So far we have considered the first two fruit of the Spirit, love and joy. This week we will take a look at peace. Most of the time I think of peace as being the absence of conflict, but given the friction which naturally arises between a believer and the culture he or she lives in, we can't really expect our time on earth to be trouble free. Jesus promised that we would have trouble in this world, so a simple lack of conflict is not really something we should expect. But there is another level at which peace works, and that is the sense in which we are not overcome by the trouble around us, where we are able to be serene and even content in the midst of even the most difficult circumstances. How that works is what we will explore in the week ahead.
"The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace." Psalm 29:10-11
Here is the first indication of how you and I can know peace, of how we can be content in every circumstance because we are sure God is in control. Do you see how that comes to pass in these last two verses of Psalm 29? For in those verses the path to peace is revealed for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
In this passage Isaiah provides comfort to God's people by pointing to a time when the Messiah would be sent to them and rescue them from their distress. Isaiah provides them with the names by which this person would be known: "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." That person, of course, was and is Jesus, God's Son, our Savior. He is the Prince of Peace and the source of our peace, of our contentment, of our satisfaction, in a world that calls us to never know contentment, to never be satisfied. And indeed if our contentment and satisfaction were found in what the world has to offer, both of those things would be unattainable. But thanks be to God they are not! Our contentment, our satisfaction, is found in Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who gives us both life and joy in abundance, that we might find our rest and peace in Him.
"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Ephesians 2:14-18)
Through Jesus, God's Son, we have been reconciled to God and to one another. Although we were far from God, we have been drawn near. Though we were not God's people, we have been declared the people of God and grafted onto the nation of Israel. Where once we were enemies of God, we now have peace with Him, and His Son is our Lord and Master, our Prophet, Priest and King who rules our hearts and minds that we might be found righteous as we boldly approach the throne. That is God's promise to you and I and the source of the love, joy and peace we enjoy as His people.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
We are once more reminded in this passage that Jesus is the source of our peace. It is His peace which guards our hearts and minds, protecting us from discouragement and encouraging us to give thanks to God. We can be thankful for God's goodness to us and for the peace we find through His Son, Jesus, through whom we are not anxious about anything.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)
This may have sounded like crazy talk to the disciples. Here Jesus is promising them the Holy Spirit, but at the same time He is warning them that He will return to the Father. In other words, Jesus would no longer be with the disciples; He would be leaving them forever. That must have caused a great deal of concern among His followers, because they had given up everything in order to come after Jesus, and now He was telling them that it was time for Him to go, all while promising them peace. If the disciples' peace were dependent on their circumstance (and at that point, prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit, it most likely was) this promise would be of little comfort. But there would come a time when it would be of great comfort, for with the coming of the Holy Spirit they would no longer look at their surroundings in order to be at peace, but to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who had overcome the world. There, too, lies our peace.
So far we have considered the first two fruit of the Spirit, love and joy. This week we will take a look at peace. Most of the time I think of peace as being the absence of conflict, but given the friction which naturally arises between a believer and the culture he or she lives in, we can't really expect our time on earth to be trouble free. Jesus promised that we would have trouble in this world, so a simple lack of conflict is not really something we should expect. But there is another level at which peace works, and that is the sense in which we are not overcome by the trouble around us, where we are able to be serene and even content in the midst of even the most difficult circumstances. How that works is what we will explore in the week ahead.
ReplyDelete"The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
ReplyDeletethe Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace."
Psalm 29:10-11
Here is the first indication of how you and I can know peace, of how we can be content in every circumstance because we are sure God is in control. Do you see how that comes to pass in these last two verses of Psalm 29? For in those verses the path to peace is revealed for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
"For to us a child is born,
ReplyDeleteto us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
(Isaiah 9:6)
In this passage Isaiah provides comfort to God's people by pointing to a time when the Messiah would be sent to them and rescue them from their distress. Isaiah provides them with the names by which this person would be known: "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." That person, of course, was and is Jesus, God's Son, our Savior. He is the Prince of Peace and the source of our peace, of our contentment, of our satisfaction, in a world that calls us to never know contentment, to never be satisfied. And indeed if our contentment and satisfaction were found in what the world has to offer, both of those things would be unattainable. But thanks be to God they are not! Our contentment, our satisfaction, is found in Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who gives us both life and joy in abundance, that we might find our rest and peace in Him.
"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."
ReplyDelete(Ephesians 2:14-18)
Through Jesus, God's Son, we have been reconciled to God and to one another. Although we were far from God, we have been drawn near. Though we were not God's people, we have been declared the people of God and grafted onto the nation of Israel. Where once we were enemies of God, we now have peace with Him, and His Son is our Lord and Master, our Prophet, Priest and King who rules our hearts and minds that we might be found righteous as we boldly approach the throne. That is God's promise to you and I and the source of the love, joy and peace we enjoy as His people.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
ReplyDeleteWe are once more reminded in this passage that Jesus is the source of our peace. It is His peace which guards our hearts and minds, protecting us from discouragement and encouraging us to give thanks to God. We can be thankful for God's goodness to us and for the peace we find through His Son, Jesus, through whom we are not anxious about anything.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
ReplyDelete(John 14:27)
This may have sounded like crazy talk to the disciples. Here Jesus is promising them the Holy Spirit, but at the same time He is warning them that He will return to the Father. In other words, Jesus would no longer be with the disciples; He would be leaving them forever. That must have caused a great deal of concern among His followers, because they had given up everything in order to come after Jesus, and now He was telling them that it was time for Him to go, all while promising them peace. If the disciples' peace were dependent on their circumstance (and at that point, prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit, it most likely was) this promise would be of little comfort. But there would come a time when it would be of great comfort, for with the coming of the Holy Spirit they would no longer look at their surroundings in order to be at peace, but to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who had overcome the world. There, too, lies our peace.