PEACE WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDIND- Part 2

THE SOURCE OF PEACE

1.     Peace come as a divine gift

 From God the Father: (Rom. 1:7) “To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” again the same chapter says (15:33) “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”  And again the anchor Scripture which we had seen in part 1 says (Phil. 4:7) “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” It is my prayer beloved, to each and every one of us, that may God’s peace that surpasses all understanding be our portion in this year 2022. And may the good Lord grant each of us our heart desires. Amen.

Peace come as a divine gift from the Lord Jesus Christ: (Isa. 9:6-7) “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of host will perform this.” Jesus as the “Prince of Peace” or “Peaceful Prince” He seeks peace and brings it into the world by His atoning death on the cross, paying the price of human sin and reconciling us to God.  The angels and the host of heaven praised and sung to Jesus saying (Luke. 2:14) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  Jesus before undergone crucifixion, He spoke peace and give peace to His disciples (John 14:27) “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not our heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jesus Christ is our peace (Eph. 2:13-14) “But now in Christ Jesus you who once was a far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.”  Apostle Paul’s prayer to his brethren (2 Thess. 3:16) “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

Peace comes as a divine gift from the Holy Spirit: The kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17) “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Peace as a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.”  See also (Eph. 4:3) “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

God promises a covenant of peace:  God’s covenant is an everlasting covenant (Isa. 54:10) “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord who has mercy on you.”  See also (Ezek. 34:25) “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.” Again (Ezek. 37:26) “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore.”

We must pray to God for peace:  When we pray for the peace of Jerusalem (our nations) we find peace as well (Ps. 122:6-7) “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  “May they prosper who loves you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.”  Jeremiah had the same thought as the son of Jesse (Jer. 29:7) “And seeks the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”  A prayer of all men as well (1 Tim. 2:1) “Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men.”

2.     Peace comes through human efforts

(A)We must let peace rule in us: (Col. 3:15) “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (b)  We must live in peace: (2 Cor. 13:11) “Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”  To the Thessalonians Apostle Paul wrote (1 Thess. 5:13) “And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.” (c) We must seek peace: The son of Jesse said (Ps. 34:14) “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” And Apostle Peter! (1 Pet. 3:11) “Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” (d) We must try to live in peace (Rom. 12:18) “If it is possible as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Rom. 14:19) “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” See also (Heb. 12:14) “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (e) We must pursue peace: (Ps.34:14) “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” and also (2 Tim. 2:22) “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart.” (f) We must obey God to receive peace: (Lev, 26: 3.6) “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and perform them; I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down , and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.”

JESUS AND OUR PEACE

Jesus was prophesied to be the Prince of Peace:  (Isa. 9:6) “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.” (b) Peace proclaimed at His birth: (Luke 2:14) “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth Peace, goodwill toward men!”  (c) Peace promised to His disciples: (John 14:27) “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Also (John 16:33) “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of God cheer, I have overcome the world.” (d) Peace achieved on the cross: (Isa. 53:5) “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”  Also (Col. 1:20) “And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, weather things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”  (e) Jesus began the Good News of Peace (Isa. 52:7) “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good news, who proclaims peace. Who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”  See also (Acts 10:36) “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ- He is the Lord of all.” (f) Jesus is our peace: (Eph. 2:14) “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.”  (g) Jesus enables us to have peace with God: (Rom. 5:1) “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (h)  Jesus establishes peace within the church: (Eph. 2:15) “Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” (I)  Jesus guides us in the way of peace:  (Luke 1:79) “Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (j) Jesus blesses us with peace: ( Numb. 6:24-26) “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”  See also (Ps. 29:11) “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” Again (1 Cor. 1:3) “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (k) He enables us to die in peace: (Luke 2:29-31) “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples.”

THE WICKED AND PEACE

(A) They proclaim a false peace: (Jer. 6:14) “They have also healed the hurt of my people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.”  See also (Ezek. 13:10) “Because, indeed, because they have seduced my people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace- and one builds a wall and they plaster it with untemper mortar.” (b) They do not know the way of peace: (Isa. 59:8) “The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.” See also (Luke 19:42) “Now as He drew near. He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” (c) The wicked hate peace:  (Ps. 120:6-7) “My soul has dwelt too long with one who hates peace; but when I speak, they are for war,” (d) the wicked have no peace: (Isa. 48:18-22) “Oh, that you had heeded my commandments! Then your peace would be like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants also would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; his name would not have been cut of nor destroyed from before Me.” Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, declare, proclaim this, and utter it to the ends of the earth; Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob!” And they did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rocks for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out. “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.” And also (Isa. 57:21) “There is no peace,” Says My God, “for the wicked.”

Beloved, now may the Lord of peace Himself give us peace always in every way and throughout this year 2022. The Lord is with us all. Amen.

“Grace to you and Favor of God our Father and the Lord Jesus be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”