost died. And God said he saved Epaphroditus, but he saved me as well, because Paul was in so much grief over the possible loss of Epaphroditus. The fruit of the Spirit is joy, and yet here's a man whose heart breaks over a sick friend. 2nd Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful, yet always.

Rejoicing as poor, yet making many riches, having nothing, yet possessing all things.

There's a description of the apostles and their attitude toward life and how things go. What's the first phrase say again, Glenn.

As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.

Now does that prove my point, that you can have sorrow and joy or rejoicing together? We're sorrowful and yet we're always rejoicing. There is something deeper to the Christian. There's something else about our lives that the world doesn't understand. There's something underneath, even our tears, there's something there. We're going to get to the bottom of this. Luke 19:41 when he approached, he saw.

The city and wept over it.

This is of course Jesus looking at Jerusalem. Jesus is filled with the Spirit. He has the fruit of the Spirit, but he weeped over the coming destruction of Jerusalem and Jerusalem's sin and rebellion. Romans 9:2.

I have great sorrow.

And this again was Paul is talking about his attitude toward his brothers after the flesh, the Jews. And he says he has great sorrow in his heart. Yet Paul calls us to be joyful people. James 4, 9 3. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to bloom. James actually calls upon us to put away our laughter and our happiness, exterior happiness. And he says, there's a time when you ought to be grieving and in gloom over your sin. How can anybody just be happy? Say, oh, yes, I failed God again today. Of course, that would be. It'd be perverse to think that that should make a person happy. So the kind of joy that the Bible calls us to as Christians, I hope I've proved proven, is not just this surface, the sort of thing. There's a sense in which we can have sorrow and yet have this joy that we're being called to. Joy is an enduring state of mind, despite all these passages that we've read. Philippians 4, verse 4.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again. Rejoice.

Okay. Why does Paul repeat himself? Do you think it says, rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice. Well, it certainly emphasizes the importance of it, but what is it that might make a person take kind of a double take on that verse? He says, rejoice in the Lord always. If he had said, rejoice in the Lord sporadically, you wouldn't need to emphasize that. But when Paul tells me, rejoice always, my inclination says, always, and again I say, rejoice. Okay. 1 Thessalonians 5, 16.

Rejoice always.

That's a pretty short verse. Seems like you ought to say more than just that, right? Well, that may be short, but there's a whole lot built into that. Is it possible that we could have this enduring state of mind, of joy, even amidst trials? What does James 1:2 say, consider it all joy, my brethren. When you encounter various trials, consider it joyful when the trials come. That's my failure. All these trials come into my life, and I often don't consider it a happy thing at all. Does that mean I shouldn't weep over things that have happened, over heartaches, so forth? Well, we. We've seen that sorrow is consistent with this kind of joy that we have in the Holy Spirit. So there can be sorrow, but it cannot be a sorrow that keeps us from considering it joyful, that God controls things and gives us these trials to help us in our lives. Okay, one more round, and I think we can finish this up. Dave. Romans 14:17. Vicki. Romans 15:13. Glenn. Acts 14:22. Other. Vicki. Second Corinthians 2, verses 3 and 4. Claudia. Second Corinthians 7, verses 8 and 9. Jeremy. Hebrews 12:11. And that'll be it for tonight. So people on this couch get off early, but you can't leave. You have to wait for your Deras list. Okay. There is a joy. The Bible uses this interesting expression. I don't know what your translation is going to say, but there is a joy of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes translated. Joy in the Holy Spirit. That's interesting. There's a joy that is born of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Romans 14:17. For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy. Joy in the Holy Spirit. Okay. Joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Okay? It comes in the power of the Holy Spirit. If it's the fruit of the Spirit, then it makes sense that there's a kind of joy that the world can't experience or understand, really, but we get it from the Holy Spirit. Joy in or of the Spirit. This joy comes from being born again. And I like something that Sanderson says about that. He says, you know, no birth is completely without pain, and you can go to Lamaze all you want, but there's still. It's heavy labor. And though you can minimize some of the pain that other women wouldn't be able to endure, the fact is it hurts to have. The birth process is painful. So if we are born again from the Spirit and have joy, that doesn't exclude the possibility of our having grief and tribulation in the process of coming into the kingdom. Acts 14:22.

Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, saying, through many tribulations.

See how we enter the kingdom through many tribulations. And yet the Holy Spirit brings us into the kingdom. Jesus said to Nicodemus that unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom. So the Spirit brings us new life, and in so doing makes us very joyful that we're saved people. And yet through it, we go through many tribulations. Sometimes we have to be rebuked. The pastor may rebuke you, or you may have loved ones that rebuke you, or a boss that rebukes you, or A friend that says, hey, this isn't right in your life. Sometimes you read the Bible and it just really gets to you, just seems like it's really slaying you all the things that are amiss in your life. But even when we are rebuked, the Bible says there is a direct proportion between sorrow for our sin and joy in the Holy Spirit. To the degree that I can sorrow over my sin, to that same degree I can have joy in the Holy Spirit. And of a paradox which only those who are saved can understand, because my sorrowing over my sin is given to me by God. If I had a hard heart, I wouldn't be sorry about these things. And so if God has given me that, and that indicates that God is also saved and made every other provision for for me. Look at 2 Corinthians 2, verses 3 and 4.

This is the very thing I wrote you. Lest when I came, I should have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice, having confidence in you all, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish apart, I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.

You think that they could feel happy in Paul's love even though he was rebuking them? That's what he said. They should. There should be a sense of joy even through their sorrow in receiving that review. 2nd Corinthians 7, 8, 9 Even if.

I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. I see that my letter hurt you, though, for a little while. Yet now I am happy not because you remain sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.

You became sorrowful as God intended. My letter brought about godly sorrow, sorrow that can bring rejoicing as a result. In fact, the Bible says that chastening in our lives, going through hard times that make us cry and feel brokenhearted can yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Hebrews 12:11. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful later on. However, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Okay? If we are exercised by the hard circumstances, it brings about a harvest of righteousness and peace. Peaceable fruit of righteousness. And so chastening doesn't have to be something that we get unhappy about, gripe and murmur about. In fact, the Author of Hebrews says, consider this, that if you were not chastened, it would indicate that you're bastards. But because you have a heavenly Father, he cares enough to make sure that you're disciplined. So be exercised by the tough times and the heartache so that it brings the peaceable fruit of righteousness into your life. Clearly, then, the joy that the fruit of the Spirit is all about, that joy is not based on our outward circumstances. What's it based on? The promises of God. I'd like to leave you with this one particular promise which has given me a lot of comfort. In Revelation 21, where John describes the new Jerusalem and how God makes all things new, he goes on to say that in that day God will wipe every tear out of our eyes. It'll be a day when all of the sorrow will be forgotten and God will be the one who comforts us for all that we've been through. Do we believe that? We do. That'd be awfully happy. We get as there's light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark it may seem. Christians who live without joy are practical atheists. Atheists can live without joy. They can look at how really wretched things are and how bad things have gone for them. And they have no testimony. They have no spiritual depth. They have nothing to draw on. They don't believe in God. They don't trust his promises. So of course there's no joy. If we call on the Lord Jesus as our Savior and His Spirit lives in us, then we need to make sure that we're better than atheists when it comes to this sort of thing. Rather than practically identifying with them and running with them, we need to be able to show the world again, not the sickening sweet smile and the bubbly, mindless character. We have the ability to grieve with those who are grieving, to weep. We know what sorrow is, but we also know joy based on the promises of God. And when we can show joy in the midst of adversity, then that indicates that we really are trusting God rather than our circumstances. Any comments? Any questions? Well, I do think since I began the lesson, there has been a slight increase in the level of joy that I see on your face. We can do much better. We don't need to be so glum. The fruit of the Spirit is love and joy, and I thought I could do a couple more, but I think each one of these is going to be kind of a heavy one. There's the Next1's top two. Peace being at peace with God and men and being peacemakers and then patience. I love that song. I wish I could remember who wrote it. God give me patience and give it to me right now. We'll talk about that next time we're together. This recording has been released into the podcast public domain by the Bonson Institute. Duplication, sharing and distribution is encouraged. For more information about the life and Ministry of Dr. Greg L. Bonson, visit our website, bonsoninstitute.com where we aim to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.