Fruit of the Spirit Peace / and Love
By: Walkin^N^HISGrace

In both the Old and New testements, peace is described as the result of having a right relationship to God and with others. The Greek word eirene has a meaning similar to the Hebrew word Shalom. Spriritual peace describes a sense of well-being and fulfillment that comes from God and is dependent on His presence alone.
Galations 5:22
--  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Inner spiritual peace is experienced by any believer who walks in the Spirit despite surrounding turmoil. The true "peace of God" protects the hearts and minds of believers from worry, fear, and anxiety. It transcends all logic or rationale
( Phillipians 4:7 )
--  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The God of peace who offers salvation also promises His presence and power in the lives of His children. His presence creates in us a quiet confidence, reguardless of circumstances, people or things.
Through impossible to comprehend fully, true peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit
(Galations 5:22 )
 --  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

and a part of the "whole armor of God" ( Ephesians 6:11-13 )
Ephesians 6:11 --  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 --  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:13 --  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

and to survive all manner of dificulty and danger. The believer receives peace from God as a virtue of holy living and protection from evil forces. Where the peace of God is present, there is no room for worry.
( Psalm 86 )
--  Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.--  Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. --  Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.--  Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
--  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.--  Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. --  In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.--  Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.
--  All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. --  For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.--  Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.--  I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
--  For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.--  O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.--  But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. --  O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
--  Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
 

( Romans 15:1 )
--  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

(1Corinthians 10:13 )
--  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

( Colossians 3:2 )
--  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
 

Fruit of the Spirit Love --- Unconditional Devotion to Others

In both Hebrew (ahab) and Greek (agape), words translated "love" are action words. indicating conscious acts on behalf of a beloved.  However, biblical love seems to demand going beyond merely a particular behavior to include a certain inner attitude, that is ,  a positive inner response
( 1John 3:17 )
 --  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
While several Greek words describe specific forms of love, the Greek word agape most expresses Christlike, selfless love. Unselfish , loyal, benoviolent concern for the well-being of another is called by Paul "the greatest " gift of all
(1Corinthians 13:13 )
--  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Christian love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, a virtue of godly living
( Galations 5:22 )
--  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
 

The attributes of love reflect both feelings and loving acts
( 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 )
--  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
--  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
 --  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;--  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

True Love is characterized as

* Patient and slow to anger (v. 4 )
* kind and gentle to all ( v. 4 )
* unselfish and giving ( v. 5 )
* truthful and honest ( v. 6 )
* hopefull and encouraging ( v. 7 )
*  enduring , without end ( v. 7 )
 

Biblical love is not envious proud, self-centered, rude or provoking  ( v.v. 4,5)
Without love, the gifts of the Spirit are deemed worthless, and the fruit of the Spirit incomplete (v. 8)  Christian love is eternal. While all else fails, love never fails. It is a permanent, unconditional concern for others that results from the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, rather than from human effort or desire.
( Lamentations 3:22 )
--  It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
God's faithfulness is a commitment on His part and is as dependable as the scheduled appearances of the sun and moon.
(Psalm 89:2,5, 36, 37 )
Psalms 89:2 --  For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
89:5 --  And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
89:36 --  His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.  89:37 --  It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

 When you wake up in the morning , God will always be there. Family and friend may disappoint you ; heroes and heroines may fail to live up to expectations.  Nevertheless , God is ever faithful.
The root, meaning of faithfulness ( Hebrew 'emunah ) is "certainty" and "dependability." Faithfulness describes who God is ( 1Corinthians 1:9 ) No matter what you do, God cannot deny Himself ( 2Timothy 2:13 ) He is steadfast and trustworthy. He keeps His promises ( Hebrew 10:23 )
God's presence is assured, even if you are unaware of it. (Matthew 28:20 )
Matthew 28:20 --  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

His faithfulness is experienced in His protection ( 2Thesalonians 3:3 ) --  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
mercy (Psalm 89:2 )--  For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
preservation ( 1Thesalonians 5:23-24 ) --  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
love (Romans 8:35-39 ) --  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? --  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. --  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. --  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
and discipline ( Psalm 89:32-33 ) --  Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.89:33 --  Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
it is revealed in all His promises ( Joshuah 23:14 ) --  And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.
What a comfort and encouragement to experience His faithfulness.
( John 15:13 ) --  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
(1John 3:11-18 ) 3:11 --  For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.3:12 --  Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.3:13 --  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.3:14 --  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
 3:15 --  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.3:16 --  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.3:17 --  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 3:18 --  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.