LESSON 4*January 16 - 22The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace
SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week's Study:
Matt. 8:23-27; 11:28, 29; Rom. 5:1-11; 12:9-21; Heb. 12:14; Col. 3:13-15.
Memory Text:
“‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’” (John 14:27, NKJV).
As a champion of peace, Paul wrote: "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3, NKJV). The Greek word translated "endeavoring" is an imperative, excluding any passivity, any "wait and see" attitude. We must be proactive. If we fight and bicker in our homes, if we fall into factions at church, if we refuse to love and honor others, then we are denying the peace of God in Jesus Christ, which He established on the cross. How ironic that you have to fight for peace. Eleanor Roosevelt, in a Voice of America radio broadcast, said, "It isn't enough to talk about peace; one must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it; one must work at it." The peace that Christ won for us also requires effort, hard work, and constant self-examination.
As we study this week, we should ask ourselves: Have I availed myself of the peace that Jesus won for me on the cross? How can I cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He engrafts that peace into my daily life?
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 23.
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