July 12, 2015
Summer Fruit: The Peach of Peace NOTES NOT EDITED
John 14:27-31
SIS—Peace is a state of well-being or harmony
flowing out of a relationship with God, independent of life’s circumstances.
I’m sure that many
of you recognize that my sermon-in-a-sentence in regard to “peace” is
strikingly similar to that of “joy” in last week’s sermon. I noticed that, too. This should not be surprising. All the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5
are related—they all have the same source which is the Person and Nature of
God, Himself. If one has one fruit, one
has them all for God is indivisible.
Peace places more emphasis on the “foundation” of well-being and joy
places more emphasis on the “expression” of well-being. Both, arise out of the same relationship with
God and the Holy Spirit of God that resides in every believer. So, you will notice a great deal of common
ground between peace and joy. Peace and
joy are linked together in this long discussion of Jesus in chapters 14, 15,
16, as He prepares His disciples for His death, resurrection, and subsequent
departure.
As I have explained
many times, when we want to know the definition of a word, we go to the
dictionary. When we want to know the
meaning of a word, such as peace, we must go to the Bible. There is no single, concise definition of the
word, “peace,” that could adequately express what Jesus means when He says, “Peace
I leave with you. My peace I give to
you.” (Jn. 14:27). In fact,
Jesus anticipated the disciples lack of comprehension in regard to peace as He
continued, “I do not give to you [peace] as the world gives.”
Essentially, the
common understanding of “peace” in English is a lack of conflict. Peace is the opposite of war. The Greek word carries this same basic characteristic. Eirēnē (εἰρήνη,
eye ray nay) is essential a state of being exactly opposite of polemos (πόλεμος, poll eh mos), which
means “war.” For the Greek’s of the
first century, according to a respected dictionary of Greek, eirēnē was “the passionately asserted, emotionally felt and palpable opposite of
πόλεμος” (TDNT). Yet, that only
scratches the surface of understanding the basic definition of peace in the
N.T.
Full comprehension
of the idea of “peace,” as a fruit of the Spirit, comes from understanding the
integral link between the N.T. word for peace and the Hebrew word for peace
which is “shalōm” (sha lowm). Jesus
spoke in the language of His day which was Greek, but He, Himself, was
thoroughly Hebrew. As with all of the
N.T., the Greek words often were thoroughly influenced by the religion of the
Jews. You might say that the common
Greek of the marketplace was infused with the religious practice of the
temple. As such, peace in the N.T. was
essentially the “shalōm” of the
O.T. Shalōm
refers to much more than tranquility, external or internal or both. It describes a deep, abiding sense of
well-being or wholeness in life. For
Jews, shalom was a gift of
Yahweh. It was really an extension of
God’s “wholeness” that mitigated or transformed the fractured state of human
existence. It often referred to
salvation or redemption as with Isaiah 53:5:
But He was pierced because of our
transgressions, crushed
because
of our iniquities; punishment for our
peace (shalom)
was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.
was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.
Biblical peace is
much more than a fleeting feeling of tranquility. Biblical peace describes an “durable state of
being.” Jesus, as we will see,
associates the peace He gives with “power” (vs 30). Any feelings of “tranquility” or “safety”
associated with peace this side of eternity is an “internal state,” not
necessarily and external one. Let’s see
if we can capture the essence of the “Peach of Peace” as we read Jn. 14:27-31.
In order to better
comprehend this fruit of the Spirit, let us consider three statements in regard
to peace arising out of this passage.
1. Peace
arises out of the Presence of God (v27)
I said just a
moment ago that the N.T. idea of peace is infused with the meaning of the O.T.
word for peace, “shalōm.” I further pointed out that the Jews held
strongly that shalom was a gift of
Yahweh. Recall last week that I showed
that a significant difference between happiness and joy is that the former
could be pursued, but the latter could only be received as a possession through
the gift of God. Joy is a borrowed, or
dependent state. Remember Jesus said in
John 15:11:
I
have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you.
Underline those
words, “My joy,” and compare John 14:27, speaking of the fruit of peace:
“My
peace I give to you.” The
parallel in these passages are unmistakable.
The emphasis is upon peace, like joy and all the other fruits of the
Spirit, are a gift we receive because of a special relationship with God.
Peace is a state of
well-being, wholeness, and safety directly related to one’s relationship with
Yahweh, the God of the covenants—Old and New.
A person that is not saved cannot know the peace of God because He does
not abide in the Presence of God. It may
be summed up succinctly: no Presence, no
peace. The Psalmist describes the
relationship between our peace and the abiding Presence of Almighty God (Ps.
91:1):
The
one who lives under the protection of the Most High
dwells
in the shadow of the Almighty.
Our peace, our
protection is related abiding in the Presence of Almighty God. Now, for a lost person peace is an
IMPOSSIBILITY! Let me say that again so
we do not miss the relationship of the abiding Presence of God and our
peace: “for a lost person peace is an impossibility!” Life will always be filled with “polemos,”
or war, chaos, confusion, strife, disharmony, and all such troubles.
One cannot have the
“fruit” of the Spirit of God if one has never been “filled” with the Spirit of
God. The Holy Spirit, or Third Person of
the Trinity, is the Agent of our salvation.
It is the infusion of God’s Spirit with our spirit that transforms us and
makes us, “saved.” Apart from the Spirit
abiding in one’s heart, there can be no salvation and no fruit. This clearly established in many places in
the N.T. For example Paul tells us
plainly,
Rom.
8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, since the Spirit of God
lives in you. But if anyone does not
have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
And
in Ephesians 1:13 God’s Word tells us: 13When
you heard the message of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed
with the promised Holy Spirit. 14He
is the down payment of our inheritance,
for the redemption of the possession, to
the praise of His glory.
So, I’ll say it one
more time for emphasis: For a
lost person peace is an IMPOSSIBILITY. Take special note of the word,
“impossibility.”
Now, with that
clearly established let me say this: “Peace
IS a possibility for a believer, but not a certainty.” Peace IS a possibility for a
believer, but not a certainty. The same
principle of the Presence of God applies.
A believer, through rebellion and carnal (fleshly) behavior, steps
outside of the Presence of God and forfeits His peace. This does not—I REPEAT DOES NOT—mean that a
believer can lose his or her salvation.
A person who has been born once can die, but cannot be “unborn.” Likewise, as we learn from the discussion
between Jesus and Nicodemus (Jn. 3), a person who is “born-again” or “born
spiritually (from above)” cannot be “unborn-again.” However, one’s fleshly behavior can kill
one’s spiritual progress. Paul makes
this principle clear in several places, such as 1Cor. 3,
1Brothers, I was not able to speak
to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in
Christ. 2 I gave you
milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact,
you are still not ready, 3because you are still fleshly.
Carnal living
spoils the fruit of the Spirit in a believer’s life. So, if you are a believer but you are not
experiencing the deep, abiding sense of well-being, or peace of God, it is
because you have allowed carnal elements to creep into your mind or behavior
and distance you from the Presence of God in your life. Peace is a relationship with God and when we
damage that relationship with God through carnal thoughts or actions, we
diminish or sense of peace.
2. Peace is
the absence of fear (vv 27c-29)
Write this
down: when peace departs, fear
enters. When peace departs, fear enters.
Most people, to one
degree or another, live with the “fear” or expectation that some calamity is
just about to fall upon them. Some of
you may object, “I don’t feel like something bad may be about to happen.” Let, me restate my proposition another way to
show you that we all let fear have way too much influence in our lives.
Most
people value safety and security above risk and adventure. Have
you ever heard the term, “comfort zone?”
We all have a “comfort zone,” and because of the fear of loss, that
comfort zone is way too restrictive for most people to reach their full
potential in life. Most people settle
for much less than God intends.
Take note of
this: fear does for the soul what a zookeeper does for a majestic lion. Have you been to a zoo? Have you seen the wonderful, modern
enclosures they build for the lions?
Why, it is just like they were “in the wild,” roaming free as the King
of the Jungle—except, there isn’t much room to roam and they are caged up.
That’s what fear
does to a Christian. It domesticates him
or her. It takes the “roar out of our
faith.” It gives us “safety,” but no
peace. It gives us a “comfort zone,” but
with small, restrictive boundaries. Peace
is NOT the absence of difficulty, safety, security, or a guarantee against
loss. Peace is the absence of fear! Look at vs 27c
Your
heart must not be troubled or fearful.
What exactly is it
that “troubles
our peace and makes us fearful?” Let
us read on in verses 28-29: 28 You
have heard Me tell you, ‘I am going away
and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I
am going to the Father, because the
Father is greater than I. 29 I
have told you now before it happens so
that when it does happen you may believe.
Fear is the
anticipation of “loss”—the loss of money, the loss of a relationship, or the
greatest loss of all, the loss of life itself.
That’s what troubles our peace and
makes us fearful—the anticipation of loss.
A lion in the wild
can experience loss, though they have no natural predators. They can lose their health. They can starve. They have daily concerns of where to sleep,
what to eat, and—I guess—who to date.
Not so a lion in the zoo. They
are in a “comfort zone.” No fears. No worries.
No losses. No life!
As I said, peace is
not the absence of difficulty, challenge, or the risk of loss. Peace is the absence of “fear.” Fear is the anticipation of loss. But, notice what Jesus says about “loss.” He said in vs 28,
This is not the
first time Jesus mentions the troubled
hearts of the disciples in relation to losing His physical presence. Look at verse 1:
“Your
heart must not be troubled.
Believe in God; believe also in Me.
When we understand
that ultimately we own nothing in this world and that we really have nothing in
this world to lose, we can be at peace.
Peace is the absence of fear which is the anticipation of loss.
I read an
interesting story about a man on a business trip to South Korea. The man tells the story of how he dealt with
what he though might be a heart attack.
At first, I thought it was a story of stupidity or pride. It is actually a story that illustrates the
truth that peace is the absence of fear.
One late evening, after a hearty dinner of dog stew and a pub crawl with
a half-dozen South Korean advertising executives, I retired to my hotel room
[in Seoul]. But as I prepared for bed, I was stricken with crushing chest
pains, radiating down my arm and into my back. Obviously, I was having a heart
attack. Or a gas attack. How are you
supposed to tell? I thought of calling for help, but then I considered the
problems of communication, and the chaos, and the potential for embarrassment
-- to say nothing of the uncertainties of Korean cardiac care. I imagined the
emergency-room physician saying, Yes, Mr. Garfield, you are having a serious
myocardial infarction. I will now place seven tiny needles in your eyelid. So I decided to take my chances. I managed,
through the pain, to write a brief, tender note to my survivors, and lay down
at peace with myself. I loved my family. They loved me. I had accomplished some
interesting things in my career. No felony convictions. Sufficiently insured.
Go to sleep now, Bob. Maybe you will wake up.
To the best of my knowledge, I did. And I was joyous -- not that I had
lived through the night, but that I had not been afraid to die. I was at peace
with myself, a priceless revelation.
As I said, that is
either incredible faith or incredibly stupid pride. However, it does illustrate an important
truth: if you don’t fear the greatest loss in life, what else is their to
fear? You can choose to give into
fear or give into faith. Fear brings you
chaos, confusion and a general feeling of woe hanging over your life like a
thick, dark cloud. Faith brings you
peace. Peace is the absence of fear.
Peace is the
Presence of God. Peace is the Absence of
fear. And ,
3. Peace is
the APPROPRIATION of power (vv 30-31)
30 I will not talk
with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power
over Me. 31 On the contrary, I am going away so that the world may know that I love the
Father. Just as the Father commanded Me, so I do. “Get up; let’s leave this
place.
When I study the
Bible I try to take note of significant words and their relationship to each
other. I believe that every word in the
Word was spoken by God. I look for
powerful words that express movement or emotion, like “troubled or fearful.” One word that very seldom escapes my notice
is, “power.” Power is a powerful word.
Actually, the word,
“power,” does not appear in the original of this text. It literally says, “The ruler of this world . . .
not nothing has on me.” The ESV
translates it, “has no claim on me.” The
NIV translates it, “has no hold on me,” and
as we have seen the HCSB renders it, “has
no power over me.”
You know from
English grammar that a double negative makes a proposition positive. Greek works differently. A double negative reinforces the statement
making it stronger. This would justify
the translation, “The ruler of this world
has absolutely no power over me.”
If you find
yourself not experiencing the fruit of peace in your life, it is because you
are allowing the Devil to rule in your life, rather than appropriating the
power of the Lord. The Bible never
treats the Devil lightly, and neither should we. We must be careful when it comes to the
Devil, not to give him too much credit, but at the same time, not to dismiss
his interference in our lives altogether.
C.S. Lewis once said in the introduction of his masterpiece, “The
Screwtape Letters”,
There
are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the
devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and
to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are
equally pleased by both errors.
When the Holy
Spirit fills our lives at the moment of salvation, we receive great power for
life and ministry. We read in Acts 1:8:
But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you.
When Jesus
departed, He did not leave us as powerless orphans. He sent us His Holy Spirit—the very Power of
God, Himself. We are not subject to the
“ruler of this world,” but through the appropriation of the power of the gospel,
we defeat the Devil at every turn. This
includes the battle in our own heart.
If we appropriate
the power of God for our lives and ministry, through prayer, Bible study and
memorization, fellowship, and the evangelizing of the lost, then we will be at
perfect peace—regardless of what circumstances we must face.
Too often Christians
lose their sense of peace because they fail to appropriate the power that is
available to us as children of God. The
Bible teaches that, “whatever we ask in prayer, believing we shall receive it” (Mk. 11:24). Even a parrot knows this much—at least a
preacher’s parrot. A preacher had acquired a male parrot from a previous owner. It was a beautiful bird, but it had acquired
a rather, how shall we say it, “colorful language.” The preacher soon learned this embarrassing
fact when he got the bird home. A woman
in his congregation, also the owner of a beautiful female parrot, suggested a
remedy. Her parrot was not only beautiful, but very well-behaved with the
language of a saint. She said nothing
but, “Let’s pray.” They put the birds
together. The preacher’s bird
immediately chirped, “Hi toots! How
about a little kiss.” The lady’s bird
flapped her wings and squawked in a loud voice, “My prayers have been
answered!”
I would suggest to
us all that if a parrot can appropriate the power of God to meet her needs,
then we can—and should—also. If you are
not at peace, you need to appropriate the power of God and begin demolishing
the strongholds in your life that the Devil has established (2Cor. 10:4).
One of the
beautiful fruits in our basket of the Spirit is the “Peach of Peace.” Peace
is a state of well-being or harmony flowing out of a relationship with God,
independent of life’s circumstances. Peace
is a gift that God has given us because He loves us. Peace is the moment by moment experience of
God’s presence. Peace is the realization
of fear’s absence. Peace is the
appropriation of God’s power through prayer and holy living. Live in peace.
<<end>>
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