| THE MEASURE OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY |
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1:18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice.
In this I rejoice, yes; and will rejoice.
A believer's spiritual maturity can be measured by what it takes to steal
his joy. Joy is a fruit of a Spirit-controlled life (Galatians 5:22). We
are to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4; I Thess. 5:16). In all circumstances the
Holy Spirit produces joy, so there ought not to be any time when we are not
rejoicing in some way.
Change, confusion, trials, attacks, unmet desires, conflict, and strained
relationships can throw us off balance and rob us of our joy if we're not
careful. It's then we should cry out like the psalmist, "Restore to me the
joy of your salvation" (Psalm 51:12).
Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33), and the
apostle James said, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials"
(James 1:2). God has His own profound purpose in our afflictions, but He
never takes away our joy. To maintain our joy we must adopt God's
perspective regarding our trials. When we yield to the working of His
Spirit in our lives, our difficulties will not overwhelm us.
John MacArthur.......Hope for Today
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