Paul says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

And we've been thinking this week about the fact that there seems to be a shape to this fruit.

There are nine of them, but they belong to three triplets, love and joy, and today, now, peace.

In Romans 5 verse 1, to which we've already referred this week, Paul spoke about peace in

an objective way, being justified by faith, we have peace with God.

The alienation is ended, the enmity has been brought to an end.

Paul's speaking there not about something that we feel, but about a new state of affairs.

Peace has been declared.

The battle is over.

The war is finished.

But in Galatians 5, he's taking that further.

He's saying, not only are we at peace with God, but we actually experience peace with God.

I'm sure at back of his mind is the Old Testament word shalom, which was far more than simply a feeling of being at peace. It was the experience of being made whole and well,

coming home, knowing that you belong,

no longer being a stranger, being a member of the family,

that sense that there is a well-being in your life that wasn't there before.

And of course you remember how after the Old Testament sacrifices had been accepted,

the high priest would come forth and lift up his hands and bless the people

and say to them, the Lord bless you and keep you,

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,

and give you shalom.

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