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by Sandy Shaw
Love, Joy, Peace – the fruit of the Spirit – we have looked at these first two and today we come to Peace. In John 14 verse 27, we read of Jesus Christ's last will and testament.
This was His only legacy. He had nothing else to leave. He had no material possessions of any kind which could be divided up among the men He had chosen and loved.
He bequeathed the one thing in His power to give - PEACE.
Could there have been a more priceless possession? Can there be a quality more precious than the peace of God? So many people seek after PEACE. They will fight for peace - march for peace – demonstrate for peace. Jesus says, Let me grow some peace in you through the Holy Spirit! The only source of peace is the God of Peace.
"Dear Lord and Father of mankind - take from our souls the strain and stress - and let our ordered live confess - the beauty of thy peace."
After a man has been forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ - and anointed with the Holy Spirit - then, God can grow some peace within our lives.
When you experience something of the Peace of God, then know what lengths the enemy will go to rob you of that peace - to steal that peace from you.
It was Jesus Who taught - the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. If someone is trying to rob you of your peace know where that person has come from! John Chapter 10.
Paul knew that if these disciples of Jesus fell into deception - if they allowed these bad negative influences to take over - they would have lost their love - their joy, and their peace!
God wants us to cultivate peace as the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
Fruit always represents character - points to character - speaks about character.
The ‘gifts’ of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit - we need both.
Gifts without character is dangerous - it is like a young man with a fast car - but character without gifts can make us ineffective in the Kingdom of God.
Develop your ‘gifts’ - whatever ‘gifts’ the Holy Spirit has given you - and allow the fruit to grow.
Peace means that conflict has been dealt with in some way.
Peace in the Hebrew is SHALOM - and it means harmony. There can be no peace where there is real specific conflict. For peace to be real - there has to be reconciliation. The two sides have to come together and agree and the differences removed, and that was one of the things which happened when Jesus was on the cross.
When sin came into man's experience in the Garden of Eden, the first casualty was PEACE - SHALOM Man was no longer at peace with God - and he hid. Not long after that man was no longer at peace with man.
SIN has introduced various forms of conflict.
SIN separates a man from GOD - and man from man - and conflicts arise - not only in the heart of man - but then, between men - and in families, and in nations.
Jesus Christ came to take away the warfare, and to make reconciliation possible. Jesus came to save us and rescue us from the mess we were in, and offer us peace, but on His Terms. They are good terms. You will not get a better offer anywhere else in the whole world.
His terms are the same as they have always been - the price has not increased. That would be impossible. Repent - Believe - Be Baptised - Receive the Holy Spirit - so that PEACE can begin to grow.
Isaiah 53 verse 5 - Jesus took the punishment that was due to us - He allowed Himself to be punished - so that we could receive PEACE. PEACE flows from the Cross. By His Wounds we are healed. He took our pains and sicknesses so that we might be healed, and thereby so that we might grow some PEACE. The removal of sickness or pain can result in our receiving PEACE, enabling there to be growing conditions for PEACE to grow.
Read again to Romans Chapter 5 - because it is all about Love, Joy, and Peace - and Suffering, Character, and Assurance. Verse 11 - we have received Reconciliation through our Lord Jesus Christ. That makes for PEACE. You are no longer guilty. You have been washed and reconciled to GOD. You have been taken across that bridge - to GOD - from whom you have been separated by SIN.
There is the Peace of a Clean Heart! Jesus washes away the sin - takes away the sin - builds a bridge over which we can walk - and then we can enjoy fellowship with God - and fellowship with one another.
Ephesians 2 verses 13,14 - that is where we once were - far away - and there was a wall which He has demolished. Some people can do all kinds of things to make the wall look nice - but sooner or later the wallpaper peels off - and the wall appears. Jesus wants to deal with the wall. It is a dividing wall - not a wall of security, behind which you feel safe.
Isaiah knew what this was all about - Isaiah 57 verses 19 to 21.
Jesus Christ so wants to give peace and healing, and then those who are healed can cultivate more of His Peace. Peace can lead to healing. It may be the lack of peace that is the cause of the pain and the sickness.
But there is no peace for the wicked? Who said that? Our God! Isaiah 48 verse 22,57 verse 21. We need to know who says what - and that is a phrase we should never use lightly - because the wicked here means - those who are rebelling against God - those who stubbornly refuse to hear what God is saying.
Peace is Harmony - co-operating with God - working hand in hand with Jesus - when there is a sense of completeness - well-being - and wholeness. From this word we see that as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives this peace grows.
Isaiah 9 verses 6,7. Jesus it the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 48 verse 18 - If only you had paid attention to my commands - your peace would have been like a river. Hearing and obeying God's Voice is vital - for peace. There is a river of peace - in which we can bathe - and be soothed.
Peace - the legacy of Jesus - John 14 verse 27,16 verse 33 - the gift of God - grown in our heart - by the Holy Spirit. Let that soothing strengthening healing peace grow.
“Gracious Father, breathe into my life now that deep serenity and peace as Jesus breathed when He rose from the tomb. Help me to surrender to Your Will as Jesus did when he faced the cross.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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