1180 - The Fruit of the Holy Spirit - Peace#
1180 - The Fruit of the Holy Spirit - Peace
(JP Text Group - Peipei Compilation)
Colossians 1:19-22
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.
Let us begin with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You! We gather in the temple to worship You, for You are the God worthy of worship, You are our Lord, my peace offering. I am willing to come before You to receive Your word, and I believe I will be renewed in strength through Your word. May the Holy Spirit guide the following time, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
Love, joy, peace, patience, gifts, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control are things everyone delights in. These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Do not pursue the fruits; just pursue and long for the Holy Spirit, and these fruits will surely come forth.
Today we will share about: Peace
The scripture we just read mentions that the Lord Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. He is before all things. Even before the world existed, our Lord Jesus was already there. And all things, whether on earth or in heaven, were created through Him, and all things hold together through Him. He is the head of the body, the church, and the Lord of the church is Jesus Christ. What benefit does this bring? The scripture we read says that it pleased the Father to have all fullness dwell in Him.
What does this mean? All fullness is in Jesus Christ. Is Jesus the first place in your heart today? If you let Jesus take the first place in your heart, then your heart will be filled with all the fullness of Jesus Christ. If He is the first in your family, then your family will also be filled with the fullness of Jesus Christ. In your work and in your business, if you are willing to let Jesus take the first place, you will see this fullness come upon you.
Since through Him, the blood shed on the cross accomplished peace, Jesus Christ today is our peace. He reconciled all things, everything on earth and in heaven, to Himself. Peace, another meaning is tranquility. In the original language, it is called 'Shalom'. The Israelites, today’s Jews, greet each other by saying 'Shalom'.
So how do we greet each other? Have you eaten? Why do we greet like this? This goes back to fifty or sixty years ago when people often did not have enough to eat, so they hoped the other person was safe and well-fed. Therefore, when they met, the first question was, have you eaten? Later it became a form of greeting, hoping that the person you greet is at peace.
So today this greeting has turned into a way of wishing peace. Jesus Christ gives peace to His disciples.
John 14:26-27
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 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.
The peace that the world gives generally refers to success in business and good health. But the peace that Jesus speaks of represents more than that; the peace He gives is true peace. This true peace means that in any situation, your heart is not afraid or anxious. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Did Jesus ever panic when facing all situations? Did He ever say, this is so difficult! I’m worried, let me think about how to deal with this? These are things we often say, but Jesus never spoke such words.
Once, Jesus was crossing the sea with His disciples, and He fell asleep at the stern of the boat. A storm arose, and the disciples were desperately trying to bail water out of the boat because the waves were very high, and the boat was almost full of water, about to sink. The disciples woke Jesus up. Jesus did not say, why didn’t you wake me up earlier? Why did you wait until it was out of control to wake me? What can I do now? It’s about to sink.
He stood up without any panic; He stood up very peacefully and commanded the wind and the waves to be still.
Brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus, when facing all problems and troubles, had peace that came from God in His heart. Because He knew that God could solve all problems. If you have this vision, you will not be afraid.
People today are afraid because they have no assurance about the unknown. For example, you do not know what will happen tomorrow. After starting a business, if you find you have no customers, you become worried and lose your peace.
But Jesus Christ knows all things of the past, present, and future; nothing is difficult for Him. So He always has God’s peace in His heart. When Jesus was on earth, He knew that the Father could accomplish all things. If you can believe, the Holy Spirit within you can also accomplish all things. Today, God’s peace is in your heart. This peace does not need to wait three years to bear fruit; as long as you can believe, the fruit of peace can be produced immediately. Because you are assured that God will never abandon you, you can receive His help at any time because He is your ever-present help. Thank the Lord!
John 16:33, Jesus also tells us, you will have tribulation in the world, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Another meaning of peace is tranquility, referring to inner calmness and serenity.
Why can Jesus have such tranquility in everything? Because He knows that the Father supplies Him with everything and watches over Him. Jesus never worried that the Father would not hear His prayers. So when He faced Lazarus and the prayers of the people, He said, Father, I know that You always hear my prayers, and I am always in You; this is what Jesus personally said. So why did He not doubt? Because He knew in His heart that the Father was always watching over Him, and He had the fruit of peace in His heart.
Some people complain after praying for a month without results. Lord, where have You gone? Why don’t You hear my prayers? Do You not love me anymore? Doubts arise in people’s hearts. Why do we have such thoughts? When did peace get lost?
After God created Adam and Eve, they were at peace. At that time, there was the first declaration of love in the world. When Adam saw Eve, he said, Wow! You are bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; you shall be called woman! This was Adam’s declaration, and their relationship was very good, very harmonious. When Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and gave it to Adam, this peaceful relationship was broken.
Genesis 3:8-10
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? So he said, I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.
When God came to find them, they thought God was coming to hold them accountable! Adam was afraid of God because he mistakenly believed the words of the devil, and fear entered his heart. So at that time, he began to hide from God. And what was God’s purpose in seeking him? God called out, Adam, where are you? Did you eat from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? How did Adam respond? Who ate first? Eve. God was looking for Adam. Is this fair?
Genesis 3:12 Then the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.
Because in God’s eyes, no matter how the husband is, he is still the head of the family. Blessings start from the husband, and the wife is the body. Whether it is the head or the body, there is no distinction of worth; it is just a matter of order. After the problem arose, God began to seek Adam.
At this time, their relationship as husband and wife changed; Adam began to shirk responsibility, and their harmony was broken. When God asked Eve, she also shirked responsibility, saying, The serpent deceived me. Their unity was disrupted. Harmony disappeared.
After they left the Garden of Eden, the first murder in human history occurred in the family. People lost peace and harmony, which has continued to this day. Think about it; when there is no peace between people, it is the same between families. Because peace is gone, interpersonal relationships become problematic.
When people lose inner peace and tranquility, all kinds of worries and unrest will arise. Everyone desires harmony, but after thousands of years of effort, absolute harmony has not been achieved. Because sin is in people’s hearts, when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, people became self-centered, which is also one of the most important reasons for losing peace.
What did Jesus tell us to do? Jesus said: If your brother sins against you, you should forgive him seventy times seven. Is this fair? Who wronged whom? Peter’s brother wronged Peter, and Jesus told Peter to forgive his brother seventy times seven! This is Jesus’ method, brothers and sisters. You see, using this method, there would not be so many conflicts in the world. Even if it is entirely his fault, relying on the strength given by the Lord, completely forgive him.
In this way, many problems in interpersonal relationships can be resolved. This is the method of our Lord Jesus; He tells us to forgive others because this can achieve harmony and peace. But can people do this? They cannot.
So today I will tell you how to achieve this; it is actually very simple. By relying on ourselves, we really cannot do it. In our hearts, we think, I didn’t do anything wrong; why should I forgive him? How is that possible? I will not forgive him; I will never forgive him. Both people carry bitterness and resentment, living in a heavy burden.
Jesus said you should forgive your brother seventy times seven to set you free. If you do not forgive him, your heart will always be bound by hatred. When you forgive him, your hatred is released. Jesus does not want your heart to be filled with hatred. He desires peace in your heart.
Let us share the first point: Jesus Christ has established peace between us and God.
Ephesians 2:13-19
But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
In this passage, there are some key points to analyze. Previously, we were far from God. If it were not for Jesus Christ saving us, how many people would be willing to seek God? Not one, not a single one. We were once far from God, but now you are in Christ Jesus; now you are a member of God’s household, a fellow citizen with the saints.
Can someone who is in God’s kingdom today end up in hell tomorrow? There are many mixed teachings that cause God’s children to misunderstand their identity, resulting in constant anxiety and condemnation. The Bible clearly states that you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. The identity of the righteous will not change, Amen!
Previously, there was a thick wall between us and God that blocked us from coming before Him. God does not listen to the prayers of sinners. By ourselves, we cannot remove sin, and people are unwilling to come before God, drifting away from Him. But Jesus Christ, with His own blood, brought us near to God. He took all our sins upon Himself and abolished the enmity with His blood. He is our peace.
Jesus took our place on the cross, removing our sins and completely reconciling our relationship with God. Therefore, we can draw near to God. He created one new man from the two. We are born of the Spirit. The moment you accept Jesus, you receive a new life from the Holy Spirit.
When you accept Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart. Because Jesus shed His blood for your sins, God no longer remembers your sins; you have peace with the Father, and your relationship is reconciled!
Thus you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
We were once strangers and foreigners. Look around you; are there any strangers? No, they are all members of the household. They are all in Christ. Let’s talk about what a stranger is: someone who is not in God’s covenant and has not established a relationship with God. Such people, God will not listen to their prayers.
Romans 5:1 says, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus, with His own blood, restored peace between us and God, abolishing the enmity with His own body. When Jesus was doing these things, you only need to believe to receive it. When you understand what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross, you will have peace in your heart.
Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. In His kingdom, peace will increase without end. This is our greatest comfort and hope. This is the hope Isaiah gave to the suffering Israelites, letting them know that God had not abandoned them. Although they had forsaken God, His salvation would be revealed when the Messiah came.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
The cross has two aspects; the vertical aspect represents our relationship with God. Previously, we were enemies of God, strangers. When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, His blood cleanses us, reconciling our relationship with the Father. Now, we can come boldly to the throne of grace in any situation. The horizontal aspect represents our relationship with others. The intersection in the middle is Jesus.
We are reconciled to the Father through Jesus, and we are also reconciled to others through Jesus.
I want to share with my brothers and sisters a method of interpreting scripture: always look at the context; do not use it randomly. I have heard this passage explained before, saying that all things are of God. What does it mean that all things are of God? Some say all grace, power, and majesty come from God, which we can accept. They also say that discipline, calamity, sickness, suffering, and death come from God because all things are of God. Is that right? This passage cannot be used randomly; it says all things are of God, which is a comma, meaning the thought is not finished. Do not take it out of context; understand it based on the surrounding verses.
God does not want people to live in sin, nor does He want people to walk towards death. Therefore, He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the world. All of this is what God has done.
Verse 20 says, Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. Do you know you are an ambassador for Jesus Christ? You are an ambassador of the kingdom of heaven.
What we tell the world is that no matter how much you have failed or how great your troubles are, you should seek Jesus, for God does not impute your trespasses to you; you are accepted by God because of Jesus.
Where does the failure in Christian life come from? Although we have been reconciled to God, many people never rely on Jesus, always relying on themselves. One reason may be that they do not clearly understand that their sins have been forgiven and that their relationship with the Father has been completely reconciled. God will no longer be angry with them and is willing to bless them.
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Today, you are righteous before God; whenever you encounter problems in life, you can pray to the Father. He is willing to hear your prayers and give you the best.
Let’s share the second point: Jesus Christ has established peace between us and others.
How can your relationship with others be restored? It is still through Jesus Christ!
Luke 17:3-5
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him. And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.
By our own faith, we really cannot do it. So we need to let Jesus increase our faith. How does this faith come about? We need to often meditate on how Jesus forgave us on the cross! While we were still sinners, He forgave us, always giving us opportunities to guide us to repentance. When people receive this love from Christ, they gain the strength and faith to forgive their brothers.
Only when we look at this person through Jesus can we use the forgiveness that Christ gave us to forgive this person. In fact, I can forgive him through the power of Christ. You can pray, Holy Spirit, give me the strength to apologize to her, even though it was her fault. But I am willing to resolve this misunderstanding. Let our hearts not be bound by this matter.
Do not complicate this matter; sometimes it is just a small misunderstanding. Some may say, why should I apologize to him? I didn’t do anything wrong; he should apologize to me. In fact, the occurrence of the situation is certainly not solely one person’s issue. If the other party keeps causing trouble, we need to understand clearly where the problem lies, so that we can eliminate misunderstandings and rebuild harmonious relationships. Of course, there is also the situation where we have done this, but the other party has not changed; then let it be. At least our hearts are no longer bound. In any case, acting this way is beneficial for us.
Seeing the world through Jesus will reveal a different beautiful world. Seeing people through Jesus will bring peace to our hearts, allowing us to understand many things and not be bound by them. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit - Peace.
Matthew 15:22-28
And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed. But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, Send her away, for she cries out after us. But He answered and said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, Lord, help me! But He answered and said, It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs. And she said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
In the past, the relationship between Jews and Gentiles was very poor. The Jews felt they were God’s chosen people, had a sense of superiority, and looked down on Gentiles. During Jesus’ ministry, a Gentile woman came to Jesus seeking healing for her child. Jesus said, It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs, which caused an uproar.
Brothers and sisters, why do you think Jesus said this? In Jesus’ eyes, there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles, but at that time, Jesus’ redemptive work was limited to the Jews; this was the Father’s plan. Therefore, during His life, Jesus almost never preached outside of Israel.
John 14:12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
When Jesus said this, the Jews and Gentiles were not yet reconciled, and Jesus had not yet gone to the cross. So at that time, Jesus said, It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. Although the original text refers to little dogs, which are cute and carry no derogatory meaning, it still made people feel uncomfortable.
But after Pentecost, when the 120 disciples prayed in the upper room and were filled with the Holy Spirit, they went out to preach the gospel. At that time, many people, Greeks, and Philistines, were there. Peter preached, and three thousand and five thousand repented. From that day on, the boundary between Jews and Gentiles was broken.
In the book of Acts, Cornelius was a Gentile who found Peter. While Peter was preaching in his house, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word, and they began to speak in tongues and prophesy. At that moment, Peter suddenly said, Now I truly understand that God shows no partiality.
Acts 10:34-36
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation, whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all.
At that time, Peter understood that whether Jew or Gentile, as long as one believes that Jesus is the risen Lord, they can receive the Holy Spirit. Relationships were restored. Later, Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles, and from then on, there was no longer a distinction between Jews and Gentiles; they became one. The relationship between people became harmonious through Jesus Christ, Amen!
So brothers and sisters, this is the good news of peace, the gospel of peace. When you share this gospel with your family, it will bring harmony and peace. When you share this gospel with others, your relationship with them will become harmonious as well. Because Jesus Christ is our peace. The lack of peace between people is due to the absence of Jesus, so you need to place Jesus in the center. Wherever there is a problem, place Jesus in the middle, and look at the problem through Jesus; this issue can be easily resolved. As children of God, wherever we go, we should bring peace to others and the peace of the Holy Spirit to others.
Ephesians 4:1-3
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
When we are saved by grace, we have the Holy Spirit within us, and the Holy Spirit is willing to guide us to live differently, in accordance with God’s grace. One of the things is to connect with others in peace. As long as you are willing to let the Holy Spirit guide you, the fruit of peace will manifest. God hopes for us to be harmonious and united with others.
Titus 3:1-2
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
The Bible says we are ambassadors of the gospel of peace, so we should be subject to rulers and authorities because they are also appointed by God. We need to use the strength given by the Holy Spirit to be ready for every good work, so that people can see the beautiful testimony of Christ. We must never speak evil of others, nor should we compete; we should always be peaceful and show gentleness to all. Sometimes, winning an argument may mean losing the truth because they will no longer believe what you say. But if you always show gentleness to others, they will see the difference in you, and perhaps when God’s time comes, their hearts will turn back.
Lastly, we share that peace is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
People in this world need peace, whether in life, work, or travel. Some pray, Lord, my heart is so troubled; please grant us peace!
Peace is not something to be begged for. When you believe in Jesus, God has already let the Holy Spirit dwell in your heart, and peace is already there. Because peace is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Do not pray, Lord! Please give me the Holy Spirit; please give me peace.
All of these have already been given to you.
When you are troubled, pray in tongues, and peace will fill you. You can ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, and peace will naturally fill you. You can also sing some praise songs to let the Holy Spirit renew you. The Holy Spirit will let you experience peace through the Lord’s words and see peace. Thank the Lord!
Philippians 4:6-7
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 peace that God gives surpasses all understanding; it is not something that man can give. So when you encounter problems, whether in family, work, or life, when your heart is troubled, losing peace, and losing tranquility, you should pray to God. When we are in prayer, the Holy Spirit will guide us, letting us no longer worry or fear. Let us be anxious for nothing.
When we are afraid and worried, through prayer, we can cast these burdens onto the Lord. God will surely grant unexpected peace; He can turn bad things into good things, and He can turn curses into blessings. God can change everything, allowing us to move forward in peace.
Brothers and sisters, in any situation, having peace in your heart is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You must believe that God will never abandon you; no matter where you go, God will surely be with you, His victory will be with you, and He will help you. Amen!
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. Peace is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I need Your peace to fill my heart. With Your peace, no matter where I go, I will be filled with strength and confidence. I believe that Jesus did this for me on the cross.
The Father will hear my prayers and guide me on the path ahead. Victory and authority belong to You!
Lord, thank You for loving me this way. I am willing to be an ambassador of the gospel of peace. In the new week, in my work, in my family, in my life, let me live out the fruit of harmony, so that others may see the great power of Christ and the gentleness of Christ in me, and let me also bring peace to others. All glory belongs to You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!