Love, Joy, Peace

Love,
Joy,

Peace
Sabbath,
August 23, 2014

A Bible Study given

by
Andreas Dura

Page 0

Love, Joy, Peace

Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures taken from the New King James
Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.

Page 1

Love, Joy, Peace

Love, Peace, Joy

Good morning, especially to the church members in Kenya. Kenya is a land where the sun
shines most of the time. But when you come here, it is often like todaynot so nice. The sun is
hidden behind the clouds.
There are also other reasons not to be particularly happy. When we think of those in Ukraine, for
example. There are a lot of troubles in the world at the present time, but we are living here in a
bubble. We dont realize these problems in our own daily experience, but we know its only a
matter of time until these crises in the world reach us.
You will have thought about many things this week, and my question to you is: Who here really
feels joyful? Alright, there are a few. Who does not feel joyful? No one? Alright, let me ask it this
way: Who is generally not so joyful? One of you at least is brave enough to say so. Now there is
another.
It is more to protect yourself that you dont dare to say something publicly. I dont blame you for
this. It is difficult. But ask yourself what your mood is.
Now I would like to ask another question. Who really feels peaceful at heart? I see two or three
hands up. Who does not feel peaceful in their heart? Alright. And the rest are indifferent. I see. You
are very stoical. [Some laughter and Andreas smiles.] Stoics are neither happy nor sad. Theyre
always the same, whether peaceful or otherwise. They never change. That is stoicisma
philosophy from the time of the Greeks. And by the way, the stoics were a group who opposed
Paul.
Another question: Who feels love?
Who does not feel love?
Alright. I suppose everyone here has now made a decision in this matter.
Lets read a Bible text together. 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.
The fruits of the Spirit described here are very interesting, but today we want to concentrate on
the first threelove, joy, and peace. Remember, they are the fruit of the Spirit.
We tend to think compartmentally. We might think that today we have joy but no real peace, or
we have peace but no joy today. I cant be joyful today. Or I love but I dont have peace.
If you ask yourself the question whether or not you have joy, how often would you say that you
dont have joy? Im sure you would say this from time to time. Im absolutely sure. Dont fool
yourself. You could fool me or the rest of us, but not yourself or God. It is clearly true that we
sometimes dont feel joy, and we even say so. But its more difficult for us to say that we dont feel
peaceful, because we know that we should feel peaceful. If we have no peace, then something
might be wrong with our Sabbath rest, and we are the Sabbath Rest Advent believers. So, to admit
that we have no peace is a hard thing to do. To admit that we have no joy is easier. But admitting
that we have no peace is more difficult.
Now, how about love? If you admit that you have no love, that would be basically saying that
youre not a Christian or that youre separate from God, and who would want to say such a thing? I
dont think anyone would want to say that, would they? So, to admit that you have no love is the
most difficult one to do.
Our compartmental thinking tends to separate things from each other. One day we might study
about love, and you would say, Yes, I have love. Tomorrow we might study about peace, and
after the study everyone would say that they have peace in their heart. Im a Sabbath Rest Advent
believer. And when we study about joy, everyone will say, Im joyful.

Page 2

Love, Joy, Peace

But today we want to see the connection between the three. There is an inseparable connection
between love, joy, and peace. And if you lack one, you lack all of them. That is the message for
today. If you lack one, you lack all.
So, if you admit to yourself that joy has gone out of your life, then you need to understand that
peace and love have also gone. Understand that! And if you realize that your peace has gone, then
you need to understand that love and joy have also gone. Understand that!
Why is it so important to understand this?
Because it helps us to overcome these weaknesses. When we realize that joy has gone out of our
lives, there is something we can look for in order to find it again. Understand that peace and love
must also be investigated. There must be a lack, a deficiency, with these as well. And in order to
obtain joy again, I need to look at my peace and my love.
This is what we will do today. Lets begin with joythe one we most easily admit that we dont
have.
This connection between the three is expressed in many texts. I would like to read one from
John 15. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My
Fathers 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. John 15:10, 11.
Can you now see how these are connected? Jesus Himself says they are. He says, If you abide
in My love, then your joy remains. And if your joy does not remain, what then? Then you are not
abiding in His love. Its as simple as that.
This is also connected with keeping the commandments. If you keep My commandments, you
will abide in My love That we dont keep Gods commandments is a difficult thing to swallow.
If your joy is gone, then you are not keeping Gods commandments. Do you see that? That is what
Jesus says. Thats how we abide in Jesus joy.
Now we want to consider some texts that show what kind of joy this is, because joy is a word
that is commonly used, and it is understood in different ways. Lets read from Luke 15. Likewise, I
say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke
15:10. There is joy in all heaven over one sinner who repents.
This is love joy, or selfless joy. The question is: What are you joyful about? That is always the
big question. The angels are joyful about one sinner who repents. All angelsthat is the good
angels. We will read later about the evil angels and Satan and the type of joy that he has. It is a
different joy. But lets think about the good angels. They rejoice over one sinner who repents.
Lets consider an example of a father and his son. When a father goes jogging with his son every
morning and the boys legs are short, the father can run faster. Does the father rejoice that he is
faster than his son? Not really. But when the son grows taller and is faster than his father, will the
father rejoice in that? That is the big question now.
In other words, what are we rejoicing about? Is our joy about my being the first, or is it about
someone else being the first? These are two different kinds of joy. I think that is quite plain and
obvious. I can be joyful that I have accomplished something, or I can be joyful about someone
elses accomplishments.
Again, ask yourself the question: What quality does your joy have?
Lets read about a joy that was really selfless. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the
friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegrooms
voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. John 3:29.
This happened in a particular context. Let me tell it to you again. John was baptizing, and after
Jesus was baptized, He had His disciples baptize people, but He Himself did not baptize anyone. At
this time Jesus work became more and more successful. People flocked to Him to be baptized and
to listen to His disciples instead of going to John. Johns audiences dwindled as a result of this.
Johns disciples saw this and were not happy about it. They thought that Christs promotion
should not result in their becoming insignificant, and so they murmured. Then John made a clear
statement. Look. I am the friend of the bridegroom, and I brought the bride, the people, to the

Page 3

Love, Joy, Peace

bridegroom. And Im joyful that its happening. He said, Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled.
Then he said, He must increase, but I must decrease. John had a real, selfless joy.
Now you can see how love and joy are connected together. Its not possible to have this joy
without lovewithout selflessness. Selflessness is the basis for that kind of love. It is impossible to
have it otherwise.
Johns response to his disciples was not a well thought-out sermon. It just bubbled out of him
out of his heart. He simply spoke what was in his heart. He said, Hey, Im joyful. What you are
sad about is what I am joyful about. It was an unstudied act, or unstudied words. They were the
result of his character.
I would like to read a statement from the book The Desire of Ages about this matter of selfless
love and joy. The angels of glory find their joy [Where do they find their joy?] in giving,giving
love and tireless watchcare to souls that are fallen and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the hearts of
men; they bring to this dark world light from the courts above; by gentle and patient ministry they
move upon the human spirit, to bring the lost into a fellowship with Christ which is even closer
than they themselves can know. The Desire of Ages, 21.1. That is real joy. Those who have
experienced that joy will realize an abiding and very deep joy. It is also a joy that is connected with
peace, and also obviously with love.
In 1 Corinthians 13 we read about love. You know what it says in verse six. Love rejoices in the
truth. This is selfless joy.
Let me read a text that gives us an even clearer picture than what the angels give. You love
righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of
gladness more than Your companions. Psalm 45:7.
This psalm, like every other psalm, is about Jesus. Every psalm presents some aspect of the life
of Jesus, and especially this one. When was Jesus anointed with the oil of gladness? We can read
the same thing in Hebrews 1. But to the Son He says: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a
scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated
lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your
companions. Hebrews 1:8, 9. This clearly applies to Jesus.
So, what was the oil of gladness with which Jesus was anointed?
Have you ever thought about that? Gladness. Joy. What is the oil of joy? Would you like to have
it?
Lets read from the Spirit of Prophecy to understand this better. This statement is a direct
comment on Hebrews 1:9. Christs enemies had demanded a miracle as evidence of His divinity.
They had evidence far greater than any they had sought. As their cruelty degraded His torturers
below humanity into the likeness of Satan, so did His meekness and patience exalt Jesus above
humanity, and prove His kinship to God. His abasement was the pledge of His exaltation. The
blood drops [the blood drops] of agony that from His wounded temples flowed down His face and
beard were the pledge of His anointing with the oil of gladness (Hebrews 1:9.) as our great high
priest. The Desire of Ages, 734.4.
Every high priest was anointed with oil, and the anointment of Jesus was with the blood drops of
His agonythat was the oil of gladness.
Have I made a mistake here? I mean, how do you bring agony and gladness together? Is it agony
or gladness? Joy or sadness? Joy did not go out of Christs life while He was suffering. Not at all.
There was danger that it would. He really struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane until He saw the
travail of His soulthe many people who would be saved as a result of His drinking the cup. Then
joy and peace came back, and love prevailed. You cannot separate love, peace, and joy. That is
impossible. The three are closely linked together. If you lose one, you lose all.
Now, how could Jesus rejoice?
He rejoiced because people would be saved. That was the result of His blood drops of agony,
and He saw this even while the blood drops were flowing down His face. He saw the result. This is

Page 4

Love, Joy, Peace

selfless joy. Its the same joy as the angels have. They rejoice over one sinner who repents. They
rejoice with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Lets consider Pauls experience, which was similar to Christs. Paul writes in Philippians 4,
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4. Under what circumstances
did Paul write the letter to the Philippians? He was in Rome in prison, and his physical
circumstances there were pretty uncomfortable. In Philippians 1 he writes that it would be easier
for him to die instead of continuing to live. You have to be in a difficult situation in order to want to
die rather than live. But he said that for their sakes it was necessary for him to stay alive. Then he
tells them to rejoice in the Lord always.
That word has authority because it was written under such circumstances. If Paul had written it
while sitting in a palace with servants and pleasant surroundings, free from all danger and trouble,
people would have said, You have good reason to say that, but I cant rejoice because Im in a
worse situation than you. But no one can say that because of the position Paul was in when he
wrote this. His word has authority, just as Christs words do, when He says that His joy will abide
in us. The same joy that I have will abide in you if you keep My commandments and walk in My
ways.
You might remember the situation Paul was in when he was in Philippi earlier. Lets read about
this from Acts 16. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25. That gives Pauls direction to rejoice even more
authority, because he had had the same experience when he was in Philippi. He was in prison and in
the stocks, which is very uncomfortable. He couldnt lie down and sleep. He was always
constrained in this cramped position but, nonetheless, he was singing at midnight, and everyone
heard him and Silas. This incident was related everywhere, and everyone knew that these men were
singing while they were in the stocks. That was really something, and this was the man who was
saying to rejoice, so his word must be taken seriously.
Jesus was also persecuted, and He said in Matthew 5, Blessed are you when they revile and
persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly
glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11, 12. This was said by the One who was anointed with the oil of gladness. He has
authority. He can say that. These are just a few texts which show real joy.
Now I would like to show you the other kind of joy. There is a statement I would like to read.
When we talk discouragement and gloom, Satan listens with fiendish joy; for it pleases him to
know that he has brought you into his bondage.RH, Feb 27, 1913. Mind, Character, and
Personality 2:494.2. That is also joy, but a very different kind. It is fiendish. Satan rejoices when
something is bad or goes wrong. For what reasons? Selfish reasons. It makes him feel superior. It
gives him an argument against God.
You know that many churches teach hell fire as a punishment for disobedience to God or the
church. What about the saints? They will sit on the edge of hell and rejoice. That is the teaching.
But what a perverted teaching! Its against every principle that Jesus taughtagainst the very
feeling of human decency. But, nonetheless, such a thing is still taught today.
The Bible plainly teaches us not to rejoice over anothers mishap. For a righteous man may fall
seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy
falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles Proverbs 24:16, 17. This is clear, isnt
it? That is the character of Jesus. He cannot rejoice about such things, and thats the love we read
about in 1 Corinthians 13:6. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but in the truth. It doesnt
rejoice when something unpleasant happens to our neighbor.
So, you can see how love and joy are connected. They cannot be separated. That is impossible.
In the time remaining for our study, lets consider peace and then love.
Peace, first of all, is something we feel in our heart, but it is also something we have with our
fellow humans, especially with fellow believers. And the question is: Do we really have peace?

Page 5

Love, Joy, Peace

Peace means unity. I think that is obvious. When we are at peace with our brother and sister, we
have unity. When there is a lack of unity, peace is lacking. And when peace is lacking, love and joy
are lacking too, because these three are connected together.
We can read this in Ephesians 4. I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk
worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with
longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3.
This makes it plain that peace and unity are connected. We are keeping the bond of unity in
peace, and if peace is not there, then unity is not there either. And if the bond of unity is not there,
then love is not there. And if love is not there, then joy is not there. We lose all three because they
are always connected.
How can we get them back? How do we obtain this peace and unity?
The answer is very, very clear. We already know it. But let me read it to you again from The
Desire of Ages. The apostles differed widely in habits and disposition. There were the publican,
Levi-Matthew, and the fiery zealot Simon, the uncompromising hater of the authority of Rome; the
generous, impulsive Peter, and the mean-spirited Judas; Thomas, truehearted, yet timid and fearful,
Philip, slow of heart, and inclined to doubt, and the ambitious, outspoken sons of Zebedee, with
their brethren. [From this description, the disciples dont look very good. They dont sound like a
very nice group of people. How is it possible to develop a bond of unity and peace with such a
group?] These were brought together, with their different faults, all with inherited and cultivated
tendencies to evil; but in and through Christ they were to dwell in the family of God, learning to
become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit. They would have their tests, their grievances, their
differences of opinion; but while Christ was abiding in the heart, there could be no dissension. His
love would lead to love for one another; the lessons of the Master would lead to the harmonizing of
all differences, bringing the disciples into unity, till they would be of one mind and one judgment.
Christ is the great center, and they would approach one another just in proportion as they
approached the center [Just in the same proportion]. The Desire of Ages, 296.2.
So, what does it mean when peace is gone?
It means that we have left the center. And in proportion to our nearness to the center, peace will
return. Very simple. And this is also the way to obtain joy again if you have lost it. Approach the
center. In proportion to your nearness to the center, you will receive again the unity of peace and
joy, because they are inseparable.
We have this picture here of a beautiful lily. This is also a wonderful statement which shows us
how to obtain peace again. The reason why we dont have peace is because we are troubled in our
heart, and Jesus says plainly not to worry about what you will eat or drink because your Father
cares for you. If you have found peace with God, if you have Him as your Burden Bearer, then you
have peace with one another. He makes this very clear in Matthew 11. Come to Me, all you who
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for
I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My
burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30. Very simple. Here you will find rest and peace.
Finally, lets consider love. We could read 1 Corinthians 13, and I think we understand that the
crux of this chapter is not just love, but selflessness. That is what love is. Lets read it again just to
make sure. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have
become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and
is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in
the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
[And so on.] 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.

Page 6

Love, Joy, Peace

Basically Paul is saying the same here as in Galatians 5:22. That is the fruit of the Spirit. 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.
This is the fruit that we will have if we come close to Jesusif we participates in His spirit as
the angels do, for there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.
It is my prayer that we too will participate in that spirit. But remember, we can have it only in
connection with peace and love.

Page 7