PEACE
INTRODUCTION
- When peace is misunderstood there is a false sense of security, Jer 6:13-15. (Judah was not at peace with God; did not have real peace at all!)
- Peace with God must exist for peace among God’s people to flourish.
- Few things are sought after more than peace (nations, neighbors, families, churches).
- Ultimate there must first be mutual peace with God before peace with man will be achieved. Eph 2:14
Still, God expects Christians to live in peace with others, Rom 12:18.
- Those at peace with God live in peace, Gal 5:22.
- God’s peace must rule (“umpire,” determine, direct, control) the heart (character), Col 3:15.
- We were called to peace (1 Cor 7:15); Pursue it (2 Tim 2:22).
- Peace is an element of the kingdom of God – Ro 14:17
- Peace is a component of the fruit of the Spirit – Ga 5:22
- Peace is a word conveying wonderful concepts…
- “a state of harmony, tranquility”
- “the absence of hostility, the absence of mental stress or anxiety”
- In the Bible, the word peace is used to translate…
- Shalom (Hebrew) – completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
- Eirene (Greek) – often refers to the inner tranquility and poise of the Christian whose trust is in God through Christ.
- Peace is directly related to the actions and attitudes of individuals but it is ultimately a gift from God. (Isa. 45:7; Lev. 26:6; John 14:27)
- The presence of peace indicates God’s blessing on man’s obedience and faith. (Isa. 32:17; Mal. 2:5, Isa. 26:3)
- As valuable as peace is, it is sometimes counterfeited. Deceitful men speak word of peace while secretly plan evil. (Oba. 7)
- Peace is found in God’s place and not in man’s place.
- Peace does not always mean absence of storms but presence of God in the storm.
- True peace is the result of being justified by Faith (Rom. 5:1) The foundation of peace is justification.
- You can’t have the peace of God until you first have peace with God.
BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF PEACE
The biblical concept of peace does not focus on the absence of trouble. Biblical peace is unrelated to circumstances; it is a goodness of life that is not touched by what happens on the outside. You may be in the midst of great trials and still have biblical peace.
Paul said he could be content in any circumstance; and he demonstrated that he had peace even in the jail at Philippi, where he sang and remained confident that God was being gracious to him. Then when the opportunity arose, he communicated God’s goodness to the Philippian jailer, and brought him and his family to salvation.
Likewise, James wrote, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2).
The Lord Jesus on the night before He died in agony. He knew what He was facing, yet He still took time to comfort His disciples with the message of peace. (John 14:27)
The peace of Jesus enables believers to remain calm in the most wildly fearful circumstances.
The Bible uses peace in two ways:
- Peace with God: This is the peace which comes when a person accepts Jesus as saviour. Peace with God is never available apart from grace. The cross of Christ is the focal point of grace and it is the source of peace. Jesus Christ is our eternal peace. (Rom. 5:1)
- Peace of God: This is available as the believer participates in Christian way of life according to the plan of God. Jesus also brings us the peace of God, that is the peace within by His Spirit. This comes after we must have had peace with God. The peace of God Garrison’s our hearts against anxiety, difficulties and sorrows. (Phil. 4:4-7)
The outcome of these two kinds of peace is the PEACE WITH OTHERS. Our peace with God and from God gives us the resources to maintain unity and love with others through continual forgiveness and patience. (Col. 3:13-15)
THE NATURE OF PEACE
The New Testament speaks of two kinds of peace—the objective peace that has to do with your relationship to God, and the subjective peace that has to do with your experience in life.
The natural man lacks peace with God. We all come into the world fighting against God, because we are a part of the rebellion that started with Adam and Eve.
Romans 5:10 says we were enemies of God. We fought against God, and everything we did militated against His principles.
But when we receive Jesus Christ, we cease being enemies of God—we make a truce with Him. We come over to His side, and the hostility is ended. Jesus Christ wrote the treaty with the blood of His cross. That treaty, that bond, that covenant of peace declares the objective fact that we now are at peace with Him.
That’s what Paul means in Ephesians 6:15, when he calls the good news of salvation “the preparation of the gospel of peace.” The gospel is that which makes a man who was at war with God to be at peace with Him. This peace is objective—that is, it has nothing to do with how we feel or what we think. It is an accomplished fact.
A sinful, vile, wicked person cannot come into the presence of a holy God. Something must make that unholy person righteous before he can be at peace with God. And that’s exactly what Christ did, dying for sin, imputing His righteousness to sinners. So Paul says we are no longer enemies but are at peace because we are reconciled. Romans 5:1; Col. 1:30-22
The peace of God stands guard and keeps worry from the corroding our hearts, and unworthy thoughts from tearing up our minds. Phil. 4:7
The subjective, experiential peace—the peace of God—has its foundation in the objective, factual peace—peace with God. The peace of God is not obtainable by those who are not at peace with Him. God alone brings peace. In fact, in Philippians 4:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and again in Hebrews 13:20, He is called “the God of peace.”
JESUS ON PEACE
The Context of Jesus’ Peace
Jesus offered His peace to the disciples during an unbelievable difficult period in their lives . They were scared and afraid. He knew the disciples were about to be severely tested and would need God’s peace.
Anyone can have peace when things are going well. But it is in the midst of difficulties and fearful times that God wants us to experience His peace and manifest it to the world. He wanted His disciples – and He wants us – to be at peace during the most difficult times in our lives.
The Contrast of Christ’s Peace
Jesus says, in verse John 14:27, that the peace He gives is not like the peace that the world gives. The world has a kind of peace that it offers, but it always comes up way short to the peace that Jesus gives. It is so limited. The world’s kind of peace is most frequently used in the area of international relations between countries or ethnic factions within a given country. But this external dimension of peace in no way approximates the peace which Jesus gives. Peace that is comforting and lasting!
The Conditions of Christ’s peace
In order for Jesus to give us what he promised, it was necessary for Him to go back to heaven. He says in verse 28 of John 14, “You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you’ “
Jesus is reminding His disciples and us, that before His peace could flood their hearts, it was necessary for Him to ascend back to heaven and be with the Father. You may be asking, “Why is that so?” I believe it was because the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ is resident in the Person of the Holy Spirit. So, because the Holy Spirit resides in the life of every believer, it becomes possible for every believer to experience real, lasting, genuine peace. The peace that only Jesus gives!
DEFINTION OF PEACE
WHAT IS PEACE?
- Peace has a Dual Nature (absence and presence).
- Absence of conflict, 1 Cor 14:33. Peace is more than a cease fire.
- Presence of serenity, tranquility, harmony, contentment, security and safety, Isa 32:17-19.
- Wise and righteous: Quietness, confidence, and safety, Jas 3:17-18.
- shalom (Heb): “Everything that makes for a man’s highest good,” wholeness; “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.”
- Eirene (Grk): Harmonious relationships (with men, nations, and God), Heb 12:14.
- God’s people are securely at peace in midst of conflict, Isa 32:18-19
- Peace is a life and state in which one is perfectly related to God and to one’s fellow man.
- The one body (the church) has peace with God, and so achieves peace with one another, Col 3:15.
SOME THINGS ABOUT THE PEACE OF GOD
- God is the Source of Peace, Rom 1:7.
- Not man, sin, strife and enmity, Gal 5:19-21: Opposite of peace.
- The Father is the Source and Provider, Heb 13:20; 2 Ths 3:16. HOW? As we rejoice, pray and obey, Phil 4:7-9
- Jesus Christ is our access to peace with God, Rom 5:1.
-Assures safety and security the world cannot give (Jn 14:27); Peace is in Christ (Jn 16:33; Eph 1:3; Gal 3:27); He is our peace (Eph 2:14).
- The Gospel is the Message of Peace, Acts 10:36; Eph 2:17-18.
- Most want peace, yet most reject the message of peace, Eph 6:15.
- Yet, Christ and His gospel often bring conflict, Matt 10:34-36.
- a) Those unprepared for the conflict the gospel brings are likely to misinterpret that conflict and accuse faithful Christians of not being “peace-lovers” because they “contend…for the faith”.
- b) Fact: Those who reject truth are rejecting peace! Matt 10:21-22 (Lk 12:52-53); Psa 119:165
- The Blood of Jesus is the Price of Peace, Eph 2:13-16; Col 1:20.
- Peace never comes cheap – Blood of the Son of God!
- God gave His Son so we could have peace (Rom 5:1).
- Now, we must give up sin to live in peace (Rom 6:11).
- We must Walk the Life of Peace, Rom 8:6; 2 Cor 13:11.
- Having obtained peace with God, we must “live in peace”.
- Otherwise, the flesh is victorious over us.
SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT, 1 Pet 3:10-11. (Develop and maintain)
- Our Peace with God must be Guarded, Rom 5:1-5.
- Be on guard against sin (causes conflict with God, Isa 59:1-2).
- Requires steadfast faith to resist sin, Jas 4:4-7.
- Peace among Christians must be Diligently Nurtured, Eph 4:3.
- Keep: “expresses watchful care and is suggestive of present possession” (Online Bible).
- HOW? Eph 4:1-2; cf. 5:21; Acts 9:31 (stand in truth and serve)
- When one feels he must be served by his brethren rather than serving, peace is strained and destroyed by the sinful tensions of arrogance, selfishness and resentment, Gal 5:15-16, 22.
- Peace in the Home is Crucial to Happiness, 1 Cor 7:15.
- God has called husbands and wives to peace…yet, home is often a war zone!
- Respect and love in the home (Eph 5:22-25); Peace (Col 3:15).
- Peace with our Fellow Man is Important to Overcome Evil, Rom 12:18 (Heb 12:14). (As much as is humanly possible)
-Application of peace is seen in Rom 12:20-21
Peace is a quality or virtue that is sorely needed in the world and church today, for
- NOT EVERYONE ENJOYS PEACE*
- THE WICKED.
- “There is no peace, says the Lord, for the wicked” – Isa 48:22
- The sins of the wicked separates one from God – Isa 59:2
- Sinful conduct destroys friendships and familiar relationships- Ga 5:19-21
- Sin prevents true peace of mind – cf. Isa 57:20-21 — The wicked are in dire need for peace
- THE TROUBLED DISCIPLE.
- Even faithful disciples can become troubled – e.g., Martha, Lk 10:41
- Disciples lose their peace when they:
- Fail to simplify their priorities – Lk 10:42
- Become choked by cares, riches, and pleasures – Lk 8:14
- Succumb to the desire to be rich – 1Ti 6:10-11– The righteous are often in need of peace
THE CONCERNED SERVANT.
- Who worries about their brethren, like Paul – 2Co 2:12-13; 7:5; 11:28-29
- Who becomes distressed with concern, like Epaphroditus – Php 2:25-26
- Who sorrows when hearing bad news, like elders – Ac 20:37-38– Even the most dedicated Christians finds themselves in need of peace at times
But wherever there is a need for peace, there is PEACE THAT SURPASSES UNDERSTANDING
- PEACE WITH GOD.
- Without God, no true peace is possible
- He is “the God of peace” – Ro 15:33
- He offers perfect peace, peace like a river – Isa 26:3; 48:18
- But unforgiven sin make peace with God impossible
- Sin separates us from God – Isa 59:1-2
- Sin makes our lives like the troubled sea – Isa 57:20-21
- Through Jesus Christ, God offers peace to the sinner!
- We can be justified from our sins, and be at peace with God. – Ro 5:1-2
- God’s love makes this peace possible – Ro 5:6-9
- In Christ, we can be reconciled with God – Ro 5:10-11; 2Cor. 5:18-22– Without the peace God provides, no real peace is possible
- PEACE WITH ONESELF.
- Jesus offers true peace within
- Peace that the world cannot provide – Jn 14:27
- Peace unfazed by the world and its tribulations – Jn 16:33
- Jesus does this by teaching us:
- To have faith – Mt 6:25,30; 8:26; Jn 14:1
- To make God and His kingdom our priority – Mt 6:31-34
- To simplify our lives – Lk 8:14; 10:41-42
- By offering prayer as the antidote to anxiety and worry
- Prayers of supplication and thanksgiving – Php 4:6
- Whereby the peace of God guards our hearts and minds in Christ – Php 4:7 — Jesus provides peace that surpasses all understanding!
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOD’S PEACE AND WORLD’S PEACE
- The peace offered by the world is an empty promise and can only bring temporary comfort. God’s peace is a permanent one offered by the only one who can be trusted to keep His word and heal our sin. (Isa. 54:10; John 16:33; Phil. 4:6-7)
- The world’s peace changes with circumstances and it is built on the weak foundation of compromise. (Exo. 34:12, Ezra 9:12) God’s peace is built on the foundation of His word. (Psalm 119:165; Isa. 26:3)
- The world’s peace ignores the root of the problem and tries to fix the symptoms. (Jeremiah 6:14, Ezk 13:10) God’s peace is ours because Jesus heals our root of sin. (Eph. 2:13-14; Isa. 53:5; Isa. 32:17)
PERFECTNESS OF PEACE
- Peace is perfect in QUALITY; that is to say, it is perfect in the kind of peace it is. There is an imperfect peace, e.g. the peace of Ignorance, when we imagine that all is going well whereas, in fact, if our eyes were open to see the truth we would know that all is not well (Jeremiah 6:14). There is also the imperfect peace of Stagnation; the pool of water may be calm and peaceful, but underneath it is foul and green with slime. Many men and women know only a peace like that, and one day the shock of God’s judgment will stir up their pool and they will find that they have no real peace at all. There is also the imperfect peace of Dependence, which is a peace which is dependent upon some thing or person. How unsatisfactory this is, for the “thing” may fail and the “person” may die! Then, where is their peace? In contrast with these three kinds of imperfect peace, God’s peace is perfect.
- It is perfect in QUANTITY; that is to say, the supply of it is sufficient and it exactly meets our need. The marginal rendering of “perfect peace” is “peace, peace”, i.e.double peace. This is very significant when we turn to Philippians 4:7, for there we are told that this double peace is peace of heart and mind, and that is the kind of peace we need, a peace which garrisons our mind and calms our heart. This double peace is also double in the sense that it is: (i) peace with God (Romans 5:1); and (ii) the peace of God (Philippians 4:7).
- It is perfect in CONSTANCY; that is to say, it is permanent and not intermittent. The promise says, “you will keep…” – compare Psalm 121:4
HOW DOES THIS PERFECT PEACE COME TO US?
- By Christ Jesus. Turn to Philippians 4:7 again and notice that the Lord Jesus Christ is the channel through whom the peace of God flows into our souls. This peace within is the possession of the Christian alone. There is no peace for anyone who does not possess Christ and who is not resting on the finished work of Christ for salvation. It is “the blood of Jesus (which) whispers peace within” (Colossians 1:20).
- By the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ procured peace for us upon the cross of Calvary, and that peace is offered to us through Him as the channel; but it is conveyed to our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit -–look up Galatians 5:22. As the Holy Spirit fills and floods our lives, so He produces this wonderful fruit within us.
- By His Word. Look up the great promise which is made in Psalm 119:165. Things and people can so often disturb us, or even cause us to stumble, but here is a promise of perfect peace to those people who love and meditate in and obey the Word of God. (John 16:33)
- By our obedience. Look up Leviticus 26:3-6, and be sure to notice that most important word “If”. God guarantees to us that if we will walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, He will keep our hearts in perfect peace; if we will do our part, then God will surely do His part.
- By plenty of praise and prayer. The promise of Philippians 4:7 is preceded by the conditions mentioned in verse 6.
- By Faith (John 14:1)
- By prayer. (Phil. 4:6-7)
WAYS TO HAVE PEACE WITH GOD, YOURSELF AND OTHERS
- Receive God’s forgiveness. (Isa. 9:6, 1 John 1:9)
- Make a decision to like yourself.
- Don’t compare yourself to others
- Accept other people just as the way they are.
- Let God have control of your life. (Prob. 16:9; Psalm 31:15)
CONDITIONS TO HAVING PERFECT PEACE
Who is it that God will keep in perfect peace? It is the one: (1) “whose mind is steadfast”; and (2) “who trusts in you.” Both these expressions denote faith, but whereas one is a head word, the other is a heart word. What is the difference? With our head we believe, with our heart we trust; with our head we believe that God is the Author of peace, the Giver of peace; with the heart we trust Him to bestow what He promises.
STEPS TO ENSURING YOUR PEACE
- Change your focus. The Bible instructs us to fix “our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete” (Heb. 12:2). As we change our focus — off of our problems and onto the Lord — His peace will fill our lives.
- Change your circumstances. Sometimes it is necessary to take a break from the things that trouble us, even for brief periods of time. Even great men and women of God have at times experienced times of devastating discouragement (1 Kings 19:3-5; 2 Cor. 4:7-10). Try altering your physical setting for a short time. Also, take a close look at your lifestyle. You may be lacking peace simply because you are not following God’s pattern for rest.
- Change your attitude. Are you facing a difficult situation? The Bible says, “Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do” (1 Thes. 5:18). Begin to thank God right now and soon you will experience His peace in the midst of the storm.
THE BENEFITS OF THE GOD-KIND OF PEACE
- Good health – Many people are sick, some are hospitalized because they lacked peace of mind. This peace will give you a rested soul and body. It will keep away worries, stress, depression, high blood pressure and heart related diseases. This reminds me of my mother who thought it was her duty to worry over things. Unfortunately, she developed high blood pressure and died earlier than she should. We really miss her.
- Positive mindset – People who enjoy peace are positive minded. They expect the best of things. They think positively of people and situations. They don’t get worked up, thinking that things will certainly go wrong.
- Hope – The peaceful are hopeful and the hopeful are peaceful. When you are hopeless, you will become helpless. The peace of God is a powerful ingredient in building up your hope. You will know that everything will work out for your good and you will expect it to be so.
- Build and fortify relationships – A peacemaker will always enjoy his or her relationships with others. Peace within you will manifest in your responses to issues. People will be drawn to you because they enjoy the peace that surrounds you: no tension or disputes over things. Being with you will be like medicine to their challenges.
- Better working environment – Have you ever worked with someone who fights with everybody and everything? Not a place to be in, right? Such a person does not have peace of mind and is only venting it out on things and people instead seeking for help. But a peaceful person can help the troubled person and change the working environment. Peace is contagious.
- Creativity – Peace enables one to be creative. The mind is restful, not crowded with worries and negative thoughts. A Peaceful mind is observant and very attentive. Ideas are quick to settle on a calm mind
- Satisfaction and contentment – It is very good to aim for better life, but only the peaceful will be able to be satisfied and contented with every level of progress, giving glory to God. Greed and peace don’t go together. A greedy person is never at rest because he is never satisfied.
- Favour – A peaceful person is highly favoured. Everyone wants to be a blessing to person who never gives or entertains troubles. As long as it is within my ability, I will always go out of my way to help any peaceful person. Helping such a one will give joy plus more satisfaction.
- It strengthens us in and for warfare
- It cheers us in trials