Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27

Peace is such a broad topic, and I cannot do the subject justice in a single segment. Peace comes from the Hebrew word, shalom. Shalom is defined as wholeness, contentment, prosperity. It literally means to make whole. It means to be healed, body, mind, spirit.

Mark D. Roberts, in his blog, defined peace of Christ well. He said, “

In a nutshell, the peace of God is a by-product of genuine koinônia. If you want to experience more peace, invest yourself more fully in intimate fellowship with God and God's people."

As I’ve pointed out in previous posts, the fruit of the Spirit is perfected in community. In an age when people are leaving the church, whether “good” reasons or not, they are leaving the very thing that Jesus designed to perfect us. It is impossible to fully experience the peace of Christ apart from fellowship His people.

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace" (Col 3:15)