1/30/2024
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The world in which we live is comprised of an emotional roller-coaster. Our emotions are often triggered based on the circumstances that confront us. Life at times can be chaotic and at other times life can be filled with pleasurable and enjoyable moments. Our experiences play upon our emotions, thus, affecting our peace. For this reason, people are constantly searching for peace. Peace is a desired state that individuals aim to reach in order to arrive at a state of calmness in the midst of adversity, pain, woes, and uncertainties. In their pursuit of peace, they aim to achieve peace through various sources that are derived from a human perspective to manifest peace. Peace is sought after through methods of self-love, through meditation, through resetting one’s mind, through helping others and performing charitable deeds, through career success, through relationships and connecting with other people, through acquiring materialism, through overcoming the burden of past mistakes, through listening to music, by reading a book, by writing a journal, and many ways known to mankind that are considered as ways to generate a sense of peace.
Quite often God is bypassed as the source of peace as humanity frequently pursues peace from a humanistic perspective as opposed to a divine perspective.
The writings of Galatians 5:22 lays forth the framework that true peace comes from God and that true peace should embody the life of every believer. The means of true peace for the believer is contingent upon having God’s very on presence indwelling within by the agent of the Holy Spirit. As we embark upon this written composition pertaining to The Virtue of Peace, let us consider the concrete truths concerning the God of peace and the peace of the believer.
The God of Peace
Galatians 5:22 states that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and the list goes on. Essentially, we come to understand that peace is of God because God is the God of peace. Peace is a communicable attribute of God. God expresses and personifies peace because He is the true embodiment of peace. Romans 15:33, Romans 16:20, Philippians 4:9 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 refer to God as the “God of peace”. 2 Corinthians 13:11 refers to Him as the “God of love and peace”. His titles signify that peace stems from God, peace encompasses God, and peace is one of many ways to describe God.
H.B. Charles, Jr. stated that “where there is God, there is peace. Where there is true peace, there is God. God is the source of peace. God is the substance of peace. God is the sustainer of peace. God is the supply of peace.” 1
God is the God of peace as seen in the onset of creation. When the world was formed from nothingness by the sovereign power of God, it initially knew only the peace of God. The universe was created in harmony with God and experienced total calmness until the fall of man.
Charles Spurgeon once wrote “God did not create this world for strife. When He first fashioned it, peace, peace, peace, was the universal order of the day. Do you not observe that God is the God of peace because He created it originally? When He pronounced His creation "very good," it was entirely without the slightest exception, a peaceful creation. God is the God of peace.” 2
However, when mankind fell from his created state of being untainted by sin, it set the world on a path of turmoil, chaos, destruction, and disorder. The world that God initially declared as very good was now tainted by sin; yet, when Adam transgressed the law of God it set the world on a down spiraling course of ruin and eternal damnation. Thus, creating a barrier that distorted humanity’s ability to ultimately experience the unhindered peace of God. Adam in his federal headship represented all of mankind and by his act of sinfulness, the rest of the world inherently became sinners, thereby, becoming enemies of God. As enemies of God, God’s peace became foreign to a sinful world. We were alienated from God’s peace because of sin, the inherent sin of Adam. Romans 5:12 declares that "just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned."
However, as the God of peace, He elected to reconcile the world unto Himself so that peace could be restored. Our rebellious nature, defiance, and disobedient temperament positioned us to be in an unfavorable stance before God. This unfavorable position caused the world to be alienated and separated from Him. Our sinfulness put us at odds with God. Therefore, as the God of peace, shortly after "The Fall", God revealed His plan of salvation through reconciliation that would bring peace. Reconciliation further emphasizes that God is a God of peace. Reconcilement was typified when God declared in Genesis 3:15 that the Promised Seed would bruise the head of the serpent which symbolized that Jesus would be the fulfillment of God’s salvation to crush Satan's ploy and ultimately open the gateway of peace between God and humankind.
Charles Spurgeon wrote that “nothing shows a man to be much fonder of peace than when he seeks to make peace between others; or, when others have offended him, he endeavors to make peace between himself and them.” 2
This is the typification of God to bring reconciliation and peace to a world of depravity for those who come to saving faith in the God of peace through Jesus Christ.
Jonathan Landry Cruse wrote that “reconcile is the verb of peace, the action of peace, and we see that reconciliation is why Christ came. He came, for one thing, to reconcile me and you to our Maker. Sin makes us God’s enemies. We are traitors, and without the reconciliation of Christ our every thought, breath, and movement is against God.” 3
Colossians 1:19-22 is written "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." Romans 5:10 further adds "for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
It is vital to comprehend that God is a God of peace and where there is contention, disorder, and confusion, He aims to restore peace.
1 Corinthians 14:33a paints the reality that "God is not the author of confusion but of peace." The Lord is a God of peacefulness, tranquility, serenity, harmony, structure, and order. He does not promote disorder, disunity, confusion, disarray, chaos, upheaval, strife or dysfunctionality. Peace is of God as He is the God of peace that creates peace, restores peace, and bestows peace.
The Peace of the Believer
Galatians 5:22 states that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace among other characteristics. As aforementioned, peace is a communicable attribute of God. To better understand, peace as an attribute of God, it is vital to realize that God has incommunicable attributes as well as communicable attributes. The incommunicable attributes are those attributes that cannot be shared as a result of those attributes exclusively belonging to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Some examples of His incommunicable attributes include His omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, His aseity or His immanence (self-existence), His transcendence (ability to not be confined by limits), His sovereignty, His immutability (His changeless nature), and His eternality.
However, when we speak of God’s communicable attributes, this implies that these types of attributes can be possessed by mankind. As we discuss the framework of God’s communicable attributes, we are describing the moral attributes of God that can be experienced, expressed, and communicated by humanity. Galatians 5:22-23 presents a list of communicable attributes that are manifested through the fruit of the Spirit and lived out by believers. The peace of the believer is a virtue that derives from God as peace is imparted by the Holy Spirit. The notion of the indwelling presence of the Spirit living within is the premise by which the believer's peace is governed. To have the indwelling presence of God throughthe Holy Spirit is to know peace. To know peace is to know the God of peace.
As one commentary puts it, “God is the God of peace only to those who have ceased to be at war with Him and are at one with Him. God’s peace is not sentimental but moral.” 4
Therefore, since peace is a component of every believer’s life, then it should be evident in our lifestyle. Christ is our peace, and His peace should project from within us. The very fact that we are saved from sin and its consequences, gives the believer inner peace. Ephesians 2:14-15 acclaims, "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."
Christ put to death the things that made us exhibit hostility toward God.
We are no longer governed by the things that promote enmity, the works of the flesh as mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21. But now, we under the control of the Holy Spirit who advocates peace. As a result, we walk in the Spirit as the life of the believer is marked by the peace of fellowship and intimacy with God since we are reconciled by His blood (Galatians 5:16 & Colossians 1:20-21). Our peace was born out of the reconcilement of God unto a personal relationship of established fellowship with Him. It should be our aim to demonstrate our positional stance of peace by walking worthy within the parameters of peace by which we have been called. As recipients of God’s peace, we should live in a way that pleases God for His redemptive act of salvation and reconciliation.
The peace of the believer is not only seen as a means of reconciliation, but it is a means of triumph. We have not been called to live a life of defeat but a life that is victorious. This realization should grant us tranquility and peace. The fruit of the Spirit within us encourages believers to live peaceably despite living in a chaotic, wicked, and troublesome world.
John 16:33 is penned that “these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” As we walk throughout our Christian journey, we will be persecuted and belittled for the sake of Christ, but we must be diligent in allowing the fruit of the Spirit to be seen within us.
The Life Application Study Bible puts it this way “as Christians, we should expect continuing tension with an unbelieving world that is out of sync with Jesus’ values and often bitterly hostile to Him, His Good News, and His people. Some will face only astonishment or ridicule for what they believe. Others will face imprisonment and even martyrdom. But whatever we face, we can depend upon our relationship with Jesus to produce peace and comfort because we are in sync with Him.” 5
The realism that Christ has overcome the systematic evil of this world should spur within us a sense of peace as we are assured that we are triumphant in Christ. No matter what may unfold before us as a ploy, scheme, trap, a form of opposition, a form of hatred, and a spiritual stumbling block, when we recall the work of Christ on our behalf, the peace of God should fill us.
Finally, as we consider the peace of the believer, every Christian should experience the peace of God from a mental perspective in light of personal sorrow, grief, hardships, danger, and peril, as a result of just being human. As a byproduct of living in a fallen world, no human being is exempt from undergoing personal adversity. Job 5:7 states that "man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward." This same sentiment is reiterated in Job 14:1 that records “man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble."
Problematic issues are unavoidable in life. How we choose to respond to our problems is totally up to every individual. Whether we choose to respond positively to negative circumstances or whether we chose to respond negatively is contingent upon if our mindset is governed by the peace of God or if it is governed by our own human will.
Regardless of what we are going through and regardless of what we are faced with, if we keep our eyes upon the God of peace then He will keep us in perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3 sums this truth up by the declaration "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." "We can never avoid strife in the world around us, but when we fix our thoughts on God, we can experience perfect peace even in turmoil. As we focus our minds on God and hold on to His Word, we become steady and stable. Supported by God’s unchanging love and mighty power, we are not shaken by the surrounding chaos. Do you long for peace? Keep your thoughts on God and your trust in Him.” 5
The peace of the believer is connected to the peace of God. Are you at peace spiritually, mentally, and emotionally? If not, then true peace is found in the God of peace.
References
The God of Peace. Sermon 49. November 4, 1855. Romans 15:33. Source Blue Letter Bible App.
Jonathan Landry Cruse. The Character of Christ.
Word Studies in the New Testament. Logos software.
The Life Application Study Bible