Peace -

God’s Perfect Peace

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.
Isaiah 26:3-4

The world is a dusty, dirty place, and we as Christians must walk in it every day. There are times when we experience conflict, and the daily grind can weigh heavily upon our bodies to bring us down. It is no wonder that Jesus told the twelve disciples to shake off the dust of their feet if they were not received in a city or a person’s home [see Matthew 10:14]. We go out to work, play, and buy, and it is not always pleasant. We witness anger, arguing, and nasty words that are not worth mentioning, but we see no peace. Visiting someone’s house who may or may not be receptive to what you have to say can be nerve-racking. Some do not want to hear what you have to say because you’re a Christian. We may want to tell the world what God has given us, but we are slapped in the face or told to shut up. Has this happened to you? Has someone walked away from you because you are a Christian? Some may even say, “Oh! You think you are so righteous.” It happened to me. I just looked upon the person with sadness in my heart, for they were speaking judgment rather than the love of God. This is a reflection upon themselves that they are not what they want to be.

Only those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died and arose from the dead have been given the gift of Christ’s righteousness. The word righteous is a Hebrew word “ tsadiyq,” meaning to be upright or just. This speaks to an upright or just man. The meaning of a just man refers to a person who is right with God and follows God’s commandments. As a child of God, we carry the peace of God with us everywhere we go. If you are not received by an individual, when you depart, shake off the dust of your feet. Why? Shaking off the dust of our feet is a testimony against them.

“And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.”

Luke 9:5

This speaks to the day of judgment, and your peace should be returned to you. We are to be at perfect peace, regardless of what is happening in the world around us. God’s peace should reign within our hearts. Jesus told his disciples, “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,” [John 14:27]. As Christian we see with different eyes because of Christ’s atonement on the cross.

It is because of Christ that we are a new creation. We are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has given us the ministry of reconciliation. This is the ministry of atonement for our sins, for judgment came upon us all, but through Christ we have the gift of justification toward life [see Romans 5:18-19]. We have been made righteous through Jesus Christ. If our mind is anchored in Christ, we will have perfect peace within our heart and soul. Our trust is in what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross. Paul states that “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ,” [see Romans 5:1]. In fact, the entire fifth chapter of Romans 5 speaks about our justification. It is about living in the grace of God and having not only hope but peace. Paul affirms that through the tribulation that we experience, we will learn patience and hope. We are not ashamed because the love of God is in our hearts. Love is the fulfillment of the law [see Roman 13:10]. All things must be done through love, or it means nothing, and whatever is done is done in vain. That is why the apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 13, “now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Love makes the world go round. . .love is what we humans need. Love is what God gave us through his son, Jesus. That love gave us perfect peace. As Christians, we are restored because we trust in the Lord. That is what Isaiah was talking about in chapter 26. It becomes a testimony of those who are restored and walk in the path of the just. Jesus Christ is our strength when we are weak. He is our peace if our mind is firmly anchored in him. We are not to be anxious about anything, but to pray and ask God for help. “Let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” [Philippians 4:7]. This is a promise that God gave us that we ourselves would have perfect peace if our mind and heart are anchored in Christ Jesus. If one does not have peace, we must ask the Lord to reveal the reason why we do not have peace. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what caused the peace to leave. Remember, a right relationship with God is an open relationship where nothing is hidden.

I remember singing this worship song titled “Peace Give I To Thee” at youth meetings in 1974. At that time, many young people sought peace and love instead of violence on their streets. Let this song resonate within your heart and share it with others as a reminder of who gives us peace, faith, hope, and love. May God’s perfect peace be with you at all times.

Follow after the Things that Make for Peace

“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”
Romans 14:19

Let us follow after the things that make for peace. It is so easy to provoke others to anger where bitterness can take root within a person. Sometimes one cannot even remember what caused the rift between two individuals. The Apostle Paul calls these doubtful disputations, for it is the personal belief of an individual in how they should behave rather than the described law of the Lord. As Christians we forget how God deals with each individual differently in regard to our behavior and our walk as a Christian. These debates can bring heated arguments that can turn into anger. Pointing fingers and judging is not the way towards peace, yet many Christians are doing just that to obtain some kind of objective that may not even be spiritual but carnal in nature. Anything that is carnal promotes strife within the body of Christ because it is done in the flesh. God has brought us out of these things, yet we become entangled with them again. As a Christian we should be standing in the liberty where Christ hath freed us from these types of bondages.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Galatians 5:1

The yoke of bondage is where you are worn down by abuses and certain kinds of lust. The apostle Paul spoke about these things to the Galatians.

The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying’s, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, [Galatians 5:19-21]

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts, [Galatians 5:22].

Look carefully upon the fruit of the Spirit as Paul stated, “against such there is no law.” There is no law for this is the characteristic of Christ. The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith, [see Galatians 3:24]. The bible tells us that all are under sin so that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe [see Galatians 3:22].

In today’s world, we are not addressing moral obligations but the law of moralism that marks the boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. This is not necessarily based upon biblical viewpoint as some claim it to be. We must learn and know that a set of rules enacted by society and enforced by its courts is not always obeyed. Israel along with America is experiencing cultural war that can shake the foundation of democracy itself. Sociologist James Davison Hunter said “Culture wars always precede shooting wars. They don’t necessarily lead to a shooting war, but you never have a shooting war without a culture war prior to it, because culture provides the justifications for violence.” I bring this to your attention because we are all witnessing the shooting war right now. No matter what you believe, we all need to step back and rethink our actions. Have we forgotten the God of our Salvation?

“Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?”
Jeremiah 7:19

We have not considered God’s anger in the past, and we live now in the present through the grace of God so all can be saved. Do they not provoke themselves to confusion of their own faces means that man is going their own ways and making their own laws to justify themselves. No one inclined their ear to the voice of the Lord during Jeremiah’s time. The Israelites did not walk in the Lord God’s way after coming out of Egypt. Many of us may still be in Egypt following after our own lusts and desires. What did God promise Jeremiah?

“But this thing commanded I them, saying, obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”
Jeremiah 7:23

It shall be well with you if you walk in the way God commanded. We shall be his people if we obey His Voice. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” [John 14:6]. No one can come to the father God any other way but through Christ. We must walk in the way of the love of Christ, then we shall be at peace with each other. We live by faith and not by our own works. Jesus told his disciples that “it is the spirit that giveth life, the flesh profited nothing. The words that I speak unto you they are spirit, and they are life,” [see John 6:63]. Some of the disciples did not believe in Jesus. Have you looked at chapter 7 of Gospel of John in verse 7? Jesus makes this profound statement, that “the world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” Jesus testifies how the works of the world are evil. Can you understand the reason why the apostle Paul tells the Romans to walk honestly and to not walk in strife and envying, but to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts, [see Romans 13:12-14]. We are to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of the light of Jesus. We have been called unto liberty in Christ Jesus. Freedom from oppression and evil. Freedom from the control of substance abuse.

The things that make for peace is what we learn from Christ who loved us and provided the way to reconciliation. To walk in love and not destroy our weaker brother. We are to edify each other, for Christ has died for all and He is our peace.

“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.”
John 14:27

Jesus gives us peace and we are not to be troubled within our heart, nor be afraid of anything. Let us remember not to sin against our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Paul tells us not to wound their weak conscience because if we do, we sin against Christ [see 1st Corinthians 8:12]. Regain peace with yourself and your brother and sister by asking for forgiveness. Go to your closet to pray and ask God to help you through to peace within your own soul and those around you.

Live Peaceably with all Men

Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Romans 12:17-18

Is it possible to live peaceably with all men? The answer is yes, but at times it takes effort on everyone involved to keep that peace. An agreement must be made for peace to be sustained. During the 60’s the peace symbol was displayed against the war in Vietnam. It is still used today to speak against violence. For a Christian, honesty and integrity go hand in hand because of the light of Jesus shining within their hearts. The apostle Paul learned from the Gospel of Jesus the true meaning of love and living in peace with all men. He wrote about it in the book of Romans. As Christians we may forget that we were called out of darkness and brought into His marvelous light [see 1 Peter 2:9]. It is by faith that Christians walk in the Spirit of Christ and not in the flesh of mere man. When Christians walk in the Spirit there will be no jealousy, strife, envy, or hatred, for these things are dead through the cross of Christ. However, at times it may flare up again in a Christian’s life, but we must realize that this was part of the old nature of man. That is why the apostle Paul stated to the Colossians that they ” have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him,” [see Colossians 3:10], which is Christ Jesus. We pray that anger, jealousy, strife, envy, and hatred to die in our being so that the Spirit of Christ may rule instead.

To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Romans 8:6

For a Christian, the desire is to live a life in peace, and not be waging war, or have hatred against another human being. Carnally minded is physical and emotional desires that flare up in our life. In a Christian’s life the old nature is put to death to continue living in the new life of Jesus. Paul states to “mortify the deeds of the body,” [see Romans 8:13]. The Greek word for mortify means to put to death. Any negative action that is contrary to love, joy, and peace must be put to death in order for the new nature to come through. The new nature is the Spirit of Christ that now reigns in a believer’s life. The believer’s mind should be on spiritual things and not on strife, jealousy, and vengeance. In fact, if we read pass Romans chapter 12:8 to verse 19, it states that” vengeance is the Lord’s.” We put to death the things of the flesh by taking up the Cross of Christ, which is the power of God.

It is through Christ that we are victorious. The power of God comes from the cross of Christ. The resurrection power is what we need in our life. There is nothing that we have done within our-self to bring victory for overcoming negative characteristics. We put on the Lord Jesus Christ because victory is at the cross where all sins are forgiven, and bondage broken because of the sacrifice of Christ to bring deliverance of the old nature of man. We do not overcome evil by doing evil [such as to get even], but we overcome evil by doing good [see Romans 12:21]. We go back to the place of presenting our body to the Lord, for this is sanctification, to know the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and to be obedient in allowing His will to reveal the truth of who we are in Christ. We yield our life to God for the working of Christ’s character to come forth in love and peace. This is surrendering to God by repenting in order that we might live the life of peace.

This is the Spirit of adoption whereby we can come to God through prayer because we have been grafted into the vine. That vine is Jesus. Our focus is on Jesus and doing good works.

These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Titus 3:8

Maintain good works – Have you maintained good works? Paul tells us in Titus 3:8 that if we believe in God, we are to maintain good works, for it is profitable unto men. We should be mindful of our everyday actions as to not allow another person to stumble. Many times, we do not fully know or understand those who live around us. We are so consumed about our own needs that we forget those around us. This happens a lot in families. Sometimes mom and dad work so hard to keep the family going that it becomes overwhelming, and children may be neglected. Take time to have a break and refocus. Think it through and ask God to help you through whatever you are struggling with. Talk to those in the family to solicit help. The stress is less when we refocus our everyday actions to perform a good deed. It brings a smile upon someone’s face. It also allows a moment of happiness when we have satisfied a basic human need. Take time to refocus and help someone out today and let the peace of God rule your heart. Ask for forgiveness of the person you have been upset with. Ask in prayer for God’s spirit to intervene upon the situation to bring peace to all involved. These are simple steps to take and grow daily in His love. With Christ in our heart, we will learn to live in peace with all men.