The Fruit Of The Spirit
Part 3 - Peace
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
“There is no law against these things!” There is nothing about the Fruit of the Spirit that offends.
You can’t force fruit. The fruit growing inside of us is a reflection of our relationship with God. When we get close to Jesus, this is what He does in our lives. Fruit is the outcome of who we are and who we connect with:
John 15:4-5 “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Fruit Grows In The Soil Of Intimacy. Fruit Is The Reflection Of A Relationship Matthew 7:15-20.
Fruit #3: Peace
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Ephesians 2:14-18 “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near…”
Ezekiel 34:25-31 “I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. The trees will yield their fruit, and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations…You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
Romans 15:33 “The God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
Isaiah 9:6 “…And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16 “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way…”
Judges 6:24 “So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it
stands…”
The Bible’s version of peace is different than our common understanding of peace. We assume that peace is found in absence. So if I just had less conflict, less pressure, less adversity, THEN I’d have more peace. But that’s not peace.
But Biblical peace isn’t found in absence. Biblical peace is found in presence. That is what Jesus meant in John 14:27 when He said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”
The peace of God is found in the presence of God. The original word in the Greek for peace is eirēnē, which means peace and harmony, but also safety, wellbeing, and health. The Old Testament word is shalom, which means peace, safety, wellbeing, wholeness, and contentment. It is human flourishing
It’s not absence, but presence. Peace is wholeness, wellbeing, completeness, and fulfillment.
He is the God of peace. His very Name is Jehovah Shalom: The Lord Is Peace. God is the source of all real peace. Not only is He the God of peace, He’s also the Prince of Peace.
When we have Peace, we have health Proverbs 14:30 “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body…”
God shows us the path to develop peace in our lives Luke 1:78-79 “Because of God’s tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
The Path To Peace…
1) Cast Your
I Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be
shaken.”
2) See Your
Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
3)
Philippians 4:6-9 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”
4) Pray in Everything WITH
Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
2 Chronicles 20:22 “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.”
5) Spend
Isaiah 26:3-4 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in the LORD is everlasting strength.”
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
6)
Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Philippians 4:8-9 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Daily Declarations (Mark Pettus) Philippians 4:8-9
1) True
“I am defined by the truth of God’s Word. It tells me that I am a deeply loved child of God and that His love for me will never change.”
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons… will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
2) Honorable
“I am called to live a life that reflects the goodness of God’s character to others. I choose to honor Him in all that I say and do.”
Philippians 1:27 “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
3) Right
”I am made righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus. His Holy Spirit leads me in the way that is right and good for me.”
Psalm 23:3 ”He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
4) Pure
“I am washed clean by the blood of Jesus. He has made me pure, so I choose to walk in the freedom and confidence he purchased for me.”
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
5) Lovely
“I am more loved by God than I could ever imagine. He fills every area of my life with beauty and grace.”
1 John 4:16 “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
6) Admirable
“I am made in the image of God and have been given eternal value and worth. I choose to see others in the same light and walk in my mission and purpose.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
7) Excellent
“I am equipped with every spiritual blessing in Christ and empowered with specific spiritual gifts through His Holy Spirit. I choose to pursue excellence in all things as I point
others to Him.”
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
8) Worthy Of Praise
“I am safe in the arms of my perfect Heavenly Father. My life and circumstances will be a constant testimony of my praiseworthy and faithful God.”
Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”