Hey Aaron, I think sure, we can experience pure joy, i mean just because our world is broken doesnt mean that we still cant experience the good things that it has to offer. There cant be bad without good. -Rachel
Yes Son, I do believe we can experience pure joy in this world. It is not without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and continual relationship with God the Father, that this is possible.
We live in a world that would distract us from this; our life circumstances etc, all have a tendency to pull us away from this relationship where pure joy can be found, but it is possible.
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. That includes joy! Ephesians 3:17b-19
aaron! yes! i believe we can. I do believe that its hard to find pure joy in life, but it is there. You have to search for it sometimes in certain situations, but God did not design us to be unhappy. Even though our world is messed up, God does not want us to be like the world, he wants us to be like him, which is happy. God is not a sad God, he is a happy God. He feels sadness for us, but he is not always sad. He loves us and wants us to experience joy in life. Lindsay
I don’t know if “pure” joy can ever be experienced because a part of what would make it pure would be that it would last. I think we can experience moments of true joy but they can only really point toward a lasting final joy that will only be found beyond this life.
My thought process is this: If joy were given a numeric value say 1. Can it be experienced at "half mast" 0.5? Perhaps joy can either be experienced in full or not at all. No in between. If so, I certainly believe that Joy can be experienced at 100 percent. But pure joy, a lasting joy that will be in heaven, no. (as Gil said)
I think that it is a choice to experience joy. There are lots of people who, in hard times, choose to be filled with joy. I think that it's something that God gives us to keep us going, but its our choice if we want to accept it or not. :)
"Consider it pure joy my brothers" - James 1:2. This is not saying that we can experience pure joy. That is not why I am posting it, but James says that we can consider things pure joy. Pure joy is something that i do not believe that can be grasped. But I think it is the same with a lot of things. "pure" is something that is without blemish, and so to think that we can experience in this world is hard to confess. Yet, I think God gives us little glimpses of what it is like. Little bite size samples for us to cling to. These are the things we need to be looking for and 'considering pure joy'. (I realize I proof-texted, but I think it is a fairly accurate depiction).
Hey Aaron!
ReplyDeleteThe answer is YES! :P I should explain more, but I also really need to get some sleep.
Sending you much love!
-Olivia
Hey Aaron,
ReplyDeleteI think sure, we can experience pure joy, i mean just because our world is broken doesnt mean that we still cant experience the good things that it has to offer. There cant be bad without good.
-Rachel
Yes Son, I do believe we can experience pure joy in this world. It is not without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and continual relationship with God the Father, that this is possible.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a world that would distract us from this; our life circumstances etc, all have a tendency to pull us away from this relationship where pure joy can be found, but it is possible.
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. That includes joy! Ephesians 3:17b-19
aaron! yes!
ReplyDeletei believe we can. I do believe that its hard to find pure joy in life, but it is there. You have to search for it sometimes in certain situations, but God did not design us to be unhappy. Even though our world is messed up, God does not want us to be like the world, he wants us to be like him, which is happy. God is not a sad God, he is a happy God. He feels sadness for us, but he is not always sad. He loves us and wants us to experience joy in life.
Lindsay
I don’t know if “pure” joy can ever be experienced because a part of what would make it pure would be that it would last. I think we can experience moments of true joy but they can only really point toward a lasting final joy that will only be found beyond this life.
ReplyDeleteGil Dueck
My thought process is this:
ReplyDeleteIf joy were given a numeric value say 1. Can it be experienced at "half mast" 0.5? Perhaps joy can either be experienced in full or not at all. No in between. If so, I certainly believe that Joy can be experienced at 100 percent. But pure joy, a lasting joy that will be in heaven, no. (as Gil said)
Erick Penner
I think that it is a choice to experience joy. There are lots of people who, in hard times, choose to be filled with joy. I think that it's something that God gives us to keep us going, but its our choice if we want to accept it or not. :)
ReplyDelete"Consider it pure joy my brothers" - James 1:2. This is not saying that we can experience pure joy. That is not why I am posting it, but James says that we can consider things pure joy. Pure joy is something that i do not believe that can be grasped. But I think it is the same with a lot of things. "pure" is something that is without blemish, and so to think that we can experience in this world is hard to confess. Yet, I think God gives us little glimpses of what it is like. Little bite size samples for us to cling to. These are the things we need to be looking for and 'considering pure joy'. (I realize I proof-texted, but I think it is a fairly accurate depiction).
ReplyDelete