WE now turn to what God’s word, as written to the “churches in Galatia,” teaches respecting peace. The burden of the epistle is no doubt familiar to us. We know that the Galatian Christians were, in spirit, getting away from Christ, and were in danger of placing themselves under law. They had hearkened to preaching and teaching which was different from the tidings they had had delivered to them by the apostle. They had given heed to a “different gospel” (see chapter 1:6, and read different instead of another), “which,” says the Scriptures, “is not another,” for there is but one gospel of God, and but one faith once delivered to the saints. Yet, because they were God’s people, God greeted them with grace and peace (ch. 1:3), for our God is a faithful God.
Now, when a man is born again, the great question for him is to give God glory on this earth. How shall this be done? God looks for fruit from us. Legal strivings to be what we feel we should be, will never make fruit to grow such as God loves. How, then, is fruit acceptable to God to be found in us? It must be of Himself. The Spirit in us brings forth fruit in our lives; and, mark, it is the fruit of the Spirit!
We must resist the enticements of our own hearts to trust in ourselves. Whatever advantage of religious teaching we may enjoy, it is very certain that each one of us has in his own heart an ally to legality. “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (ch. 5:18). And it is God’s way to lead His children, and our happy path is to seek for grace to follow His leading. Now each of us who can call God our Father can assuredly say we received the Spirit by the hearing of faith. For when we heard the Gospel of God concerning His Son, and when we believed God, He put His Spirit in us. All was of God―all of His grace. We did nothing, we simply received. No one who has the Spirit would say, “I received Him by the works of the law, by my own efforts, my goodness,” and the like (see ch. 3:2). Now, as we began, so must we go on; therefore for daily life, for fruit-bearing, the Spirit is our power. Let us emphasize this great reality, for many live in a sort of half grace, hall legal way, and in their practical religion mix up law and grace. If we strive to make sell good, instead of seeking to let Christ be everything in us, we are resembling the Galatians.
“Love, joy, peace” (ch. 5:22), are the first triplet in the nine blessed things here spoken of as the Holy Spirit’s fruit. Love is of God; and God sheds abroad His love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given us (Rom. 5:55And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5)); and where divine love grows in the soil of a human heart, none less than God the Spirit sustains it. Joy of a divine kind will never be far off where such love is. How closely are these connected in John 15:9-119As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:9‑11). The Lord says, “Abide in My love,” sets out our path of obedience, and then adds, “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you.” Following the joy is peace. Peace characterizes the believer who is abiding in Christ. Struggling and striving to be saved are not peace; vainglory and envy, if we know we are saved, are not peace; far, far from it. Peace is like the calm lake reflecting heaven on its bosom. None other than God’s own hand effects such a result in our souls. May each of us have wrought in us this fruit of God the Spirit!
As we read this verse, “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God” (ch. 6:16), we can but feel that the apostle was, in effect, saying to these Galatians, “The gospel of God brings peace to its followers!” What was “this rule”? Just this: “neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” (vs. 15). Do what we may to our mortal bodies, it amounts to nothing; what God requires is new creation; and He alone can create! And if anyone is in Christ there is new creation, therefore to seek to apply the law which was given to men in their old nature state to men in Christ, is to be far astray from the good news of God! Let us seek to walk by this rule, and to so conduct ourselves, that in every way Christ and the Spirit may be seen in us.
We spoke of Colossians 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20), on page 75, and add here a few words on Colossians 3:1515And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15): “Let the peace of Christ (so it should read) rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” The margin of the R. V. has “arbitrate” for rule. What a blessed arbitrator in our hearts is the peace of the Christ! There used to be a judge or arbitrator in the public games, whose rule was law on those occasions. We who are Christians are now exhorted to be under the rule of the peace of the Christ. If we read from the twelfth verse we shall feel the force of this blessed exhortation. What different Christians should we be from what we often are were we so ruled! How gentle, how forgiving, and how beautifully robed in love! And where such a spirit of peace rules in the hearts of those who are one in Christ and one with each other, we may be sure a praising, thankful state of soul will follow.