1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian PEACE pt2 | Page 6

WEDNESDAY
Luke 7
So far we have considered People of Peace in the context of
Peace Desired
Peace Defined and
Peace Demonstrated.
For the next five days I would like to consider PEACE IN DECLINE.
We need at this point to acknowledge some tough truths.
Our premise at the start of the study of the Fruit of the Spirit, believed that we start with a
“full barrel”.
When we come to Christ He gives us all of Him, i.e. as a result of us meeting the Prince of
Peace we receive the peace of God in full. We, however, “leak” and as a result of certain
things (the three things to follow), we can so easily lose our peace.
Firstly, WE LEAK AND LOSE OUR PEACE AT THE POINT OF SIN. The story in Luke 7 is of a sinful
woman who comes to Jesus in repentance and worship and receives, in return, the peace of
God. After her very real repentance and her extravagant act of worship (pouring expensive
perfume on His feet) she hears the words, “Go in peace.” She left Jesus with a “full barrel” of
peace.
David, after his sin with Bathsheba, realised that there was a “hole in his barrel”. He found out
that when sin comes in the front door, peace leaves out the back. In Psalm 32 v 3 – 5, he
speaks of his “peace less” state, “When I kept silent my bones wasted away through my
groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me, my strength was
sapped as in the heat of summer…”Peace for him was, however, restored at the point of
repentance and renewed relationship with God. He goes on in verse 5 to say, “…Then I
acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said “I will confess my
transgressions to the Lord” - and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Another great example in Scripture is found in the story of the Prodigal Son, whose depth of
despair culminated whilst working in a pigsty. He knew he could go no lower in life and he
knew too that there would be no peace in his heart until he was restored in his relationship
with his father.
Isn’t it amazing that God is so ever-willing to forgive us when we come to Him as the Prodigal
did to his father.