Christian Joy
There are two kinds of joy. The fleeting joy that the world gives. And the lasting joy that God's Spirit provides.
The joy that we find in this world is allusive. It is like chasing a mirage.
People spend years thinking that when they finally get that promotion, or when they eventually get out of debt - They will be happy.
And, yet, when they finally reach the place where they thought they would find happiness, they only experience more longing.
Why? They foolishly thought that they were the source of their own joy.
But, your Heavenly Father doesn't want His child sitting around "grieved and depressed." That's why God's Word says that He's given you the very joy of the Lord to be your strength and stronghold (Nehemiah 8:10 -AMP).
So, while the world is searching for happiness, the Holy Spirit is sprouting seeds of joy and gladness inside of you. And this Fruit of the Holy Spirit is God's gift, to be your strength in times of turmoil.
Christian Peace
There are two kinds of peace that we have as Christians. We have peace with God, and we have the peace of God. Let me explain the difference.
You will learn in a future lesson about the Holy Spirit in the Old testament that, before Jesus, we were not allowed to be in the presence of God. But, through Jesus' sacrifice, our peace with God was purchased.
THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to [enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)-Romans 5:1 (AMP)
In addition to Jesus' death buying you peace with God, it also serves as a cleansing sacrifice to allow you into the presence of the Lord.
With the Holy Spirit now living inside of you, you are able to experience the peace of God. This is the kind of peace that the Fruit of the Holy Spirit manifests.
We are told in Philippians how to receive this peace for ourselves.
Don’t worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds
as you live in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
We are promised a peace that exceeds our understanding. That means, it is a peace that does not make sense to us mentally. In times when we should be pulling out our hair and biting our nails, we feel an overwhelming peace in our spirits.
