Can I Have Joy In My Life? (Crucial Questions, #12)

by R.C. Sproul

Sometimes we struggle to grasp the biblical view of joy because of the way it is defined and described in Western culture today.

we often confuse joy with happiness.

However, the Greek word used in the Beatitudes is best translated as blessed, as it communicates not only the idea of happiness but also profound peace, comfort, stability, and great joy.

We tend to think of happiness as something passive, something that happens to us and over which we have no control.

Jesus Himself was called “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief

Jesus’ words could be translated as “Joyful are those who mourn.” How could a person be in mourning and still be joyful?

a person can have biblical joy even when he is mourning, suffering, or undergoing difficult circumstances.

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul speaks about joy and about the Christian’s duty to rejoice over and over again.

Rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4a).

Christians are to rejoice always

Paul wrote this epistle from prison, and in it he addresses very somber matters, such as the possibility that he will be martyred, poured out as a sacrifice (2:17).

Since joy is a fruit of the Spirit, our sanctification is displayed not only by our love, peace, patience, kindness, and so forth, but by our joy (see Gal. 5:22–23).

Holy Spirit distributes various gifts to various believers for various reasons. Not everyone has the gift of teaching. Not everyone has the gift of preaching. Not everyone has the gift of giving. Not everyone has the gift of administration. But when we come to the fruit of the Spirit, it is not as if some Christians have the fruit of faithfulness while others have love, or that some Christians have the fruit of goodness and gentleness while others have peace and self-control.

We all have bad days, but the basic characteristic of a Christian personality is joy.

Christians should be the most joyous people in the world because we have so much to be joyous about.