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The Amish Voice 3
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us” (Ro.5:5).
c. Selfless or agape love is the greatest thing in all of life
according to the Lord Jesus Christ.
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the
commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our
God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is
the first commandment. And the second is like,
namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater
than these” (Mk.12:29-31).
d. Selfless or agape love is the greatest possession and gift
in human life according to the Scripture (1 Co.13:1-13).
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;
but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Co.13:13).
2. There is the fruit of joy: an inner gladness; a deep seated
pleasure. It is a depth of assurance and confidence that
ignites a cheerful heart. It is a cheerful heart that leads to
cheerful behavior.
3. There is the fruit of peace: it means to bind together, to join,
to weave together. It means that a person is bound, woven
and joined together with himself and with God and others.
The Hebrew word is shalom. It means freedom from trouble
and much more. It means experiencing the highest good,
enjoying the very best possible, possessing all the inner
good possible. It means wholeness and soundness. It means
prosperity in the widest sense, especially prosperity in the
spiritual sense of having a soul that blossoms and
flourishes.
a. There is the peace of the world. This is a peace of
escapism, of avoiding trouble, of refusing to face
things, of unreality. It is a peace that is sought
through pleasure, satisfaction, contentment, absence
of trouble, positive thinking, or denial of problems.
b. There is the peace of Christ and of God.
The peace of God is, first, a
bosom peace
, a peace deep
within. It is a tranquility of mind, a composure, and a
restfulness that is undisturbed by circumstances and
situations. It is more than feelings—even more than
attitude and thought.
The peace of God is, second,
the peace of conquest
(see
John 16:33). It is the peace that is independent of
conditions and environment; the peace which no
sorrow, danger, suffering, or experience can take away.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me
ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world” (John 16:33).
The peace of God is, third, the
peace of assurance
(see
Romans 8:28). It is the peace of unquestionable
confidence; the peace with a sure knowledge that one’s
life is in the hands of God and that all things will work
out for good to those who love God and are called
according to His purpose.
“And we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
The peace of God is, fourth, the
peace of intimacy
with
God (see Ph. 4:6-7). It is the peace of the highest good.
It is the peace that settles the mind, strengthens the will,
and establishes the heart.
c. There is the source of peace. Peace is always born out of
reconciliation. Its source is found only in the
reconciliation wrought by Jesus Christ. Peace always has
to do with personal relationships: a man’s relationship to
himself, to God, and to his fellow men.
A man must be bound, woven, and joined together with
himself in order to have peace.
A man must be bound, woven, and joined together with
God in order to have peace.
A man must be bound, woven, and joined together with
his fellow man to have peace.
“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were
far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For
he is our peace, who hath made both one [both
Jew and Gentile, all men], and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between us” (Ep.2:13-
14).
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the “fruit of love?” Does this trait often express
itself in your life? Why or why not?
2. What are the special aspects of agape love which
makes it different from what the world calls “love?”