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Commentary on "The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace"

PHIL HARRIS

 

Day 3: Monday, January 18, 2010

 

Overview

The word ‘rest’ describes the fruit of peace in our lives.

The theme text for today’s lesson is Matt. 11:28-29 but should at least include verse 30 for the lesson could also be titled: "For My Yoke is Easy and My Burden is Light".

At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:25-30 ESV)

 

Observations

The lesson author introduces the question; Is this peace that Jesus offers us a gift or does he show us how we may obtain it?

If we stay with the biblical text quoted above the answer is simple and rather straight forward. Peace with God produces rest. The lesson author seems to have overlooked that rest is not work, especially since it is the result of the gift of peace from God. Since rest is associated with the gift of peace, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, it is not a work of ours and not the result of something we do. While we are commanded to endure and keep the peace, it is the result of God’s peace in our lives, not the cause of our peace.

Ellen White’s statement; “It is the love of self that brings unrest” taken from The Desire of Ages, page 330 is not supported with any biblical reference. Furthermore, her words muddle our understanding of the source of our peace with God mentioned in Rom. 5:1. The Ellen quote also says; “The Lord says” when quoting Isa. 26:3. This would make the Lord referring to himself as “thou” or “him”. Simply turn to the book of Isaiah and you will see that Isaiah is speaking, not the Lord. But then, her pronouns are also capitalized which is not done in the biblical reference.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Gal. 5:14 ESV)

Since Scripture does not identify “self love” as a sin and Gal. 5:14 commands us to love others in the same way we love our self, one must conclude that all people have been created with a natural love of self. This would make Ellen’s statement false and not pertinent to the topic of peace and rest.

 

Summary

  1. Peace is a gift from God. This is why Scripture calls it a ‘fruit of the Spirit’.
  2. We are commanded to display this gift when we are encouraged to endure the love motivated discipline of our Father in Heaven. Only then can we expect to experience the feelings of peace that God’s rest brings into our own lives.
  3. This brings great joy, knowing that something supernatural has become part of our own life. All the more reason to share the love of God and God’s Biblical truths with others.

 

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Copyright 2010 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised January 7, 2010. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

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