25 DAYS TO PENTECOST

TEXT:  GALATIANS 5

¹⁶This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

 ¹⁷For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 ¹⁸But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

 ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

 ²⁰Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

 ²¹Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 ²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 ²⁴And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

 ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 ²⁶Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

KEY TEXT: Galatians 5:22 “…But the fruit of the Spirit is peace…”

REFLECTION:  It should not be supposed that this “peace” is either the sense of peace that one feels after a really great concert, a delicious meal or a vacation to the mountains, or that this peace is the result of a negotiated settlement between two warring parties.

This peace is the assurance of pardon that replaces the doubts, fears, and alarms, and dreadful forebodings of the unconverted and convicted soul. 

The tragedy of our times is that “Natural Men” who have neither the fear of God nor the love of God are totally unaware of the judgment they will soon face. They foolishly mock God’s truth and convince themselves that all is at peace when it is not. 

Awakened Sinners who have the fear of God but no love of God should be thankful that their eyes are open to their plight—they are sinners collecting the wages of sin.  Their certain fate robs them of that false sense of security they knew as natural men.  Like the Jews in Jerusalem, they are pierced in their hearts and cry out, “What must we do?”

On the first Christian Pentecost Peter answered, “Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38).

Those who are “born of the Spirit,” know peace with God as their sins are pardoned by faith in Christ.  While we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8) there could be no peace with God.  We were in a state of rebellion against his authority, sensible of the guilt of sin, and terrified by the certainty of impending judgment.  But being “justified by faith we have peace with God.” (Romans 5:1).

This peace is not won by bargaining with God. “Lord I will do this and this, but not that.” The Lord answers, “Well how about some of this, and a bit of that…” How ridiculous. 

This peace, the lasting assurance that I am “born of God,” comes through an unconditional surrender to God and an unrestrained willingness to walk with God and a undivided desire for God.  It is a peace “not as the world gives,” but a peace that “passes all understanding!”  Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

PRAYER: Our Father in Heaven, How grateful we are for all of the blessings that are ours through Christ.  We thank Thee for the work, the witness, and the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, and peace!  We pray that the Spirit of Truth would discern in our hearts any wicked way or evil desire, and then purge us we pray. It is our desire that our lives would be ordered by Thee.  May we be channels of blessing as thy Spirit flows in and through us this day.  In the name of Jesus, Amen. “Our Father, &c.”