1. God always possessed perfect hapiness in eternity past. ....A. An inner and integral part of His charactar. ....B. Included capacity to love, relaxed mental attitude, thinking grace toward man. 2. In eternity past (Divine Decree) God desired to share His happiness with mankind in time. ....A. To do so, God must share something of His mental Attitude and charactar with man. ....B. Possible only through regeneration and subsequent perception of Bible doctrine (Neh 8:10) 3. Accomplished through the principle of grace. ....A. In grace, God found a way to share His happiness with the believer in Christ. ....B. Includes availablity of doctrine, inhale of doctrine, erection of the edification complex of the soul. 4. Sharing God's happiness confined to the Plan of God. ....A. Man enters into the Plan of God through faith in Christ. ....B. Therefore, possibility of inner happiness begins after salvation. ....C. There is no instant or automatic happiness in the Christian life on earth. ....D. Certain conditions essential; Filling of The Holy Spirit and consistent intake of Bible Doctrine. 5. Any happiness prior to salvation is superficial, temporary and not sustained in adversity. ....A. Human happiness is unstable, dependent on pleasant circumstances and material possessions. ....B. Support for human happiness; Money. success, pleasure, social life, friends, loved ones, health, sex, etc. 6. God has designed happiness in time to be permanent and stable, sustained in difficult ....circumstances, always based upon doctrine in the soul of the believer and Filling of The Holy Spirit ....(Balance of residency). 7. Divine hapiness is two fold, as emphasized in both original languages of scripture; ....A. Hebrew; "ashere". ....B. Greek; "makarioi" 8. Connotations of plural nouns; ....A. "Ashere" (Old Testement). Indicated both learning and applying doctrine plus prototype edification .........complex of the soul (assimilated realm of doctrine). ....B. "Makarioi" (New Testement). Connotes Filling of The Holy Spirit and learning/applying Bible doctrine, .........resulting in erection of edification complex of the soul on foundation of residual doctrine. ....C. For all believers there is inner and outer happiness. ........(1) Inner happiness; Doctrine and edification complex of the soul, no scar tissue. ........(2) Outer happiness; Capacity to enjoy life in all circumstances, to express love, deal with ............adversity and suffering with unflappable calm and serenity. 9. Without Bible doctrine divine happiness is impossible, for it is a spiritual phenomenon and not ....related to the world or the physical body. As such (spiritual), it originates and resides in the soul and, ....as divine, can only be achieved by resident doctrine and the quickening power of God (Filling ....of The Holy Spirit) (Matt 4:4, Jer 15:16) 10. Divine happiness protects the believer from disillusion in life. .....A. Disillusion in unpleasant circumstances. (Phil 4:11,12). .....B. Disillusion from details (loss of material possessions, injustice, etc.). (Heb 13:5,6). .....C. Disillusion caused by people. (Col 3:1, Heb 12:2). 11. Ultimately, happiness for the believer is based upon learning/applying Bible doctrine, assimilating a ......resource of doctrine in consistent exposure to the teaching of The Word under the ministry of The ......Spirit. (Jer 15:16, Jn 13:17, 1Jn 1:4). 12. Inner happiness extends the capacity to love in three categories; .....A. Category 1 - toward God. .....B. Category 2 - toward the opposite sex. .....C. Category 3 - toward friends and family. 13. Regardless of the failure of any generation to aquire divine happiness, it is nonetheless available ......equal basis to all generations, and all in those generations, throughout the Church Age. (Jn 17:13). 14. Divine happiness is commanded of the believer; (Phil 4:4). .....A. It is freely available to all. .....B. It is a volitional issue, and therefore, a responsiblity for which we are accountable. Beacon Commentary: Essence Doctrinal Notes Archive: Notes [ HOME ]