Joy In Believing

---

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

---

Joy in believing is the true expression of the life of the believer in Jesus. There is great resistance to this faith expression in the world and it is even contended by our old carnal flesh. Joy in believing is the expression of our new-born spirit man, it is the expression of the Spirit of God within us.

The nature of the old flesh is misery in doubt and unbelief. However faith in Jesus has rendered that old nature dead and powerless over us (Romans 6:3-6). The new nature of the re-born spirit man is joy in believing. It is believing that all God-things have now become possible to us. Our daily meditations, what we ponder on, sets a focus of gaze and determines what we behold. The Word tells us that which we behold is what we become - "... we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2Cor. 3:18). We are to behold Jesus so that we can be transformed into the fullness of His life.

As we behold Him, we are beholding the One that has already overcome all. This focused gaze is what produces joy in us. Jesus walked Earth with this singularity of a focused gaze. This is how He demonstrated to us His overcoming walk, "...who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). This is how we too are to live life - seated in heavenly places with Him, overcoming all and living above all trouble and evil harassment.

Joy allows us to take our place of dominion and rest in Christ. Joy is the force of the persuasion that we have in the love of Christ and what He has done for us. Joy comes from believing His finished work of salvation and the restoration of all things pertaining to a godly life. This force of persuasion is a work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has poured out the love of God in our hearts. By believing His love, we open up to His love and experience His joy of being with us. Joy and peace arises in our hearts and expresses the very life of Christ within us. This is the new life of the believer of Jesus - it is the very love-life of God in us. This divine life only produces joy and peace in believing that God loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son on the cross so that we now be one with Him in love.

Today I pray that the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!