Peace

Chapter 3 : PEACE

I want you to read this chapter for the sake of reminding yourself of the power of your own salvation. It is to remind you of the peace of God you are able to experience in this hostile environment.

There is a word used in the New Testament approximately 111 times that we need to give close attention to. That word is “Peace.”

Peace: to join, to set at one again, contentment, noiselessness, fellow feeling, and comfort.

God has always spoken to His creation in words we are able to understand until we come to the word peace. With this word He lets us know that there are some aspects of it we will be able to comprehend, but there are other aspects we will not be able to understand or articulate. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

1. Spiritual Reconciliation: Peace in the New Testament is portrayed as reconciliation between God and humanity through Jesus Christ.

Scripture Sequence - Ephesians 2:14-18

Ephesians 2:14

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Jesus has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, reconciling both Jews and Gentiles to God through the cross, thus granting both access to the Father by one Spirit. This peace is the restoration of a broken relationship between God and His creation. We now have access to God.

Ephesians 2:15-16

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

We must cease to make light of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. By this I mean; we treat the crucifixion as an event that was necessary to grant atonement. But that event is separate and apart from our walk. If we don’t understand the gravity of how the crucifixion relates to our spiritual walk, then we truly do not know God or His plan for mankind.

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, . . .

This is crucial to our understanding of salvation. Jesus took on the sins of the whole world. He abolished, (put an end to), the penalty of death contained in the commandments, by the crucifixion of His own flesh.

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, . . .

The reconciliation came by both Jew and Gentile being placed in the same body, the body of Christ. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones (Ephesians 5:30). This is a great rest. It is relief from the power of sin and death. We must stop and consider the fact that we are the only creatures on the planet that satan cannot control. He has been expelled from our bodies and our spirit. We have the nature of Christ, our Redeemer.

Ephesians 2:17-18

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

This is the great peace the cross has achieved. It has made us one with God, having received the forgiveness of sins. Furthermore, as those of us who have been born-again are united in the same Spirit, we are consequently united with one another.

Salvation has created one new entity - the Body of Christ. Seeing that we have been brought into oneness with Christ, we all must therefore walk as He walked. We must do as He does, speak as He speaks and think as He thinks. Simply put we must be unified in the mind of Christ, speaking the same things, having the same emotions and having the same judgment. Consider the scriptures below that testify to our oneness with Christ and each other.

Acts 4:32

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.`

1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 2:16

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Philippians 1:27-30

27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Philippians 2:1-2

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

This oneness in Christ has achieved true peace with God and each other.

2. Inner Tranquility: The New Testament also presents peace as a state of inner tranquility or calm that believers can experience, regardless of their external circumstances. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages believers not to be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to present their requests to God. The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This illustrates peace as a supernatural calm bestowed upon believers who trust in God.

Peace is depicted as a blessing from God. Numbers 6:24-26 features the Aaronic blessing, wishing for the Lord to bless and keep, to make His face shine upon, be gracious to, lift up His countenance upon, and give peace to His people. In the New Testament context, this peace is understood as a comprehensive well-being or wholeness imparted by God's favor.

3. A Guiding Principle: In the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, peace serves as a guiding principle for the Body of Christ. Matthew 5:9, proclaims, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." This identifies peace as not only a state to be enjoyed but as an active pursuit in relationships and interactions, reflecting the character of God's children.

4. Hope: Finally, peace is an integral part of the Christian hope—the ultimate peace in the Kingdom of God, where there will be no more conflict, suffering, or death. Revelations 21:4 speaks of a future where God will wipe away every tear, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, nor shall there be any more pain. This ultimate peace is the culmination of God's redemptive work through Christ.

In summary, according to the New Testament of the KJV Bible, peace encompasses spiritual reconciliation with God through Christ, inner tranquility that transcends understanding, a divine blessing of well-being, a guiding principle for conduct among believers, and the ultimate hope of a future free from conflict and suffering in God's Kingdom.