Course: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit 

The Fruit of the Spirit: Lesson Four

 

Lesson Title:  Peace the Fruit of the Spirit

 

Lesson Goal:  …that the student will understand the fruit of peace is peace with God, peace with one another and peace with ourselves.

 

Text:  Ephesians 4:2-3  'With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.'

 

Theme:  Peace through right relationships.

 

Introduction:

Peace is the Greek word 'eirene', which is probably derived from the verb eiro meaning 'to join'.  It is a word describing relationships.

·        Peace with God - at peace in our relationship with God.

·        Peace in the world - peace in relationships between nations.

·        Peace in the home - peace in relationships within the family.

 

Comparison between the peace of the Holy Spirit and the restlessness of the world.

·        Peace with God is in contrast to a bad conscience.

·        Peace with others, even if they are not at peace with me, is in contrast to the hostility, aggression and enmity of the world. 

·        Peace with ourselves is in contrast to the discouragement, discontentment and resentfulness of the world.

 

Introductory Story: 

Before the outbreak of war the Munich agreement of 1938 promised peace.  The next year the Second World War began.

Neville Chamberlain made an agreement of peace with Hitler in 1938.  He flew back from Munich with great happiness to Britain waving the signed agreement and saying 'it is peace in our time'.  The next year Britain was at war with Hitler and in 1940 Neville Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister, making the way for Winston Churchill to take over.  Churchill had been called a warmonger because of his negative attitude towards Hitler and Nazi Germany, but in 1940 the people knew he had been right.   Peace with Hitler was not founded upon truth.                                                       

Peace and truth must go hand in hand.

'And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,' (Esther 9:30)

 

Question:  Jesus is the Prince of Peace so why did Jesus say?  'Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.' (Matthew 10:34), and 'Do you suppose that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, No; but rather division:' (Luke 12:51)

The sword of division is between those who become the disciples of Christ and receive the truth and those who deny Christ and reject the Truth.

Faith in Christ brings unity and division.

·        Unity in the Spirit - one in Christ. 

·        Division - separated from the world unto God.

The fruit of peace remains even though the believer faces hostility from those opposed to the gospel.

 

Exposition:

Peace - the fruit of the Spirit.

1.      Peace through a right relationship with God, Romans 5:1 'Justified by faith we have peace'.                                                   

·        Salvation through the Gospel of Peace.  It is the good news of restoring a right relationship with God.  Romans 10:15  'And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!'   When Adam and Eve fell (Genesis 3:14-19) - peace was lost on the earth.  When Jesus came to earth the message was 'peace on earth' (Luke 2:14).

 

·        Right relationship with God brings confidence in approaching God, Hebrews 4:16.  No sense of enmity with God.  Perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).   Right conscience with God.  If our heart does not condemn us then we have confidence in prayer, (1 John 3:20-21).

 

2.      Peace through right relationships with one another.  The Lord Jesus Christ has broken down the barrier between Jew and Gentile. Ephesians 2:14  'For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us;'

·        Peace in being one body in Christ 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. The body of Christ is not hierarchical or competitive.   Every member of the body is necessary for the body to function properly.                    

 

·        Peace in being tender hearted, Ephesians 5:1.  It is the responsibility of the believer to be at peace with those around us, Romans 12:18.  Hebrews 12:14  'Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:'

 

·        Peace in forgiving one another.  We must forgive others so that our prayers will be answered.  The Lord taught His disciples concerning prayer that '...if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.' (Matthews 6:14-15).  Wrong relationships through unforgiveness will prevent our prayers being answered.   We must always seek to be at peace with those around us.

 

3.      Peace in ourselves.                                      

  • Free from worry and anxiety.   'Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 4:6-7).   The peace of God will keep the heart - heart attacks, and will keep the mind - mental breakdowns.  Stress is a major problem.

 

  • Peace leading and guiding the believer.  The peace of God is the guide of the believer.  Colossians 3:15  'And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be thankful.'  Watch for the peace of God in our lives.   Feeling uneasy may be because we are nervous - this is not loss of peace.  We need to learn to recognise the leading of the peace of God.  Story:  Learning to recognise feelings.  When we fostered a six-year-old boy he was unable to recognise his own feelings.  One day he went to the end of the field where we lived and did not come up to the house to eat for many hours.  When he did come home he cried saying; 'I'm not well'.   But all that was wrong was that he needed to eat food.  He did not associate his feelings of pain in his stomach with being hungry.  He had to learn that when he felt this pain then he needed to eat.  In the spiritual realm it is easy to misinterpret feelings.

 

  • A peaceful spirit is of great value in the Lord's sight.  'But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.' (1 Peter 3:4).   The word quiet is the Greek word 'Hesuchios' which means 'a calmness that comes from within'.  Calmness of spirit and mind.

 

Conclusion:

Peace the fruit of the Spirit is the peace of being in right relationship with God, with others and in ourselves.  It is not dependent upon how others feel about us. 

1.      …we are at peace with God through being brought into a right relationship with Him. We are in right standing with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. 

2.      …we are at peace in our relationship with others.   We are one body in Christ; and must be tender hearted and forgiving to those who are saved or unsaved.  The fruit of peace means we can even be at peace with those who are opposed to us.

3.      …we are at peace in the innermost part of our being because Christ lives in us and we are a part of the family of God.  Peace in the inner person must be our guide and keep us from worry and anxiety.

 

 

Lesson Outline

 

Course Index

 

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