GUIDEPOSTS FOR YOU (C 10)
FINDING, REGAINING OR ENHANCING YOUR GODLY JOY SERIES
JOY TO THE WORLD – PARTS 1 TO 6
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
THE JOY OF THE LORD
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Part 1 of 6 – Joy – Man’s Spiritual State
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
GOD Created Mankind for Very Good (Holiness); Obedience (Love & Compliance to Reality; Dignity of Conduct); HIS Glory (Reflection of Reality & for the Enjoyment (A Diadem) of HIS People); Man’s Exceeding Joy (Fulfillment in Performance), and Fellowship (GOD’S Provision and Man’s Worship). Joy is the Emotion excited by the Acquisition or Expectation of Good such as the >> Bible Promises of GOD << (see link below); it is that Excitement ofPleasurable Feelings which is caused by Fulfillment; the Gratification of some Good Possessed or by a Rational Prospect of Possessing what we Love or Desire; Gladness; Exultation; Euphoria; Exhilaration of Spirits.
JOY
Joy is not simply getting everything Desired which was proven by Solomon during his experiment with riches. Solomon withheld nothing from himself that he saw and desired. He had the best of everything that any amount of money could buy. He had more than the most money, he had the most wealth. He had wives, concubines, resources, employees, land, slaves, homes, palaces, servants than any other King on Earth then and now. What other King could only dream of, as the “most of riches” they could accrue in a Lifetime, were given to him as gifts from other Kings and Queen(s). The end result of his experiment was encapsulated in a well known proverb – “all is vanity.”
Ecc 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Read more about King Solomon’s experiment in the JOY Series
>> FINDING, RENEWING & ENHANCING YOUR GODLY JOY <<
The Bible Promises
The Bible is filled with Promises GOD has made to HIS People, (the Believers and Followers of CHRIST/GOD). The Promises are Provisions and Rewards for the Believer’s Obedience and Faith. See >> The e-Book – CLARKE’S BIBLE PROMISES << for download from our online Library. It depicts the Promises GOD has made to HIS People (Believers) who are those Individuals, today, under Covenant with CHRIST. Also see the >> CHECKBOOK OF FAITH << a Daily Devotional emphasizing the Bible Promises on a daily basis for the whole Year. See also the Blog: >> GOD & CHRIST IN THE COVENANTS << for information about the Covenants of the Bible and how those Promises may Affect you if you are a Believer.
Mankind – Created In the Image of GOD
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Husband and Wife
Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Man was incomplete on Earth without a Help meet. GOD had created Animals but they were not sufficient for Communion or Fellowship for Man. GOD created Woman for Man and they were “Re-joined”, United in Marriage, the First of a Series of Union and Dependency Relationships utilizing the >> THE BLOOD CEREMONIAL PRINCIPLE under the Divine Will of GOD Series << See also >> the MARRIAGE SERIES <<
A Help Meet (Excerpts from the Marriage Series)
When Adam saw Eve he exclaimed in Joy – “Flesh of my Flesh, Bones of my Bones.” Adam called Eve a part of himself asserting she was a Completion of himself with whom he could have Fellowship and Communion just as GOD had with Man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
GOD made the Woman for Man for his aid; to assist him; to lend strength or a means towards effecting a purpose such as companionship; to help Man in his work (dressing the Garden) to succor; to lend means of deliverance when in need or to aid in completing a Design such as populating the Planet Earth. The Creation of the Woman was a Joy for Adam.
1Co 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
The Man and Woman were Equal Joint Heirs of the Kingdom of Earth; the Progenitors of a Race of Kings and Priests. They had a Fruitful Coexistence with the other inhabitants (Animals; Fowl; Insects; Creatures from the Sea) on the Planet Earth. It was a Harmonious Kinship based on Mutual Benevolence and this Relationship was another source of Joy. They had a Blessed, Joyful, Peaceful Coexistence. GOD had created the First Community and it was in Paradise, the Garden of Delights and Pleasure which is the meaning of the Word/Name Eden.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
The above Scriptures is a stark difference to the circumstances at the current time. Most animals in the wild have hostility towards Mankind. Those who would not attack him outright, will shy away from him instinctively. Our food sources have changed drastically. Man made disasters have shortened the food and water supply and animals, plants, trees, Jungles, Rain Forests, etc., are disappearing and becoming extinct. Fortunately, GOD has already planned to “re-boot” the Planet, to continue HIS Divine Plan through HIS Grand Design with a Holy Superior Race of Man of whom CHRIST is the Firstfruit.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
GOD’S Provisions For Mankind
Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
The above Scriptures depict the Natural State of Mankind as Joyful and Fulfilling based on the Conditions and Status in which GOD had established him. Mankind had Appointed him as the Head of HIS Creation on Earth. He was made in the Image of GOD; his Dominion was the Planet Earth and his Realm and Domain included everything that moved upon the Earth. After GOD had established Mankind in his Kingdom, HE beheld all of HIS Work; Appraised it and said “it was Very Good.” This was Reality.
Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Man and GOD
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
The Scripture above depict GOD visiting with Adam & Eve. It was Communion and Fellowship between Mankind and GOD. The above Scripture is a picture of a typical day in the Garden except, on this particular day, Adam had failed in keeping his Estate in Obedience to GOD and had sinned in Disobedience, breaking the Covenant/Contract. Afterwards he Realized he had erred but it was too late.
Edenitic Covenant (Contract)
GOD had entered into the Covenant of Works with Mankind (a Conditional Contract) whereby Mankind agreed to Obey GOD and Live Eternally or Disobey HIM and Die. GOD had proven HIMSELF as a Provisional GOD. The only thing HE required from Mankind, in return for HIS Goodness, was Man’s Love which is Obedience. Man’s Obedience is Love of GOD and Love to GOD. GOD had created a Garden and had placed Man into HIS Garden, the most beautiful place on Earth, and would visit him there and have Spiritual Communion and Spiritual Fellowship with Man in the Garden of Pleasure and Delights. This was Joy.
Responsibility in Obedience
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Adam was given one Commandment to Obey as his responsibility of the Covenant. He was Commanded not to eat the Fruit from the interdicted Tree. GOD told Adam he would surely die if he Disobeyed HIS Commandment because the Penalty (Results/Wages) of Sin is Death.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Mankind sinned in disobedience evoked the curse of “Spiritual Death” immediately. From that point Mankind’s Physical condition declined and continued to deteriorate to eventual Physical death. Sin was the cause of separation from GOD in Adam and the Curse was diffused through to his Progeny; the whole Human Race. This curse included the sentence of Eternal Death and Eternal Separation from GOD. This included the Provisions GOD had made for Man. Because Man broke the Covenant he had to provide for himself. He was no longer eligible for the Provisions under the terms of the Covenant/Contract. This was caused by the Carnal Deception.
Prayer & Obedience
Man’s Responsibility was Belief in GOD and Dependence upon HIS Words; HIS Reality and HIS Strength. CHRIST, as the Last Adam, showed complete Dependence on GOD before every Decision; Work; Sermon; Demonstration and for Daily Succor as depicted by the amount of Time HE spent in Prayer, Spiritually Communing with GOD and eliciting HIS Favor and Grace. CHRIST is mentioned in Prayer throughout the Scriptures and it is hailed as a Hallmark of HIS Ministry. CHRIST did not just Teach Prayer as a Substantial Part of a Believer’s Life, HE Demonstrated it.
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Man in GOD’S Image
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
GOD created Man in HIS image to Manifest HIS Glory and HIS Divine Attributes as Declaratives of HIS Sovereignty as other Attributes are reflected in other Spheres in Creation.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
GOD Created Man and breathed into his nostrils to initialize his Life, his Soul. Man was Created in the Likeness to GOD who is a Spirit. Mankind shared Spiritual Attributes Mentally (Intellect); Morally (Innocence/Purity); Socially (Fellowship); and Spiritually (Holiness). Man was Unique in Creation, having the sole distinction of being the only Rational and Volitional part of Creation with the Ability to Reason and to Choose.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
He was also created to have Spiritual Worship of GOD who was the Source and Object of Joy for Man. When Adam sinned, disobeyed GOD and was separated from HIM, he lost Joy in all Spheres of his Life, the most unfortunate being the loss of Spiritual Communion and Spiritual Fellowship with GOD. Sin is the Corruption of JOY and creates Sorrow. From the time of Man’s Sin to now every Human being is Born Spiritually dead; they are “Dead in Sin”, until they are BORN Again. So, how do we regain and experience Joy now? CHRIST said “we must be >> Born Again.” <<
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
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