When we are talking about the fruit of the spirit,
I feel like can easily become abstract. We can
easily get caught skimming over the list almost
to where it can lose its meaning. We've already
talked about love being the sugar that runs through
all the other fruit. Without love, the others
lack the thing that makes them sweet and so desirable.
We also talked about joy as something deeper
and more sustainable than happiness. And now
we're talking about peace. There are several
different ways we can think about peace. There
is the cessation of conflict. There is the state
of tranquility. There is the accomplishment of
unity. So wrestling with how to approach it today,
I've decided to look at the practical guidance
Paul gave to the Romans church. I think of the
proverb, a word fitly spoken is like apples of
gold in pictures of silver. What do we bring
to a situation? For me as a mother, are my words
bringing peace? What am I bringing to my family?
Is my family worked up when I enter a conversation
or leave the room? How about as a member of a
church? If I enter a conversation, do I leave
smiles or do I leave angst, frustration, and
questions? What is said when I leave the room?
I just love her or can you believe what she just
said? So let's start in Romans 12, one. Brethren,
or actually, I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service. So Paul
is begging them, because they are members of
one family, by the mercy of God. That we present
our bodies a living sacrifice There's nothing
that is left out when we present our whole selves
to the Lord There's nothing that we can hang
on to it is a whole we need to be holy We need
to be acceptable. We need to be without blemish.
We need to be pure We need to be completely given
to God and this is not unreasonable. This is
a practical thing This is a real thing that God
is asking of us Because he gave so much it's
not unreasonable to ask for our whole life And
he starts out with and be not Conformed it's
like the second thing if we're gonna move forward
in this conversation You must not be conformed
to this world But you must be transformed by
the renewing or the rebirth of your mind that
you may prove What is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God? so There's no denying
it you must You must be transformed You must
be brought to that perfect and acceptable will
of God For I say through the grace given unto
me To every man that is among you not to think
of himself more highly than he ought to think
So here's the third thing After we're not conformed
to the world after we're not looking for how
the world is framing issues The world is framing
our role the world is framing our society Then
we need to be given to humility we need to be
thinking of ourselves less Verse 3 again, for
I say through the grace given unto me to every
man that is among you not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think but to think
soberly that's strategically that is clearly
According as God hath dealt to every man the
measure of faith For as we have many members
in one body and all members have not the same
office So we being many are one body in Christ
and every one member one of another. There's
not one part of our body that is more important
than the other parts of the body. When my foot
hurts, my eyes cry. When my knee itches, my hand
goes out and it itches my knee. There is no one
that is part of my body that is more important
than the other. That we're all working together
to like get where we need to go and do what we
need to do. We have a common goal. Having then
gifts differing according to the grace that is
given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith. Or ministry,
let us wait on our ministry. Or he that teacheth
on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation.
He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity.
He that ruleth with diligence. He that showeth
mercy with cheerfulness. All of these are important,
but we shouldn't think that our position, what
we are doing for the body is the most important.
No, our ministry is to work in unity with all
the other ministries and with all the other parts
of God's body. Let love be without dissimulation.
What does dissimulation mean? Hypocrisy. your
things be done with true affection, not with
a fake, not with a ulterior motive, not with
hoping to get something in return, but let it
be an honest love. Let it be a sincere love.
Abhor that which is evil. Hate all evil things.
cleave to that which is good that right there
will get you so far just loving good things and
hating evil be kindly affectionated one to another
with brotherly love in honor preferring one another
okay you go first oh no that's fine oh I'm sure
you didn't mean anything by that giving the benefit
of the doubt being Warm, answering sweetly, answering
kindly. Verse 11, not slothful in business, fervent
in spirit, serving the Lord. So, whatever you
find yourself, whether you're making your home
for your family or even for yourself, whether
you are in your yard, whether you are at your
job, whether you're at the church doing a specific
job, that is, we consider actual ministry, All
of that, we need to not be lazy. We need to be
very fervent. We need to be moving quickly and
all of it serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope.
Patient in tribulation. Man, patient in tribulation.
Now, we're not facing prison like this church.
We're not facing persecution in that way. But,
you know, there's opposition and we need to be
patient. We need not be frustrated. We need to
continue, instant in prayer, always our go -to,
talking to the Lord, turning to him, distributing
to the necessity of the saints, giving to hospitality.
We're talking about keeping the peace. So if
I see the need of someone else in my... in the
body of Christ, I need to minister that need.
I need to make sure that everybody's kids have
winter clothes. I need to make sure that people
have a ride to where they need to go. We need
to make right we're looking around at the body
of Christ and we're saying what's the need. Well
how does that bring peace? Well first They are
going to be blessed and they're not going to
be envying because of what you have that they
don't have. But also it's not going to create
an offense. How many times have we heard, I was
going through this and nobody cared. I was going
through this and nobody was paying attention.
Right? We are living at peace. We're looking
for practical ways that we can live in peace.
We need to be given to hospitality. You know...
Bringing somebody in who you don't necessarily
get along with or is different than you, you're
not best buddies with, you'd be amazed what you
can build with being hospitable. Now, this is
something we don't do a lot of in this society,
in this timeframe. We don't bring people into
our homes, but we need to be given to it. Bless
them which persecute you. Bless and curse not.
Boy is that difficult. I'm just saying for this
girl is not easy for me to be a blessing. To
pray a blessing on somebody who is mad at me
or is cursing at me or talking behind my back.
I'm working on it. But we're talking about bringing
peace. We're talking about having the fruit of
peace Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep
with them that weep right not raining on somebody's
parade not jumping over somebody who is facing
a hard thing We need to Rejoice if people are
having a celebration not being envious not be
eye -rolling we need not being envious, and weep
with people who have sorrow. We're talking about
bearing peace. Be of the same mind one toward
another. Mind not high things, but condescend
to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own
conceit. So you got to be equal to everyone.
Whether they have a lot of money, or no money,
whether they have connections that will help
you or they can't even hold a job. We need to
treat them equally. Now that doesn't mean we
can give them equal responsibility, but we can
give them equal respect. We can give them equal
eye contact. We can give them an equal hello.
We can make sure that the person that we're not
naturally drawn to, that we purposefully minister
to them. Be not wise in our own conceit. Boy,
that's pretty straightforward. Recompense to
no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in
the sight of all men. He keeps revisiting this
person in our life who we are wronged by. He
keeps revisiting them. Because we need to live
peaceably with people that we're offended with,
that we're offended by. If it be possible, as
much as life in you, live peaceably with all
men. Now there's some people who don't want peace.
There's some people that are itching for a fight.
There's some people that have no self -control
and don't want any self -control. So in that
case, you might have to build a fence, a physical
fence. a boundary in your life so that you can
live peaceably. Because you can't allow someone
else's chaos, can't allow someone else's aggression
to rule your life. So there are some things that
you're gonna have to do that for those people
that are unwilling to live peaceably. Dearly
beloved, avenge not yourself. I don't think the
order is an accident right he's saying as much
as you can leave peaceably and Don't avenge yourself,
but rather give place under wrath put it away
for it is written Vengeance is mine. I will repay
saith the Lord Therefore if thine enemy hunger
feed him if he thirst give him drink For in so
doing thou shalt keep coals of fire in his head
so we're gonna live as peaceably as we can we're
not gonna pay those Terrible people with evil
we're going to bless them and we are going to
allow the Lord to have His way and he's gonna
bring justice in the end in the meantime we're
gonna feed them if they're hungry if they're
thirsty we're gonna give them water and We are
going to do our part in this because we are bearing
the fruit of peace Be not overcome with evil,
but overcome evil with good. Don't, don't, right?
Don't get sucked in. Don't allow it to rule your
life. Overcome with good. He continues in chapter
three. Let every soul be subject unto the higher
powers, for there is no power but of God. The
powers that be are ordained of God." He's talking
about government. He's saying we all have to
bring ourself in subjection to the government.
We need to honor the government. We need to obey
the government because God has allowed this government.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power or resisteth
the government Resisteth the ordinance of God
and they that resist shall receive to themselves
damnation He is writing a persecuted church he
is writing people as They are in prison as their
families are being prison. They've been displaced
because of persecution by the government And
yet he's saying the proper role of government
is to bring law and order, basically. It's to
keep the thieves from thieving, the robbers from
robbering, the murders from murdering. That's
the role of government. It's to bring about a
peaceful existence to all. He's talking about
how it should be. and how our response is even
when it isn't what it should be. For rulers are
not a terror to good works. The government's
role is not to bring any punishment on a law
-abiding citizen. It's to bring punishment on
people who don't abide by the law. We're talking
about living in peace. We're talking about bearing
the fruit of peace. And it is not easy to live
in a government under government that is persecuting
you and stopping you from doing what is right,
hindering you from doing what's right. But in
response to that we are still going to bear the
right fruit. In Galatians 5 he says, against
such there is no law. He's writing to people
who are preaching the gospel, sharing their faith,
they are turning the world upside down, in the
midst, right? In the midst of persecution. He's
saying we still need to honor it. Their role
is ordained of God. Wherefore, verse five, you
must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but
also for conscious sake, not just to avoid punishment,
but because you are in relationship with God.
For for this cause pay you tribute also pay your
taxes for they are God's ministers attending
continually upon this very thing So even though
they're doing wrong things and even though they're
gonna take your tax money To pay the soldier
who is going to come and persecute you pay your
taxes Render therefore to all their dues tribute
to whom tribute is due custom to who custom fear
to whom fear honor to whom honor So means we're
not gonna be disrespectful We're not gonna be
rude even when they're not being peaceable, right?
He's saying they're supposed to be, they're supposed
to do what's right and good, but even though
they're not, we're still gonna do what's right.
Verse eight, owe no man anything, but to love
one another, for he that loveth another hath
fulfilled the law. So don't have debt, that will
help you to live peaceably with people. Have
you ever? Seen or heard people who had their
house repossessed how they take everything of
value out of the house Maybe even down to the
pipes and the light fixtures or maybe they Destroy
the house because they're so angry that they
couldn't pay their debt They're so mad at the
mortgage company If you don't have debt is a
lot easier to live peaceably. If you want to
know, if you want some resources, ask me how.
For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou
shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt
not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet,
and if there be any other commandment, it is
briefly comprehended in the saying, namely, thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh
no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the
fulfilling of the law. There is that love peace
again. It's the thing that makes living peaceably
palatable, that makes all these hard things that
Paul is writing us to do to bring about peace
and show peace in our life, it makes it all palatable,
it makes it all doable. Because we have to have
this love. that knowing the time that now is
high time to awake out of sleep for now is our
salvation nearer than when we believed the night
is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness and let us put
on the armor of light let us walk on asleep as
in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not
in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
in envying. So rioting and drunkenness, right?
That is partying and being inebriated. That is
with, you know, in our day and age, with either
drugs or alcohol, legal or illegal, right? That
is not how we walk in the day. So, this chambering,
it is cohabitation. It's to conceive. It's sexual
and not with wantonness. It's not a food at the
Chinese restaurant, right? It is licentiousness
or filthiness or vices, right? is very much our
society and very much Roman society. But that's
not how we're going to walk in the day. We're
gonna turn away from those things. Verse 14,
but put you on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no
provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof.
And now we're back, same place as Galatians 5,
where Paul tells the Galatian church, these are
the works of the flesh, don't do them. When he
says the lust of the flesh he's saying the desires
of our natural minds and bodies He's like put
those away and put on Christ Why are we doing
this so we can bear fruit specifically today
the fruit of peace We're gonna talk about this
more next time have a great day