The Joy Of Our Salvation

Photo By Smitha Basil George: "Joy — God’s Art"

Authored by Smitha Basil George under the complete direction and guidance of God, the Holy Spirit, dated October 17, 2024.

Joy

Scriptures for detailed study [1]:

1. Luke 10: 1 – 24
2. Galatians 5
3. Ephesians 1

“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”

In the article titled ‘Agape — Unconditional Love That Bears The Cost’, which is the first one in ‘The Fruit’ series, the first flavor, ‘LOVE’, of the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit of God in surrendered human beings is discussed. This is the second article which goes into the details of ‘JOY’ which is the next flavor of the Holy Spirit’s fruit as spoken by Apostle Paul in Galatians 5: 22. The Holy Spirit of God is the seal given by God to those who are saved, as the guarantee of their salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ and their eternal inheritance with Him, until the day of their redemption (Ephesians 1: 13, 14). The Holy Spirit produces in them a great joy, which can only be brought forth with the knowledge that they are saved from their own sinfulness and eternal separation from God, into eternal communion with God and thereby life forever, which is the most blessed inheritance anyone can ever receive. This is the reason why Jesus mentioned in Luke 10: 20:

“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Because our names are written in heaven

Scriptures for detailed study [1]:

1. Revelation 21; 22
2. 1 Corinthians 15

Having our names written in heaven, in the Lamb’s Book of Life, is a mandatory criterion to enter into the New Earth that God is establishing for mankind for the whole eternity (Revelation 21: 27). The only way in which our names get written in the Lamb’s Book of Life is to receive the forgiveness from God by washing our sins away with the Blood of the Lamb (the Lord Jesus Christ ) as mentioned in ‘Agape — Unconditional Love That Bears The Cost’, and being clothed in the white robe of righteousness given by our Lord Jesus Christ. The joy and restfulness that we receive in His presence is beyond what we can fathom. According to Apostle John in Revelation 22: 1–5:

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”

This eternal state of getting provided for every need of our being and existence brings us to a reality of restfulness, which is unimaginable to our minds which see the constant struggle for existence in this fallen, corrupt and sinful world. The incorruptible glorified bodies that we receive while being raptured to heaven as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15: 50–53 (more details on the Rapture of Christ’s Church to heaven, their reigning with Him and other resurrected saints on the restored earth for a 1000 years, and later transition to the New Earth with Him for eternity are given in the article ‘Rapture and Beyond’), will be thoroughly nourished and strengthened by the pure water of the river of life and the fruits of the tree of life. Any occurrence of unhealthiness can be immediately healed with the leaves of the tree of life. Nothing can harm this constant state of strength and stability, because of the absence of any form of curse that causes deterioration. The only and focussed purpose of our being will be serving our God the Father, and the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) with the anointing of the Holy Spirit in us, and not worrying about or addressing any need for our existence, like sustenance of life or healing or fighting against adversaries.

In addition, we will constantly see the face of our God and there will be no trouble in understanding His constant presence with us. We will also carry the Name of our God on our foreheads as a sign of ownership of Who we belong to, and the authority of God that is bestowed upon us conveying Whom we represent. Moreover, there is no form of darkness at any moment, and everything will be shined upon by the light of our God, thus dispelling any form of confusion, ignorance or misunderstanding. And this state will remain and we will reign with our God, in and under His authority and power, forever through eternity thereafter. The joyfulness of such a greatly privileged, blessed, unshakable, unending situation is something which is greatly immense, and is kept for us as our inheritance. And surely it is a great reason that we can have joy here on earth, because our names are written in heaven with such an unimaginably blessed future.

Rejoice always!

Scriptures for detailed study [1]:

1. Nehemiah 8
2. Psalms 4: 7; 28: 7
3. Habakkuk 3: 17–19
4. John 14: 1– 3; 15: 9 –11
5. Romans 12: 12
6. Philippians 4: 4
7. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16

With the reason for our joy being grounded solely upon the strengthening of the Holy Spirit of God, reminding our current state of salvation from sinfulness through the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our future being in a greatly blessed state with Him, it is made possible for us to rejoice always, irrespective of our current circumstances. In many of his Epistles (letters to Churches in different locations), Apostle Paul had reminded this over and over.

Romans 12: 12:

“rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;”

Philippians 4: 4:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

1 Thessalonians 5: 16:

“Rejoice always”

This was understood with the help of the Holy Spirit of God, even by many of the renowned people of old, as when:

1. Nehemiah proclaimed his hope of salvation through the remark, that the joy of the LORD was their (Israelites who returned from Babylonian exile) strength — Nehemiah 8: 10, as they were made aware of the Law of God, and were weeping, knowing that they missed the mark;

2. King David proclaimed in many of his psalms like:

Psalm 4: 7:

“You have put gladness in my heart,

More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.”

Psalm 28: 7:

“The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.”

3. Prophet Habakkuk proclaimed:

Habakkuk 3: 17–19:

“Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls —

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.”

These are just but a few examples of those who put their joy only upon their trust in the LORD, the Father God, and the salvation that He would provide, which He indeed did through the Word which proceeds from Him — His begotten Son who took human form — the Lord Jesus Christ and His atonement for us. Holding onto the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

John 15: 9 — 11:

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

When Jesus comes again to receive us to Himself as mentioned in John 14: 1 - 3 and detailed in ‘Rapture and Beyond’, we will enter into the manifested fullness of joy with Him, and until then, we can abide in Him with our whole being already fully guided by His Holy Spirit, rejoicing in Him!

References

1. The Holy Bible, https://www.biblegateway.com/ , The New King James Version.

Articles in this series

1. Agape — Unconditional Love That Bears The Cost
2. The Joy Of Our Salvation
3. The Peace That Surpasses All Understanding
4. Patience — The Longsuffering Of God
5. Kindness — The Compassion Of God
6. The Goodness Of God
7. The Fruit Eternal