Galatians
Study 42: Gal.5:22-26
The fruit of the Spirit (3)
Peace
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But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let
us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain
glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Gal.5:22-26
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1. Peace with God
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Therefore being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ.................... For if, when we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the
atonement [=reconciliation].
Rom.5:1;
10-11
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of
God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead,
be ye reconciled to God.
II Cor.:17-20
And, having made peace through the
blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all
things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they
be things in earth, or things in heaven. And
you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in
your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he
reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death, to present you holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in
the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved
away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have
heard, and which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a
minister;
Col.1:20-23 |
By nature the
whole of the human race is at enmity with God. By reason of the
inherited sinful
nature we are all far from Him, we have gone our own way; we have
walked after the flesh, following the desires of our carnal mind and going
in the opposite direction to the ways of God. We are His enemies, we
live opposing all that is called righteous, we hate God, if we do
not express that with our lips then our hearts, by its' actions and
thoughts betray that attitude. We are, as Paul puts it, alienated from
God and His purposes.
However in His great love God sent His Son to die for us in order to
bring peace between God and those who put
their faith in Him. This great salvation
removes all that caused the offence between
mankind and God, and for those who are truly
justified have peace with God. In
Rom Ch. 5 this is
equated with reconciliation, or being restored to favour, that is brought back
into a right relationship with God. All this has been achieved by the
work of Jesus at Calvary.
The passage from II Corinthians has
an interesting phrase: be ye reconciled to
God. How is this to be understood when Paul was writing to believers? One possible
way to understand this is by considering our theme from Galatians. In
order to be reconciled to God we have to drop our opposition to God
and submit to His mercy. By walking in the Spirit we are reconciled to
God's ways and are thereby at peace. If, however, we begin to walk in
the Flesh we are once more in conflict with His ways and
thus lose our conscientious awareness of peace.
Just consider
the prodigal son (Lk.15:11-24),
he demanded his own way and then left home to indulge his flesh,
wasting all his substance in the process. He was still the son of his father
but backslidden, and at enmity with his father's plans for him. In the
language of Galatians he was walking in the flesh, for him it
was a death to the way of life he knew in his father's presence. But
what a change when he repented and return to his father! We, too can
so easily fall back into walking after the flesh, thereby losing our
immediate peace and be at enmity with our Father's plans for our lives
(Rom. 8:6-7 & Gal.5:17).
But if, like the prodigal, we come to
our senses and repent our Father in heaven
is waiting to receive us once more.
2. The peace of God
As we have said before peace, the third
quality of the fruit of the Spirit,
is also mentioned alongside love and joy, in the
final discourse of the Lord Jesus to His
disciples.
Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you: not as the
world giveth, give I unto you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid.
Jn.14:27
These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye might
have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world.
Jn.16:33
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Since Jesus always walked in the Spirit,
obeying His Father's will, He had peace, and
that peace is the one we are to enjoy. He was
never in conflict or at enmity with His
Father's will He was ever in that
wonderful place of peace with His Father. To
consider the peace that Jesus had let us
look at one interesting incident in the
synoptics.
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And when he was entered into a
ship, his disciples followed him.
And, behold, there arose a great tempest
in the sea, insomuch that the ship was
covered with the waves: but he was
asleep. And his disciples came to
him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save
us: we perish. And he saith unto
them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little
faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the
winds and the sea; and there was a great
calm. But the men marvelled,
saying, What manner of man is this, that
even the winds and the sea obey him!
Mtt.8:23-27
And the same day, when the even was
come, he saith unto them, Let us pass
over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest
thou not that we perish? And he
arose, and rebuked the wind, and said
unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the
wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are ye so
fearful? how is it that ye have no
faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Mk.4:35-41
Now it
came to pass on a certain day, that
he went into a ship with his
disciples: and he said unto them,
Let us go over unto the other side
of the lake. And they launched
forth. But as they sailed he
fell asleep: and there came down a
storm of wind on the lake; and they
were filled with water, and were in
jeopardy. And they came to
him, and awoke him, saying, Master,
master, we perish. Then he arose,
and rebuked the wind and the raging
of the water: and they ceased, and
there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
Lk.8:22-25
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When preachers speak
on this incident the focus is all too often on
what the disciples were up to. There was a
great tempest and, naturally speaking, the
boat was in danger of sinking and loosing all on
board. The disciples awoke the Lord and accused
Him of not caring that they were about to
perish. If we put all three accounts together we
notice that Jesus first questioned the disciples
about why they were fearful, He then
calmed the storm and turned once more to the
disciples asking why they were afraid and where
their faith was.
As the writer to the
Hebrews says 'looking
[^off]
unto Jesus.... Heb.12:2. Our eyes
should be on Jesus, and what Jesus
was doing here is very often missed out, thus
leaving a glaring gap in our
understanding.
So what was Jesus doing in this storm that got everybody else so
distraught? If we take a step back in the
narrative we notice that Jesus went aboard
the boat to pass over to the other side. We know
later that He met the demoniac, whom he
delivered of Legion. So the first thing to note
is that Jesus was walking in obedience to His
Father's will (i.e. walking in the Spirit) in order to accomplish something.
He said that He would pass over to the other
side, He had no doubts, worries or fears, He
knew that He had a mission to fulfil and that it would happen whatever
the circumstances. He had
perfect love and this casts out fear. The
reference to faith, or lack of it is simple,
faith worketh by love; thus by having perfect
love Jesus was not fearful and His faith was the
faith of God ( cf
Mk.11:22 lit.)
When in the boat Jesus went to sleep, on a
pillow! Can you imagine the scene? The ship sailed and He was in the
hinder part asleep; when the storm came He remained asleep! What a
picture of perfect peace! The outward storms were great and the boat
ready to sink ( remember that some of the disciples were hardened
sailors, and so would know what was real danger on the waters.) but
Jesus was at perfect peace, His mind was truly stayed on God
Isa.26;3. No
wonder He could sleep. He had a mission from
God and He rested in that what His Father
commanded, no force on Earth, or in Hell, would
prevent its fulfilment.
By walking in the
Spirit we too can know the certainty of our
calling and of its accomplishment, and
likewise we can know His peace. The inward soul resting
in God and everything being at peace. No inner
turmoils, no conflicts nor strivings to get extra
faith. Just a heart at rest in God so that whatever
the storms of life we can be at perfect
peace.
The disciples questioned Jesus' care
for them. They were yet being taught by the Lord of His ways. So it
comes as no surprise that many years later one of the twelve
penned these words.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for
you.
I Pet.5:7
cmp.
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he
shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the
righteous to be moved.
Ps.55:22 |
3. He is our peace.
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For He is our peace, who hath made both
one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us; Having abolished in his
flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of
twain one new man, so making peace; And that
he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the
cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And
came and preached peace to you which were afar off,
and to them that were nigh. For through him we
both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and
of the household of God; And are built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the
Lord: In
whom ye also are builded together for an habitation
of God through the Spirit.
Eph. 2:14-22 |
The second half of the
famous second chapter of Ephesians, is to some extent a
mirror image of the first half of the chapter. The first
half deals with the individual's relationship with God, the
second half deals with the relationship between the Jew and
Gentile and their reconciliation. It would be outside the
scope of this study to enlarge upon this but we do see some
interesting parallels with our thoughts in Galatians.
The word
peace as used in this passage is about reconciliation of Jews and
Gentiles, but we need to take care as to what is it
actually saying. The passage is very clear about this and we
must not bring any preconceived ideas to it.
Famously Paul says that
the middle wall of partition has been abolished between the two. Now
many see this to as a reference to the Jewish temple where there
were separate courts and walls preventing certain peoples passing
to the next area of the temple. In the Temple the Gentiles were
permitted up to a certain point, and there was a wall
beyond which they were not allowed. Now Paul may have been thinking of that, but he wasn't using it in
a literal sense that Gentiles can now partake of the Jewish rituals!
Indeed the passage itself says the opposite!
The wall Paul is
talking of is this:
....... the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; the wall
dividing Jew and Gentile was the law of commandments contained in
ordinances. The Mosaic law is what is in view here; it was
this that separated the two peoples. Christ's death
abolished it and, as we have already seen in Galatians,
the law was only temporary anyway, it was a school master to
bring us to Christ.
The
reconciliation then is, not as some might suggest, that the
Gentile may now partake of the Mosaic law and commandments; this idea would contradict the whole teaching of
the New Covenant. In this passage we must note carefully
that Paul says that both Jew and Gentile have BOTH been
reconciled to God by the cross, NOT that
the Gentiles have been
reconciled to the Jews! And as God has raised both
Jews and Gentiles into the heavenly places in Christ then
so it is that we have
peace, and that the
middle wall between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down; so that there is now
no Jew
or Gentile in Christ. All ethnic barriers are have removed,
and in Christ we are all equal with no one superior or
inferior to anyone else; there being ONE
head and that is Jesus HIMSELF, and we all
have direct access to that head without any go between at
all.
4. Summary
We have seen
that having being born anew we are to continue in
the Spirit and remain in peace, and not to be alienated from God's
purposes for us by walking once more in the flesh. If we are in conflict, having lost our sense of
direction and peace
in God, then it is because we are walking contrary to
the Spirit and are in the flesh. If so, then like the prodigal we need
to repent and return. Finally since God has reconciled sinners to
Himself in Christ, then as brothers and sisters we are at
peace with each other, and we are exhorted to keep the unity
and peace. This can only be as we walk in the Spirit.
Rom.14:19; Eph.4:3,17,30;5:1-2,8-10.
etc.
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