Fruit of the Spirit Series

Welcome back to the fruit of the Spirit series. This week we see how God’s supernatural peace makes a difference in our inward selves.

Christ’s Peace

One of the most remarkable characteristics of the fruits of the Spirit is receiving God’s peace. This peace brings an inward calmness, unlike the world’s peace. It’s in Christ we find this profound serenity.

Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Romans shows us God’s peace comes through Christ.

Paul said:

Therefore, we have been justified by faith and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1

Here we see peace as God’s reward for our faithfulness to Christ. To be at peace with God is an incredible experience. When Adam and Eve fell from His grace, humanity’s perfect harmony with God shattered. From that point forward and in today’s time, only the Lord’s gift of salvation restores our peace with God.

God justifies us through our faith in Christ, and we find a sense of inner peace due to our interaction with the Blessed Trinity. This leads to a life filled with solace and full of calmness.

Christ tells us:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:9

Jesus points out peacemakers are God’s sons. Our Lord and Savior share that peacemakers bring quietness to troubling circumstances. They have Christ’s courage to defuse escalating attitudes and behaviors. Their spiritual gift of peace gives testimony to the Holy Spirit’s power to show how God uses them to calm down the disturbing crisis.

Peace in Tribulations

Christ is the key to a supernatural peace that allows us to face tribulations with calmness. When Jesus walked on the earth and ministered to God’s chosen people, their leaders designed an evil plan to kill Him (John 11:45-57). And when they succeeded, it brought tribulations to His Disciples.

Jesus foretold His Apostles they would face persecutions, troubles, and trials. He let them know they would receive His peace to face these circumstances.

Christ said this to them:

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Jesus assures His Apostles that He overtook the devil’s domain; within Him, they have a supernatural peace stronger than any tribulation. And this same serenity they experience, we too possess. This shows how Christ works through us.

The book of Acts shows their peace when facing Christian adversity. Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus’s Gospel (Acts 4:1-3). The Sadducees who didn’t believe in resurrection had them arrested and brought in front of the Sanhedrin.

But Peter, with Christ’s peace and the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, spoke boldly on behalf of God’s truth about Jesus (Acts 4:8-12).

When the Sanhedrin ruled against preaching Christ’s Gospel (Acts 4:13-17), Peter and John responded with faith, courage, and peace (Acts 4:18-22).

Each of Christ’s original Disciples died proclaiming Jesus as God’s Son and the only way to heaven. They faced their unjustified death with peace, love, and hope.

As shown above, believing in Christ with our hearts unlatches a divine peace. If Jesus’s Apostles found peace in their persecutions, then that leaves me no excuses to follow in their footsteps.

My Peaceful Experience

Before God saved me, my life wasn’t peaceful. Most of the time, resentments, anger, and rage ruled my spirit. My conscience stayed in turmoil, and I had no peace of mind. I responded to tribulations with self-centered fears. And when I did find some comfort from those sins, it was short-lived, and I returned to a state of havoc.

I’m pleased to share that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit replaced these sinful behaviors with supernatural peace. They changed my heart and instilled an inner peace, quieting my unrestful nature. I’m grateful for God’s gift of salvation.

The neat thing about living in Christ is how the Holy Spirit continues to help me grow spiritually. It’s in praying, practicing Jesus’s teachings, and trusting God that my faith matures. As a result of my Christian devotion, I can find serenity in good and troubling circumstances. Without Christ, I won’t find a peace powerful enough to move past problematic experiences.

Given these points, supernatural peace emerges from a personal relationship with God. In our one-on-one time with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, tranquility overtakes adversity. The closer we are to God, the greater our ability to stay calm under trials emerges.

How do you see God’s peace?