Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

This is the third installment in my series of posts about the fruit of the Spirit.

Everybody wants peace. None of us enjoy conflictual relationships, either with each other or with ourselves. Yet sometimes it’s hard to know how conflict gets into our lives in the first place, and where to find resolving peace. Even apart from a spiritual sense, the secret to having peaceful relationships is to cultivate a strong foundation of understanding. Close friends typically don’t need to voice their feelings aloud, because the quality of the relationship doesn’t demand explanations. We may not understand the motivation for every action and reaction, but we can sense when our friends are dealing with emotions a stranger would not notice. Their words might confuse or hurt us for a moment, but we know them well enough to realize their attitude is unintentional. If this foundation of trust is nonexistent, we will stay frustrated and angry—angry at our friends for what they say or do, angry at ourselves because of past regrets, angry at the world for making life so hard, and angry at God for allowing pain to enter our lives in the first place. We will never have peace because we can’t accept our own lack of control.

Like peace with others, peace with God results from the strong foundation of a right relationship with Him. Paul writes in Romans 5:1,2: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.” It is justification through Christ that makes peace possible at all. Before we are covered by Christ’s forgiveness, we are enemies of God—certainly not at peace with Him. Through the cross, Jesus bridged the canyon of sin that separated us from God. He tore the curtain which limited our access to our Father. “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18,19). Christ’s sacrifice is a peace treaty sealed with His blood. God wants us to not only be reconciled to Him, but to know Him more and more deeply with a knowledge which will only be perfected when we see Him face to face.

Only this foundational relationship can allow us to have peace and freedom from fear amid our circumstances. If we trust in ourselves or the things of this world, they will fail us. But trusting in God leaves no room for anxiety because there is no chance that He will fail. Think back to what I said earlier about close friends: the quality of the relationship doesn’t demand explanations. It’s so easy sometimes to demand explanations from God, especially when we realize that He does know the answers. Yet just like we would with our friends, we must have enough confidence in God’s character not to question His actions. Our friends are fallible. They may have wrong motives; they may be making wrong decisions; but God’s perfection leaves no room for error. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says this: “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’”

The world talks a lot about having peace with ourselves and not letting guilt weigh us down. Yet the world offers no means by which to resolve this guilt. It is only a right relationship with God which allows the Christian to defeat the overwhelming guilt of past sin and condemn the demons of fear and doubt. Without peace with God, peace with ourselves is impossible. Earlier today, I read in 1 John 3:19,20, “We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” This is such an amazing reminder of the freedom we have from the guilt of sin. Because we have peace with God through the cross, we cannot be defeated by shame and despair.

Like all the other fruits, peace should naturally flow from us to others around us. If we have peace with God (despite our circumstances) and peace with ourselves (despite our past), our character should promote an environment of peace. People should recognize consistency and dependability in us and be so assured by our compassionate attitude that they do not fear conflict. And as always, every word and action should point to Christ, the great incomparable Peacemaker between God and man. Let us forever remember His words: “‘Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful’” (John 14:27). Rest in Him today, knowing that whatever may come, the blood of Christ promises you peace with our good, good Father.