Commentary on "The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace"

PHIL HARRIS

 

Day 2: Sunday, January 17, 2010

 

Overview

Today’s lesson focuses on the source and what it means to have peace with God.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 ESV)

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, (Col. 1:19-22 ESV)

 

Observations

Much of what the lesson has to say about our peace with God is very good but there are several points that should be addressed:

Psalm 119:165 is quoted which states that great peace comes to those who love God’s law. It needs to be pointed out that love of God’s law is not the same as doing his law. Since SDA theology focuses on obedience to the “Ten Commandments” and the Mosaic Law, we need to determine if this is what Jesus Christ intends for our lives or that it is even possible to obey or perform this law.

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. (Heb. 7:11-12 ESV)

This passage declares that it is not possible to perfectly obey the Mosaic Law. It then goes on to say that the priesthood of Jesus Christ introduces “law” that replaces the Mosaic Law. For those who wish to stay under the Mosaic Law, note that you must attempt to perfectly perform this law before you can have any peace with God.

The lesson statement that the plan of salvation was “from the beginning” needs to be clarified. God’s plan for our salvation and everything associated with his plan was in place prior to creation and certainly before Adam had sinned. In God's omniscience, our salvation was not an afterthought, but a forethought.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (Eph. 1:3-5 ESV)

Within the context of our salvation, we were chosen before the foundation of the world. Clearly, our redemption was a part of God’s salvation plan even before Adam had sinned and before there was a ‘beginning’.

The Teacher’s Edition of the lesson outlines a three-step, KNOW, FEEL, and DO learning sequence. The problem here is that our feelings can betray us and is one of the world’s concepts of learning truth. It is the world that relies on feelings and situation ethics to establish what is “true”. Real truth is through the leading of the Holy Spirit where we learn God’s real truth. By faith we then obey and do God’s will for our lives. Only now can we trust the feelings that accompany the reality of the Holy Spirit’s fruit of peace. By faith Abraham heard and obeyed God. His feelings were not a prerequisite of his faith nor did they precede his obedience to the voice of God.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. (Heb. 11:8 ESV)

 

Summary

1. Our true peace is centered on the nature and work of Jesus Christ through the promised indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
2. It is his will that his peace be reflected in the conduct of our lives as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit with the understanding that all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit are intended to be manifested in the lives of all Christians.

 

GO TO DAY 3

 

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