The fruits of the Spirit is a natural outflow of a Spirit-filled life. One of those fruits is peace. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The context in which Jesus said these words is in reference to the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples that when he leaves, He would give them the Holy Spirit who will give them peace. Therefore, just like love and joy, peace is given to us by the Holy Spirit. In order to experience such peace, we must be filled with the Spirit. There are two basic areas in which the Holy Spirit gives us peace. He gives us peace in salvation and peace in the plan of God.

Peace in Salvation. Often times, young believers or believers who are struggling with sin, will have doubts about their salvation. This lack of peace comes from the absence of a Spirit-filled life. You see, the more you are in the Word, the more you will grow. The more you grow, the more Spirit-filled you will become. The more Spirit-filled you are, the more peace you will have. In other words, the deeper you go in your walk with God, the more confidence and assurance you will have in your salvation. 1 John 5:11-13 says, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” John is writing here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The ‘record’ that John mentions is the whole counsel of God’s Word. The things that are written, is the written inspired Word of God. So, what does the Bible say concerning our salvation and concerning eternal security? Romans 10:9-10 makes it very clear as to how one receives salvation. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” There are two key thoughts we see here: believe and confess. To believe on the Lord Jesus is to believe everything there is to believe about Him. It is to believe in Him with all your heart. If you have that true belief in you, then you can be saved. However, you must also confess with your mouth. In other words, you cannot believe on the Lord Jesus and keep it to yourself. You must be open about your faith and you must openly and boldly declare your belief in Jesus. If you have done these things that are written, then you will have eternal life. Ephesians 1:13-14 takes it one step further when it says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” The moment that you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you were indwelled by the Holy Spirit. With that indwelling, you were sealed by the Holy Spirit. In other words, King Jesus placed the seal of His Spirit upon you. Therefore, that seal can never be broken. The Holy Spirit is our earnest or down payment of our eternal inheritance. Therefore, nothing can ever take away our salvation. Our salvation is secured by the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is no need for you to ever doubt your salvation. If you have been obedient to what is written. If you have believed on the Lord Jesus with your heart and have confessed Him with your mouth, then you are sealed by the Holy Spirit and your salvation is guaranteed!

Peace in the plan of God. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” God has a specific plan for your life and mine. He guides our steps and leads us down the paths that He desires for us. God has a way of leading us in different ways at different times. Along the way, He is preparing us for the next step in His plan. Wherever He leads us and however He leads, we can be assured that it will be for our good and for His glory. How do we know for sure that we are living in God’s plan for us? How do we know that we are on the right track? The only way to have peace in knowing God’s plan is by living a Spirit-filled life. If you are not Spirit-filled, then you will have a difficult time discovering God’s plan for your life. If you are not Spirit-filled, then you will have a lack of peace and assurance. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us peace in knowing how God is leading us and how He is directing our steps.

Do you want to have peace? Do you desire to have the assurance of your salvation? Do you desire to be at peace with how God is leading you? The only way to have such peace is to live a Spirit-filled life.