Over the last few weeks, we have been doing some “personal fruit inspections.” We have been looking at the character traits that are to be present in your life if you profess to be a follower of Jesus.
As I’ve said before, and I will no doubt say again- these traits are not grown on our own strength. We may cultivate these traits, but we do not grow them.
The Bible says: “…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control….” (Gal. 5:22-23, NLT2)
As we surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, His Spirit will grow in us the character traits that He wants in our lives.
Each of these 9 fruit of the Spirit will be present in the life of the disciple of Jesus Christ. We cannot pick and choose which ones we’d like to have and pick and choose which ones we could do without.
We can’t say: “I’ll take a little joy, and goodness, but I can do without patience and gentleness”. It doesn’t work that way!
If you are a disciple of Jesus, the Holy Spirit wants to grow all nine of these fruit in your life.
Someone once said: “Fruitage in the Spirit requires Rootage in the Spirit… This fruit can only be produced in a life that is rooted in the Spirit.” (Glenn. D. Black, from my flies on Gal. 5:22-23)
So far on our journey together, we have examined the first two Fruit of the Spirità Love and Joy.
Love—Agape—unconditional love, is to be the love that we have and show to all people, because unconditional love is what God has shown to us.
The Bible says: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:9-11, NIV)
Because God has given unconditional love to us, we are to demonstrate that same unconditional love to other people.
Paul said that he could have it all, do it all and say it all, but: “…if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:3b, NLT2)
The chief fruit that God wants to grow in our lives is Love.
The second is Joy.
Joy is, as H. Norman Wright reminds us: “a realistic optimism, not the absence of hardship. It’s a choice we make to smile, when the tree stump lands on our truck cab and we say: “it could be worse.” (Wright. 1996, April 9)
Joy is a choice we make despite our circumstances. Joy comes from, and is based in God, and joy will be given to us as we become obedient followers of
Jesus.
This brings us to the third character trait that God’s Holy Spirit wants to produce in our lives: the Fruit of the Spirit called “Peace”.
PRAY
Peace. It’s what everybody is looking for, but nobody can seem to find. But the Bible tells us that God has and WANTS to give—grow—in His people, peace!
I believe that God induced peace will express itself in at least 3 ways:
1. Holy Spirit produced peace will allow people to be at peace with God.
The Bible says in Romans 5: “…since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” (Rom. 5:1, NLT2)
Peace with God comes only by faith in God. I think you might want to right that down, because it’s a truth that many a people miss: Peace with God comes only by faith in God.
You will not be at peace with God by doing what you want; you will not be at peace with God by doing what your mamma wants; you can only be at peace with God by faith in Jesus Christ.
By accepting, and living for God, we will not be running and hiding from God, as Adam and Eve did when they heard the Lord God walking in the Garden, as described for us in Genesis chapter 3.
They hid from God because they were afraid of God. They were no longer at peace with God.
They knew they had done wrong, so they hid, and tried to cover their nakedness and shame.
But no matter where we go, we will never be able to out hide-God. He is the “El Roi”; the God who sees. (See Gen. 16:13)
He sees us and He knows that what we need is to stop running FROM Him and start running TO Him and accept the peace that have been looking for, accept the peace that only He can give.
The Bible says: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood….” (Romans 3:23-25a, NLT2)
We can—and are—at peace with God when we stop running from, and start running to, God. We can be at peace with God because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Some people here today are running and hiding. You are in constant turmoil. God may be asking you to go right, but you are going left.
The Good News of Jesus Christ is that you don’t have to run anymore! You can come to God and find the peace that you have been looking for, the peace that you are unable to find on your own.
D.L. Moody wrote: “a great many people are trying to make their peace with God, but that has already been done.
God has not left it for us to do; all that we have to do is enter into it, to accept it.
It is a condition, and instead of our trying to make peace and to work for peace, we need to cease all that, and simply enter into the peace that has been purchased for us.” (Reid. 1996, 208)
By His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has come to make peace with
God possible, and all that we must do is receive it.
If you want the Holy Spirit to produce peace in your life, you must start by being at peace with God; by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, for this is the only way to be at peace with God.
Remember: "There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked." (Is. 48:22, NIV)
The second truth about peace is this: Holy Spirit produced peace will allow us to be at peace with ourselves.
ILLUSTRATION- I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to worry. A lot.
Sometimes I can get so worked up over what I have got to do, that I get overwhelmed.
Sometimes I can get so consumed and distracted by my wants, needs and wishes that I push the people that are the closest to me, or even God Himself, away.
When these things happen, my life goes from bad to worse.
It is in these times, that the Holy Spirit of God will do some of His best work.
When I am in one of the above mentioned moods, the Spirit of God will bring to mind selected Scripture verses that I have studied, verses like:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Ph. 4:6-7, NIV)
As I begin to pray more, I find myself being at peace. I tend to worry less, I receive clarity and I am able to focus on God and on others.
When we begin to rely on God and on His Word, He will grow peace in our lives. As we remain connected to Jesus, we will experience His peace.
It’s a peace that cannot be (fully) explained, but it’s a peace that we desperately need.
Jesus said: “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 14:27, NIV)
The peace that God wants to grow in our lives is unlike the “false peace” that this world has to offer. Jesus longs to bring His peace into the very core of our lives. He longs to have His peace change us from the inside out. Causing us to be at peace with who we are
ILLUSTRATION- An artist once painted a picture of peace. It was a picture of a thundering waterfall.
Beside the waterfall was a tree and one of the tree’s branches extended far out over the tumbling waterfall.
Upon one of the limbs of the tree, a bird had built a nest and was hovering over its small baby birds in the nest.
So peace, according to the photo, is not a detachment from the confusion and turmoil of this lifeà it is a calm courage in spite of the storm. (Adapted from Caldwell, 1979. Page 42)
Jesus said to His disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (John 14:1, NIV)
What the Holy Spirit of God wants to produce in our lives is an inner peace, a peace that only comes as we remain connected The Vine.
3. Holy Spirit produced peace will allow us to be at peace with all people.
Most of us have heard the saying “Actions speak louder than words”. Nowhere is this statement truer than here.
How we treat other people will prove which team we are playing for. How we act around other people, what we say to other people, what we do with other people, will demonstrate what kind people we truly are.
The Bible says: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18, NIV)
Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9, NIV)
In Colossians we are reminded to: “…let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.” (Col. 3:15, NLT2)
The writer of Hebrews said: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14, NIV)
The Bible reminds us that we are to be at peace with all people, everywhere. People at home; people at church; people in the grocery store line; people we know and even people that we don’t know.
Disciples of Jesus Christ—people who are filled with the Fruit of the Spirit called peace are called to peace; are called to strive for peace.
The Psalmist said: “Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? (YES, who doesn’t?)
13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! 14 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” (Psalm 34:12-14, NLT2)
It’s our job as followers of the God Most High to be people of peace—to
live in peace with God, to live at peace with ourselves and to be at peace with the people we are stuck here with. We are to strive for peace in all areas of our life.
I must tell you, that unless you have the peace of God living in your heart, you are unable to be at peace with yourself, and you are certainly unable to be at peace with those people around you.
This is not a chicken-or- egg- experiment, this is real truth: Unless you have experienced the peace of God you will not be at peace in any other relationship.
So, are you at peace with God? This could be the most important question that you will ever have to answer.
In order to be at peace with the people around you, and with yourself, you must be at peace with God. This one relationship should affect every other relationship that you have.
To experience this Holy Spirit produced peace, you must Admit that you are a sinner, Believe that Jesus died for you, and Confess your need for a Savior. It really is as easy as ABC.
ILLUSTRATION- Several years ago, an extensive survey was conducted in the United States by a leading polling agency.
Questionnaires were distributed to people of various ages and occupations. The key question (that was asked) was: “What are you looking
for most in life”?
When the results were complied, the experts were surprised. Most of them had expected answers that would suggest materialistic goals, but the top three things that people wanted in life were: Love, Joy and Peace—the first three Fruits of the Spirit.” (taken from my files on Gal. 5:22)
Dear friends, what this world is looking for can be—should be-- found growing in your lives.
We have what the world is looking for… a Holy Spirit produced Peace, and being at peace with God, being at peace with ourselves and living at peace with all men will go a long way to showing the world what they are desperately looking for.
The Bible says: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23a, NIV)
The Holy Spirit produces these characteristics in the lives of true disciples of Jesus Christ. Unless you remain connected to the vine, you are not—nor will you ever be—at peace.
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