The third fruit of the Spirit listed in Gal 5:23-24 is peace. Dave spoke from Rom 5:1-8 this morning. Peace in the world has never been evident and wars continue to be fought in many areas of the world. What, then, do Paul and Jesus mean when they talk about peace?
Paul talks primarily about the peace with God obtained through Christ’s sacrifice for us. Is 57:19-21 describes the peace that God brings and contrasts this with the wicked, for whom there is no peace, ‘whose waves cast up mire and mud.’ Just as the sea is constantly moving, affected by the pull of the moon and the pull of gravity and churns up seaweed and debris as a result, so people are restless without God, with the devil constantly tempting us to sin and the faint memory of all God intended for us pulling us in opposite directions. People are like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed about by the wind (Js 1:6), and there is a constant need for entertainment and distraction because all people desperately need peace with God, but look to find satisfaction in the wrong places.
All people need peace with God (Eph 2:17). The good news of Christmas is that peace is precisely what God promises to all people on whom His favour rests (Luke 2:14). God’s peace is available to us through Christ (see 1 Pet 2:24), a peace which helps to answer all our fears and give us assurance of God’s acceptance. Jesus promised to leave His peace with us (Jn 14:27); all we have to do is bring our problems and petitions to God and allow His perfect peace to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)