PEACE of GOD

Do not let Your Hearts be Troubled (John 14:27)  

Whatever the situation or circumstance we are in, God speaks: Do not let your heart be troubled. This is HIS peace. With His peace, we can go through any situation.

Definition:

Shalom – Eirene

Shalom is the Hebrew word for our word Peace used in the Old Testament. Eirene is the Greek word used for Peace in the New Testament.

i)                    Freedom from disturbance/tranquility, calm quiet, stillness

ii)                   A state/period in which there is no war

It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a gift from God – He gives it to us- we cannot earn it or work for it

Biblical concept of peace: to be whole, to live well

It describes the right relationship between two parties

In Isaiah Jesus was prophetically called the Prince of Peace. We find peace in Jesus (John 16:33). He is Peace Himself because through Him we have peace with God. Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we can approach God the Father, Jesus’ sacrifice brought us peace. He made Himself Peace for us. Gideon experienced God as the Lord who is Peace. He was beaten that we might have peace (Is.53:5). It is God’s peace that brings us comfort, hope and strength from the inside out (Judges 6). God is a God of peace (1 Cor 14:33) and as such the best guideline in making decisions. The Kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness and peace and joy. Pursuing / seeking peace (peacemaker) is a blessed thing according to Jesus in the sermon on the mount (Matth.5:9). Peace replaces fear, replaces anxiety, replaces, anger,

3 points from what the Holy Spirit highlighted to me about PEACE

       1) Trust is important for peace, for receiving peace (Isaiah 26:3)

You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

The word translated mind (thoughts) here is not the usual Hebrew word for it but rather the word meaning “creative imagination” Isaiah’s thought is that he whose creative imagination, the seat of plans and ideas, is firmly founded on the eternal Lord, will enjoy shalom in all its implications. Even the following verse, verse 4: “Trust in the Lord always, for the LORD God is the Eternal Rock”, brings emphasis to the action of TRUST. Trust is the foundation for receiving Peace. IT’S A DECISION

Trust needs to be there first. We need to trust God afresh. We need to tell Him that we trust HIM. We need to give Him the reigns in our lives. Trust Him with the outcome. Thoughts need to be fixed on Jesus, fixed on God in all turmoil. It is God who can show us Perfect Peace. The foundation of the key to this is trust. Trust that God knows, trust that God is in control, trust in God’s promises. When I trust in God I recognize my insufficiency of my own efforts to find salvation. To trust is to put our confidence alone in Jesus, and not in man made things or efforts. We need to ask ourselves the question: Do we believe that God is trustworthy?

Only through trust we can receive the peace of God that HE so willingly offers us

a) He offered us this peace in general once and for all – our salvation

b) He offers us this peace, the shalom of God in every situation, again and again

2    2) Through peace we overcome (John 16:33)

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”

Putting Christ’s words into context, we find Jesus addressing His disciples for the last time before His crucifixion. Jesus tells them what is to come. He tells them about the Holy Spirit and in conclusion He brings such a comforting word to them. He tells them not to let their hearts be troubled because He Himself has overcome the world with all its hardships and tribulations. Jesus gives the content of Peace in an unsure and frightening situation. He assures the disciples that even though there is hardship, even though there is tribulation, they can have peace.

This is such an important verse and I am so glad it is in the Bible (see James 1:2-4: “Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”). It shows that we do have hardships, even as Christians. It shows that hardships are part of our lives and it gives us good reason to be of good cheer: Christ has overcome this world with all of that and that brings the peace into our hearts. So, we need to look unto HIM, Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We need to focus on Him since He is the one that overcame.

Amid trouble we can have peace by taking His yoke (Matthew 11:28-30). Finding rest for our souls is finding peace through which we overcome.

Story from “William”:  Yes, I have cancer, that is clear but even with that I experience perfect peace now. I am ok and I know that God is with me.

3          3) God’s peace needs to guard heart and mind (Phil 4:7)

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

These lines are in the last chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians (the first church Paul founded). He wrote it from prison. Knowing this gives it so much more power. The whole letter depicts the joy and encouragement during adversity. Prayer as the most intimate conversation with God is the key to bring all fear and anxiety to God.  It is about fully transferring the burden of one’s soul into God’s hands. Praying earnestly and entrusting it all to God is the key to experience His peace in heart and mind. Being thankful plays a big role in it as well. The verse says to thank Him for all He has done or bring everything to Him with thanksgiving. God’s peace is higher and beyond our understanding. It is not the same peace as the world understands it (John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart, and the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”) We will not understand God’s peace – it is a mystery but when our heart and mind is flooded with this peace we know that we know that we know that all will be well.

In a personal and intimate time of conversation with God (prayer), we need to tell Him everything and ask Him to do the Impossible and as we do so He can in turn give us His peace that guards not only our hearts but also our minds, a peace that we cannot understand (surpasses all understanding). When our hearts are at peace and our minds are at peace we experience perfect peace. Worry less and pray more – turn your worries and problems into prayers and you will experience God’s peace.

Bring it home

1)We need TRUST to receive His PEACE

2)We overcome through His PEACE

3)His PEACE needs to guard hearts AND minds

As I said, everyone needs peace, we all need to be at peace inside. Even living here, we need peace inside. Let us ask God afresh to reveal Himself as the Peace to our souls. He is our peace and the only peace we need.

Peace is what the world hungers for. Peace is what the human mind thirsts for. Yet the peace that the world understands as peace is different from the peace of God.

The peace of God is more than a state in which there is no war. With the peace of God, you can be in war and have perfect peace.

Now may the Lord Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all (2 Thess.3:16)