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Fruit of the Spirit: Peace
Author: Jeff Fritsche
The Aim: To consider together the Fruit of the Spirit of Peace
Passage: Luke 8:22-56
Study Questions:
- How would you in one word describe your normal weekday? Hectic, Stressful, Peaceful?
- Why?
- Pray and then Read John 14:25-31
- Why do the disciples need peace in this verse?
- What does Jesus mean in verse 27? What is His peace like? What is the peace that the world gives like? When have you experienced the peace of Christ?
- Read John 14:1-6. Where did Jesus want the disciples to find their peace?
- What does this look like for us? How do we apply this to our life today?
- How do we live with an eternal perspective that gives us peace in this life?
- Read John 16:33. Where is the source of our peace?
Optional Leaders’ Helps:
Peace in Galatians 5:22 is not the peace with God which we have in justification, but the peace of God in our hearts, and can be defined as tranquility of mind based on the consciousness of a right relation to God. It is from eirenē which in its verb form means “to bind together.” Thus, Christ Jesus through the blood of His Cross binds together that which was separated by human sin, the sinner who puts his faith in the Lord Jesus, and God.[1]
Peace - a state of national tranquility (exemption from the rage and havoc of war); peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous); of the Messiah's peace (the way that leads to peace (salvation)); of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is; the blessed state of devout and upright men after death
God is the God of Peace
“Peace” in Scripture refers mostly to a quality of human life given by God as a blessing of salvation. But by implication it is also a divine attribute. God is called, “the God of Peace” in Romans 15:33 and 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:11, and Hebrews 13:20. ..The Messiah is the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9:6.
Theologically (peace) represents the fullness of the blessing of salvation: peace as opposed to war, but also completeness, wholeness, and prosperity. The Lord promises peace to His redeemed people. The gospel is the message of peace.
Apostolic greetings and benedictions in the New Testament regularly include “peace” along with “grace”. These phrases bring together the Old Testament emphasis on peace with the New Testament emphasis on grace. Peace comes from God alone, since the Fall has made us prone to wars and fighting (James 4:1-3). Peace, like all blessings of salvation, makes us like God. So, peace among men is a reflection of God’s own nature, it is a divine attribute. God is completely at peace with Himself. We often experience struggles between contradictory impulses within us. God, on the contrary, is completely in harmony with Himself. His three persons glorify and serve one another willingly and cheerfully. He is whole, well and prosperous – blessed and happy. (Frame, John M. (2002). The Doctrine of God, pp. 443-444.)
Other passages:
Philippians 4:4-9
John 16:33
John 20:19
Colossians 3:15
[1]Wuest, K. S. (1997, c1984). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (Ga 5:22). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
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