“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…”

peace,

Peace is a sense of tranquility (1 Corinthians 16:11). A person who lives in the Spirit’s peace is free from anxiety and inner turmoil. This is a believer free from inner trouble and who can sit down on the inside because He knows God. He may face exceedingly great difficulty but he has a sense of peace through it all.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Peace is that tranquility of mind that rests in God’s will. It is a peace whereby one knows that he is reconciled to God and that God sovereignly cares for his soul.

This kind of person is much more likely to be at peace with others because she is at peace with God and herself. Therefore, she is not contentious, selfish, and seeks self over others. The Greek word “peace” means to bind together.

Principle:

The Spirit-filled believer can sit down on the inside.

Application:

The Spirit-filled believer has a sense of inner repose in the face of adversity. It is an inner calm that comes from the Holy Spirit. This is a person who truly has it “together” with a sense of inner repose and settlement of soul in reversals.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus….The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:6-7, 9).

The peace that comes from the fruit of the Spirit is not world-peace but peace in the heart. How can we expect world peace if people do not have peace in their hearts? Diplomats and statesmen try to make peace without peace in their own hearts. They do not have peace in their homes, nor do they have peace with their colleagues! When they talk about world peace, they have little credibility.

Nor is this the peace that Christians receive when they embrace Jesus as their Savior (Romans 5:1). The peace that the believer receives at salvation is not the peace that comes from the fruit of the Spirit. The peace here is the believer who can sit down on the inside. There is a peace that floods the heart of a Spirit-filled Christian so that he can stay on an even keel. He can keep his equilibrium in the face of provocation. This person does not blow her top or become volatile and volcanic at the drop of a hat. He does not shoot off his mouth, revealing that his sin capacity controls him. No, this Christian carries internal tranquility, a quietness in her soul.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

This is a peace that we cannot understand. Peace guards our soul like sentries guarding an installation.

“…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

”Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

What is bothering you right now? Is something eating at you? Is it your boss, your business, your family? Have you considered the fact that it might be the Devil? The Devil will use anything and everything to cause you to lose internal tranquility. He wants you off balance and upset.

If we yield to Satan’s suggestions, we will always be off balance. He will keep you in a stew so that you will easily work into a frenzy. Everything will bother you. People will eat at you. Their aggravations will chew you up, “They make me so mad. I am sick of them.” No, it is not them who is the problem, but you. Why should you get angry over their aggravations? “Well, he gets under my skin and into my hair.” Then get a haircut!

The more people agitate us, the more they gain the upper hand. They will attend our funeral and snicker. We are too sensitive and wear our feelings on our sleeves. We get hurt too easily. We would not carry that attitude at work, or we would lose our job very quickly. People act differently in church than they do at work, “I’ll not come to church for a couple of weeks because someone hurt my feelings.” If we acted like that at work, we would not get paid for a couple of weeks! This attitude is just spiritual immaturity.

No one can get through life without standing by a freshly made grave. Though your heart may break, you can still have peace in your heart. Many people have peace before they go into surgery. They never felt so calm in their lives.

Why should you carry a sense of dissatisfaction with you? Why are you blue, discouraged, depressed, and down? There is nothing big enough or important enough for you to lose your sense of internal peace. Don’t rasp and irk yourself. Don’t get yourself worked up and tied in knots. You have the fruit of the Spirit called peace available to you.

“But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (Psalm 37:11).

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me….Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:1, 27).