Part 4 - Peace Series

The Fruit of the Spirit

Part 4 – Peace

Rev. Bruce A. Shields

First Baptist Church Tawas City Michigan

www.TawasBaptist.org

WELCOME

We are continuing our Series on Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

We’ve already spoke about what it means to be filled or covered with the Holy Spirit. And we’ve also talked about two of the fruits, which were Love and Joy.

Today I want to speak about peace.

In a time where peace seams foreign to most of us, we are promised 2 things in the Bible that can sometimes seem contrary to each other, but actually co-exist.

First of all, we are promised that in these end times, the time we live in now, there will be wars, and rumors of wars. There will be little peace, and the media will compound this with its endless reporting of everything vile which takes place in the world around us.

We are already bombarded with endless images of death, destruction, violence, and the like.

And our lives are full of business, with endless tasks, events and things to do on top of that.

But at the same time, the scriptures also promise peace?

How can the scriptures promise a world so full of chaos in these end times, yet also promise us peace?

But it does.

We will look at what the world around us offers, and what Jesus Himself promises us and find how these two promises in the scriptures are not contrary to each other, but how Christ gives us peace because of the world’s chaos.

SCRIPTURE READING

John 14:27 – Jesus Speaking

“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.”

PRAYER FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT AND UNDERSTANDING

INTRODUCTION

Jesus, speaking these words to the disciples after the resurrection, had just told the disciples about the Holy Spirit.

He told them that if they loved Him, they would obey His commands, and the Father in heaven would give them a comforter.

This comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, the world cannot receive.

But to the believer, the Spirit shall dwell with him, and in him.

Jesus promised the disciples that He would not leave them helpless, but that He would come to them in the person of the Holy Spirit.

This Holy Spirit which dwells with us, and in us, is what makes us Christians.

The gifts and the fruits are evidence of our mended relationship with our Father in Heaven, which happened through receiving the breath of New Life from Christ when we received Salvation.

Jesus says in verse 27 to the disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.”

One peace Jesus leaves with the disciples.

This peace stays, although Christ may leave.

But the other peace He has to give to the disciples.

The Spiritual Fruit of Peace spoken of here in the scripture, is really two-fold.

You see, there is the “Peace with God” that all believers have.

This is what Jesus leaves with those who have accepted Christ, like He left with the disciples here.

And then there is the “Peace of God” which Jesus speaks of, that has to be given to those by Jesus Christ.

If this peace of God comes from Jesus, then it makes perfect sense that the further away from Jesus we are, the less of His peace, this peace of God, we experience in our lives?

Peace with God – Was Left with the disciples

Peace with God, which is the “Peace I leave with you”, is the result of our Salvation experienced by faith.

Man outside of Jesus Christ knows nothing of peace in relationship with God, because his sin is always before him and he knows he is accountable before God at the judgment.

This knowledge of sin and judgment is the conscience and conviction of the Holy Spirit which directs us to repent and ask for forgiveness.

It is through this correcting from the Holy Spirit that draws mans soul to convert.

This underlying, nagging fear, robs man of peace with God all through his life, unless he repent and accept Jesus Christ.

When this individual does take Jesus Christ at His word and invites Him into his life as Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ not only comes in to the New Convert as He promised to do (Revelation 3:20) but He immediately cleanses all sin (1 John 1:7, 9).

Revelation 3:20 Jesus offers Himself to ALL

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

1 John 1:7, 9 Jesus cleanses ALL who come to Him