Joy — Crammed Full!

As I was studying Galatians 5;22, 23, I decided to see what other verses used the same words. 

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11

Joy: grace recognized

Jesus Christ, being God, knew exactly what was ahead for His disciples. He knew that He would be facing persecution and death. He knew that after His death and resurrection, His disciples would endure many hardships. God wanted to assure them (and us) that in the midst of it all — joy would remain!

How can joy remain in the mist of hardships? Because joy is not based on circumstances. Joy is grace recognized! Joy is a direct result of a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

This promise of the Saviour was abundantly fulfilled. The apostles with great frequency speak of the fulness of their joy - joy produced in just the manner promised by the Saviour - by the presence of the Holy Spirit. And it showed his great love, that he promised such joy; his infinite knowledge, that, in the midst of their many trials and persecutions, he knew that they would possess it; and the glorious power and loveliness of his gospel, that it could impart such joy amid so many tribulations. Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

In October, I read this verse and wrote this: 

Notice the source of joy: Jesus Christ.

Notice the shift of joy: God's joy becomes my joy (My - your)

Notice the supply of joy: enough to fill and overflow; fullest possible; totally complete

God's joy — FULL joy! 

Full:  to make complete in every particular; to render perfect

I love the root word for "full",  "pleres" is means to make replete—literally to cram, fill up. I love the picture that creates. Joy is so FULL... it repeats and is CRAMMED full so that it's spilling out. It can't be "used up" as it continues to repeat... a never-ending, overflowing source of joy. 

Now, the question is....... am I dampening God's joy? Am I trying to put a lid on it and contain it? Or am I allowing God's joy to overflow in my life? 

Joy — grace recognized — repeating so that it's crammed full and overflowing, not to be contained. 

Love - what God prefers — Commands

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

As I was studying Galatians 5;22, 23, I decided to see what other verses used the same words. 

Love - what God prefers

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12

Commandment: reach the end, consummation – properly, "in the end," focusing on the end-result (objective) of a command

Another: each other. This is a reciprocal pronoun. Reciprocal is a mathematical expression or function so related to another that their product is one. 

As I have: according to;  properly, "in proportion, to the degree that" (J. Thayer); just as (in direct proportion), corresponding to fully (exactly). (HelpsBible.com)

You: singular, personal

The end result of God's love is that I will love those with whom I come in contact. I am to love each and every person — and not in a general sense, but love —as God prefers. 

How does God love me? 

His love is unconditional. God loved us as sinners. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

His love is everlasting. Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

His love is just. Psalm 33:5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

The Fruit of the Spirit should be evident in my life. God commands—and expects results — that I love all those around me — each and everyone. 

Love - what God prefers - is that I love others with the same love God has for me. 

The question is, am I doing that?

Joy.

Thinking about JOY today. 

Notice the source of joy: Jesus Christ.

Notice the shift of joy: God's joy becomes my joy (My - your)

Notice the supply of joy: enough to fill and overflow; fullest possible; totally complete

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."  John 15:11 (NKJV)

"I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing." John 15:11 (AMP)

"I have told you these things so that ·you can have the same joy I have [ my joy may be in you] and so that your joy ·will be the fullest possible joy [ might be complete]. John 15:11 (EXP)

I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your cup of joy will overflow! John 15:11 (TLB)