The Fruit of the Spirit #3: Peace (Romans 8:1 – 11)
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).
Believe it or not, I have not always made the best decisions in my life. I was saved at a young age and I grew up in a solid church with a desire to honor and please God. When I was in high school, however, I decided that I didn’t want to follow God anymore. I did my own thing, including getting upset with God because of things that had happened to me. Well, that lasted for about 2 months before I broke down and repented of my sin. I acknowledged that I was wrong, that I had sinned against Him, and I asked God to forgive me, even though I did not deserve it. I remember the feeling of His peace surrounding me at that moment.
During that time of rebelliousness, I was in a constant state of unrest. The things that I thought would bring me joy, didn’t. I knew that the decisions I was deliberately making were wrong and I tried to act as if I didn’t care, but I did. I didn’t have peace, and it was tearing me up inside. I wanted to live like the world, but couldn’t. Since then, I have understood how Christians can turn from God, but what I still don’t understand is how they can continue living in their sin knowing that their choices are not pleasing God. I often ask myself, “Do they have peace? Why aren’t they feeling convicted?”
Romans 8 speaks about a believer’s life in Christ. As believers, we make several choices throughout the day. We can either choose to obey the flesh or we can choose to obey the Holy Spirit Who is living inside of us. Verse 5 says that we will find peace if we choose to “live according to the Spirit and set [our] minds on the things of the Spirit.” Verse 6 says that if we focus on our flesh and the things of this world, then our lives will be full of hostility towards God. We can’t have it both ways. If you live in the flesh, you “cannot please God” (v. 8) and will not have peace.
This is very evident in our world today. With all of the negative media, politics, and COVID-19, there are so many things to distract Christians from following the Holy Spirit Who lives within us. There is so much hatred and arguing going on that it should make every Christian sick to their stomach. So much violence and accusation and tearing down of one another that it makes one want to live on a desert island until all of the commotion is over. Now, I am not saying that we shouldn’t be educated in politics or the transmission of COVID-19, but I am saying that we are not to be consumed by them if we are to have peace in our lives.
We see what the world is like without Christ, but we, as Christians, are different. We are not of this world and we have the opportunity to experience peace that only He can give. You will only find peace, true peace, by setting your mind on the things of the Spirit and then living them (V. 5). How are you going to live your life today?
Pastor David Guenin