Biblestudy34 - Lamb's Chapel Berlin

Foundation Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

1. Love is a response. We have been learning about this wonderful fruit of the Holy Spirit indwelling our lives. One of the aspects of this fruit is love. The miracle of this love is that it does not originate in us. We are recipients of this great and awesome Love that is God. As we receive this Love, our lives become a response to a Love that is greater than anything we could ever imagine. Consider John’s words:

1 John 4:19 (NIV), “We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 4:19 (MsgB), “We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.”

It is quite disabling to us to believe that we have to go out and on our own create this love that we are supposed to be manifesting. That is the way of the law. The law is simply ten commandments that tell us how to live a life of love. Every one of the ten commandments deal with the issue of loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. The problem is that we cannot keep the law. We cannot love ourselves, how then are we ever going to love our neighbor? The scripture states that where the law is sin abounds. We cannot keep the law, no matter how hard we try. So then if this is true, how can we ever manifest this awesome fruit of the Holy Spirit. The key is that it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit indwelling our lives. We are not being told to go out and be the greatest lover the world has ever seen. I guarantee that if you purpose in your heart to go out and love everyone, you will become frustrated and totally unable to perform this love for a God who will be satisfied with nothing less.

2. However, there is a way to allow the fruit of Love to come forth in our lives. We cannot give away something that we do not believe we have. The scripture states that we love because He first loved... There is a tremendous key in that promise! He FIRST loved. God is the initiator of this great Love. He FIRST loved us! This great love that we live in is initiated by the One whose character it is to Love. God first came to us in love. He saved us by His own blood. He called us by His own Spirit. He maintains our life by His own Presence, and feeds us with His own Word. Then He allows us to display a character that can only originate in Him.

Jesus Christ fulfilled the law of Love and credited us with the fulfillment. We are no longer called to strive to love ourselves or others. We are called to RECEIVE a Love that is greater than we can imagine. The Word of God gives us the characteristics of this Love that we are to receive. Consider the following:

1 Cor. 13:4-8 (NIV),

1. Love is patient,

2. love is kind.

3. It does not envy,

4. it does not boast,

5. it is not proud.

6. It is not rude,

7. it is not self-seeking,

8. it is not easily angered,

9. it keeps no record of wrongs.

10. Love does not delight in evil but

11. rejoices with the truth.

12. It always protects,

13. always trusts,

14. always hopes,

15. always perseveres.

16. Love never fails.

3.This is the Love that God continually pours out upon us. The problem is that we don’t feel worthy, so most of the time we don’t receive that which our Lord has paid such a high price for us to have and enjoy. Jesus paid for this Love with His own blood.

All that we are or shall become is based upon that which we are willing to receive from God. Salvation is based upon our receiving the forgiveness and new life offered to us at the expense of God’s own son, Jesus Christ. As we look to the power of His cross we are forgiven of all of our sin. As we allow His life to flow within our lives, we are cleansed and renewed continually. As we receive of His Love, we are free to give forth that Love to all that are willing to take of it.

If we are struggling with forgiving others, it is because we have not freely accepted and believed the forgiveness that has been purchased for us. Rather than spend a lot of time trying to forgive, we need to spend a great deal of time realizing that we have been forgiven. We have been absolutely forgiven and freed from our past life. This happened before we asked for it, it happened before we even knew that we needed it. This awesome God that we have received began to pour out His forgiveness upon us before we even knew it was there. The benefit comes to us when we come to a place that we ware willing to agree with God that we need it, then simply open up and receive. The same is true of God’s Love. This great Love is pouring out upon us before we ever know how much we need to receive of it. In His mercy, the Lord allows us to face situations where we see our need for His great Love. We cry out, and there He is, pouring Himself out upon us, healing us, delivering us, teaching us. We could never earn nor deserve the Love that God has chosen to our out upon us.

4. God’s Love NEVER fails! We fail. We mess up. We seem to do everything wrong sometimes. However, this great Love that pours out upon us NEVER fails. The more we allow ourselves to experience this great Love that is God, the more we learn to trust in it’s power. This Love changes us, it also changes those around us. We do not have to exert pressure upon people to change. We are called to love God, love people and allow the Love of God to go forth unhindered by our flesh to do the will of our Father in Heaven. Love edifies, Love comforts, Love protects, Love corrects, Love stands firm, Love hates sin but loves the sinner. Love is of God and accomplishes His purposes on the earth today.

1 Cor. 13:1-3 (MsgB), “ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.”

How can I get love? God is Love. I can receive Him, enjoy Him and share Him with others.

Foundation Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)

1. Peace is an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that actually becomes a mighty weapon against the forces of the enemy in our lives. Consider the following Scripture:

Romans 16:20 (NIV), “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

Notice that the scripture states that the “God of peace” is going to do the crushing of the satan. It does not say the God of power, or the God of might, but the God of peace. This gives great emphasis to the importance of peace in our lives.

2. Consider the definition of peace as stated in the Amplified Bible in the following scripture:

Philip. 4:7 (Amp), “And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The area over which the Peace of God has the greatest effect is in the area of our minds and hearts. These are the two points of greatest vulnerability in our walk with God. These are the areas that are most frequently under attack by the enemy. However, the scripture states that this Peace shall actually “garrison and mount guard over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. How does God’s Peace accomplish this? The Peace of God brings a great assurance of our standing with God through the finished work of Jesus Christ. The scripture states: Romans 14:17 (Amp), “[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

This gives the express area of attack by the enemy. Our mind becomes muddied when we believe that our sin and failure is greater than the authority and power of the blood of Jesus. We are hesitant to come before the throne of God with our needs and desires when we do not believe we have the right to do so. As a result, we go forth to fight the battle of this life on our own power trying to prove to God and ourselves that we deserve the righteousness that seems to be unattainable. The “Accuser of the Brethren” or the satan is continually bombarding our minds with lies about God and lies about ourselves in relation to God. By the time he is through with us we are ready to crawl under a rock somewhere and die. However, we are called to live by faith and not by sight. Yes, I look like a failure. Yes, I don’t live up to the standard I would like to most times. But there is a bigger YES in my life! YES JESUS PAID the FULL price for my redemption and He lives in me to will and do of His good pleasure by the Presence of the Holy Spirit. This is the TRUTH! The Scripture also states that we shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set us free - free of the power of the lie that comes to our minds.

The next area of attack is our hearts. Romans 14:17 declares that we receive “heart” peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was about to go away, He made the statement to His disciples that it was better for them that He would go away because then the Holy Spirit would come and be with them. It is the Presence of the Holy Spirit within us that brings heart peace. Sometimes this manifests in the most unlikely circumstances. When this happens we KNOW that the Peace we are enjoying cannot be of our own making, but is actually brought to us by the Presence of another.

3. It is possible to hear a teaching about peace and then go out into life and try to manipulate a peace on our own. This NEVER works the way we want it to. Whenever we try to make “peace” happen without the power of the Holy Spirit, it is always by trying in our own ability to manipulate circumstances to be peaceful. You see it everywhere today. There are candles, fragrances, foods and even different occult meditations and religions that promise to bring peace to the soul. The result? There are more diseases that have their root cause in stress today than at any other time in history. People will flock to anyone with an answer to the problem of stress in our lives. The true answer was given two thousand years ago. The Presence of the Holy Spirit brings Peace. This is a Peace that surpasses circumstance and situations. This is a Peace that is not at the mercy of the world and its happenings. This Peace is a Person. He is the Holy Spirit indwelling our lives bringing comfort, hope and quiet trust in a God that we cannot see with our human eyes but we can know in our heart and spirit. This is a peace that transcends understanding or human logic. This Peace is God Himself and His own great assurance that He is Lord over all. He is quite able to make ALL things work together for His good purpose in our lives.

4. So, how do we practically allow this Peace that is God Himself to be worked into our lives on a daily basis. Well, the Scripture gives us wise instruction in this matter. We have to learn to be aware that we are not alone in here. There is Someone else living in our earthly dwelling with us. We also need to yield to His wise instruction and correction when we are tempted with every fiber of our being to do otherwise. Consider Paul’s admonition to the church in Colosse.

Col. 3:15 (Amp), “And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].”

We are instructed to do several things: First, we are to allow Christ to rule in our hearts. Paul uses the comparison of an umpire. What is an umpire? Well, he is the one that is given absolute authority to declare the acceptability of what is happening in a game. If the umpire says, “OK”, then it’s OK. If the umpire declares a penalty or disallows a certain play, no matter what public opinion is - his word is law and everyone must obey his ruling. There is a need to give the Holy Spirit that kind of authority over our minds and hearts. We know when He is blowing the whistle and jumping up and down inside of us. We know when we are thinking something or doing something that He does not approve of. We need to give Him the same respect that is given to an umpire in a sports game. We need to recognize Him as Lord of our thoughts, attitudes, and deeds. We need to yield to His guidance. The more we obey, the more sensitive we become to the His movement within. His decision must be the final answer to all questions.

Secondly, we are to be thankful and appreciative, giving praise to God ALWAYS. Not just when things are going the way we would like, but ALWAYS. This is paramount in importance. We need to recognize that at this point in time we “see through a glass darkly”, only God sees the whole picture. If we will receive His wisdom with a thankful and appreciative heart we will find that we have the ability to praise Him in all situations, even the ones we don’t presently understand. God is God and we are not, it is just that simple.

5. The result? Philemon 1:3 (Amp), “Grace (spiritual blessing and favor) be to all of you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).” I want some of that!