There’s no law against this
In the book of Galatians we read,
“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.” Galatians 5:22,23.
Simple question. If you consider yourself a true Christian, a true follower of Christ Jesus, when people see your life do they see the fruit of the Spirit at work in your life?
Please think about it.
An Example from first century Christians
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12
Think about this...
Jesus and his disciples,
• Never Voted.
• Never Protested.
• Never judged anyone outside their own faith.
Yet they within a century they had spread the Good News of the Love of Jesus Christ throughout the known world.
They did so by,
• Presenting the Love of God to their family friends and foe alike.
• Showing Love and Mercy to all those they came in contact with.
• Living as far as possible at peace with those around them.
The disciples put into action the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18.
And the words writer of the writer of Hebrews,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
They followed the teaching of the Apostle Peter who wrote,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
Above all they put into action the words of Jesus who said,
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" Matthew 7:12
Please think about it.
Be at peace
The Apostle Paul wrote,
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18.
Do you live at peace with those around you?
The only way we will ever win a soul for Christ is if we live at peace with those around us and show unconditional love toward them.
In the book of Hebrews takes this a step further saying,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
If you consider yourself a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus are you making every effort to live at peace and to be holy with those around you?
Please think about it.
As Aliens
The apostle Paul writes,
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 1 Timothy 2:1-6.
Here the apostle Paul tells us to make requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving for everyone. For kings and those in authority.
Note here Paul dose not say pray and expect the governments agree with us. Remember we live in a largely non-Christian world. The governments of this world are for the most part secular or have as their base other faiths. There are no Christian governments in the world today.
The best I believe Christians can hope for is to live at peace with them. To live quiet lives of godliness and holiness so that we can present our beliefs to others.
The apostle Peter tells us,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
Are you doing this?
Please think about it.
What is your Sermon saying?
The apostle Paul wrote,
“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.” Galatians 5:22,23.
If you claim to be a Christian, a true follower of Christ Jesus are the above fruit of the Spirit showing in your life?
When those around you look at your life are they seeing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?
If not they should be, because it is only by showing these qualities that we will attract people to Christ.
Perhaps one of my favourite quotes from outside the Bible come from Francis of Assisi who said,
"The deeds you do
may be the only sermon some persons will hear today"
Francis of Assisi
What is your sermon telling others?
Please think about it.
Believers Principles for living #6 Flee evil
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22.
The Psalmist tells us,
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” Psalm 1.
Do you flee evil?
As believers in Christ Jesus we should.
Sadly with all that is happening in the world around us it can be hard to flee evil. While we live in this world evil will always surround us. The key however is to draw close to God by studying the scriptures and praying for God’s wisdom and guidance.
Question: Do you flee evil when you see it?
Please think about it.
Believers Principles for Living #5 At Peace with God
In the book of Philippians we read,
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And they peace of God , which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4; 6,7.
The apostle Paul wrote,
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Thesalonians 5:23.
The apostle John wrote,
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." John 1:12,13
Do you have peace with God? Have you accepted Christ into your life?
Please think about it
Believers Principles for living #4 Live at Peace
The apostle Paul wrote,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.
The Apostle Peter tells believers in Christ Jesus,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends,
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
Believers in Christ Jesus are called to live a good and peaceful life. A life of holiness.
As believers in Christ we need to take a look at the actions of Jesus and the apostles. They never spoke out against anyone outside their faith. They never protested for any reason. They did as far as was possible live at peace with those around them. They lived a life of love.
In doing so they opened up doors to talk with other groups throughout the known world. As a result in just over a century, Christianity had spread throughout the known world.
These men and women respected all those they came in contact with. They lived peaceful loving lives.
As a result the apostle Paul stood in the Areopagus in Athens and spoke to the learned men and women there.
Paul and the other apostles and believers spoke with politicians, soldiers, tax collectors, and people of every strata of society from slaves to rulers.
This is what we in the twenty-first century church need to do.
Are you?
Please think about it.
My Peace I give to you
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27.
Are you at peace or is your life in turmoil?
We live in a world that is seemingly out of control. A world that pulls us in every direction. So much so peace seems illusive.
The Psalmist writes,
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10.
It can take effort to be still and listen to what God has to say to you, but we must do this.
For it’s only taking time from our busy lives and being still that we can hear God amid the storm life.
If you truly believe in God, why not take sometime right now to be still before God and listen to what he has to say to you,
Please think about it.
Christian love in action.
The apostle John writes,
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”1 John 3:16-18.
The American evangelist Tony Campolo wrote,
"These issues are biblical issues: to care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to stand up for the oppressed. I contend that if the evangelical community became more biblical, everything would change." Tony Campolo.
Campolo was right. Sadly however while there are many churches and Christian organizations out there doing good, helping the poor and feeding the hungry. There are many that could do more.
In helping the poor and feeding the hungry we are showing the love of God in a tangible way.
St. Augustine wrote,
"A Christian is: a mind through which
Christ thinks,
a heart through which
Christ loves,
a voice through which
Christ speaks,
and a hand through which Christ helps"
St. Augustine.
Please think about it.
Walking in Gods Light
The apostle John states,
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1John 1:5-7.
Do you walk in the light? Do the religious and political leaders you follow truly walk in the light?
I believe if we are following Christ correctly we and those we follow must walk in the light. We must exhibit what scripture calls “the fruit of the Spirit”. Scripture telling us,
"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." Galatians 5:22,23.
So are you and the religious and political leaders you follow exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit? Are they walking in The Light?
Please think about it.
Spiritual Fruit
The Apostle Paul writing to believers in Christ Jesus tells us,
"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." Galatians 5:22,23.
Here is a simple test a check list, to see if anyone calling themselves a Christian is actually a Christian. Are they exhibiting the fruits of the spirit?
love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control.
If you claim to be a true Christian ask yourself am I exhibiting the fruits of the spirit in my life at all times?
Please think about it.
A note from the Apostle Peter
The apostle Peter states,
"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. 2 Peter 3:13,14.
Are you doing your best to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with God?
Someone has said Christianity is a religion of rules. Of do’s and do nots. Rules that are hard to follow.
While it is true we are called to live a good moral life. Any rules Christians have to follow are no more constraining than following the rules of a given sport.
In order for the sport to be fair and safe for all. One must follow the rules. Something sportsmen and women do without even thinking. They just come naturally to them.
For Christians it’s the same. God has set before us a set of moral and ethical rules that if followed will lead to a good life. Such rules become natural to follow for those who read the Bible and interact with other Christians.
Peter knew that we don’t always follow Gods rules correctly. That we sometimes fall short of what God wants to be. And God knows this also.
That’s why Peter said “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with God”
And for those times we fall. The times we sin we can go to God in prayer and ask forgiveness. The apostle John writing,
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9.
So if you consider yourself a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus, are you doing your best to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God?
Please think about it.
Peacemaker
Jesus said,
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."
Matthew 5:9.
Are you a peace maker? And by that I don’t mean some diplomat that tries to bring peace to some war.
You can be a peace maker right in your own country, town or neighbourhood.
I find particularly in the current political climate here in North America. Christians, at least those calling themselves Christians, are looked at war mongers. While they may not be starting a physical war between nations. They by their actions are causing rifts between Christians and everyone else.
Sadly many calling themselves Christians are getting involved with politics. Something a Christian should never get involved with. Someone has said,
“Combining religion and politics is like combining water and gasoline. The water is undrinkable. The gasoline unusable. And the whole thing is explosive.”
Many Christians are using politics to try and stop anything they disagree with. They believe the lie that Canada and the United States are built on Christian values.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Canada and the United States are secular democracies. They are as culturally as diverse as the Roman empire.
I’m sure when the apostle Paul walked into Athens he could have yelled “you heathen God is going to send you to hell!” But he didn’t instead after being invited by the Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers to speak at the Areopagus he said,
"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." Acts 17:22,23.
Paul and all the other apostles never tried to restrict the rights of others. Paul even tells us to,
"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." Titus 3:1,2.
Paul and the apostles knew that by trying to restrict the beliefs and lifestyles of those they disagree with could backfire and cause their faith to be restricted.
If we are to be true Christians in 2024 we need to live at peace with those around us. We need to extend the hand of friendship and present our beliefs not force our beliefs on others.
We need to listen to them. To treat them as equals. For it’s only in doing this will we win souls for Christ.
There is a phrase the late American evangelist Billy Graham said. He said,
“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict,
God's job to judge
and my job to love,”
Billy Graham
It is only by doing this we will be called Peacemakers and be called sons of God.
Please think about it.
The Psalmist call
The Psalmist writes,
"Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
Psalm 34:11-14.
I don’t think this portion of scripture needs much interpretation. It tells you how to live a God fearing life.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Don’t tell lies.
Turn from evil and do good.
Seek peace and pursue it.
Advice that if followed by more people the world would be a better place to live.
Do you live the way the Psalmist is telling us here in Psalm 34:11-14?
Please think about it.
Spotless
The apostle Peter writes,
"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 2 Peter 3:13,14.
This is a call by the apostle Peter to all who believe in Christ Jesus. When Christ returns we need to do all that is humanly possible to “be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God”
So here is my question to you. If you believe in Christ Jesus, were He to return today would He find you spotless, blameless and at peace with God?
Please think about it.
Let us
In the book of Romans the apostle Paul writes,
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19.
We live in uncertain times. Around the world terrorist groups attack, kill and destroy anyone who speaks out against them. Wars and rumours of wars are everywhere. Political unrest abounds.
It is into this world that we as Christians are called to make every effort to do what we can to bring about peace.
The apostle Paul telling us,
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18.
So my question to you is, Are you doing what you can to live at peace with those around you?
Please think about it.
In every situation
In the book of Philippians we read,
“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God ,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4; 6,7.
I think we all become anxious from time to time. Especially when we run into problems.
Problems are unfortunately part of life. And it’s easy to let those problems pull us away from God.
That is why we need to make God the most important part of our life. The one we turn to each morning, the one we pray to each night and the one we go to throughout the day. For in doing so we will find what Paul writes is true,
"Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God ,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4; 6,7.
Do you take your requests to God daily?
How important is God in your life?
Please think about it.
Christian Principles for Living #5
At Peace with God
The apostle Peter writing to Christians reminds believers that Jesus will one day return and this earth will pass away. That He will come quickly when we are least expecting it. Therefor we need to be at peace with God. Peter writes,
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 2 Peter 3:10-14.
As believers we many times fall short of what God wants for our lives. It is however incumbent upon us as soon as we realize we have made a mistake to ask God’s forgiveness.
As believers we truly need to look at our lives from time to time and ask ourselves am I truly living a life that is glorifying God?
Am I truly at peace with God?
Please think about it.
Christian Principles #3 Christian attributes
The Apostle Paul writing to believers in Christ Jesus tells us,
“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.” Galatians 5:22,23.
Here is a simple test for anyone calling themselves a believer in Christ Jesus. Now keep in mind believers in Christ are far from perfect. We are all human with human frailties and failings.
That being said however as believers in Christ we should be striving to be Christ like. We should be trying to make the fruits of the spirit part of our daily life.
Francis of Assisi wrote,
“The deeds you do
may be the only sermon some persons will hear today”
Francis of Assisi.
If our lives are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, the sermon people will see in us is the Love of Jesus.
Question: When people see your life do they truly see the fruit of the Spirit of God?
Please think about it.
