"The Promised "Prince of Peace's" Promised Peace"(5)
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(All I Want for Christmas)
Is 9:6; Jn 14:27; Rom 5:1
Introduction:
- While world peace, interpersonal and inner peace are all desperately needed, peace with God is our shared fundamental longing and need. It has been said that we were all born rebellious sinners at war with God. That war is championed by Satan. Until we lay down our arms, confess our spiritual enmity with God and repent, we can never be at peace with God. From Genesis to Revelation, that truth is affirmed throughout the word of God.
In the midst of the turmoil that headlines most newcasts, the promise of peace, perfect peace is never mentioned. But ii is desperately needed. Without the peace of God, the most that we can hope for is temperary lulls in fighting and short0term cease fires.
Where can we find this peace? And once we find this peace, does it last?
The Bible tells us that the peace we can have with God is perfect. Isaiah, the prophet recorded that promise.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
With the promise, the means and conditions of that peace were also explained.
There is a salvation connection .
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation
as walls and bulwarks.
Isaiah sang of that salvation as coming when we open our gates, our hearts by faith to
Gods’ righteousness.
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
Those who have opened their gates/hearts to the LORD, are kept.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
The Bible also tells that this promised peace is through and only through Jesus Christ, the promised “Prince of Peace.” This is promised to those who by grace through faith know Jesus our Lord as their Lord.
The peace promised by Jesus to His disciples and future disciples/believers, was “His peace” surpassing all understanding. Jesus explained that His promised peace would be enabled by the promised Holy Spirit. The word of God succinctly explains how peace with God come to those who by grace through faith know the “Prince of Peace.”
1. Christ’s promised gift of peace – Jn 14:27, 25-31.
“Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (Jn 14:27 ESV. - -
— Christ’s (my) peace given – Jn 14:27; 16:33; Col 3:15.
As besr we can understand, Jesus and His disciples used at least three languages interchangeably and seemlessly. Those languages were Koinee Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew. And because the Roman occupation forces, some of them probably also had some knowledge of Latin.
In Koinee Greek the word of “peace” is “eirenen” (irainain) - conveyed to the idea of preace, tranquility, unity and accord.
The peace that Christ promised is a peace with Him and His Father, a peace in the midst of the storm. The peace that Jesus promised sometimes puts us at odds with those who reject Christ’s promised peace.
Hebrew word for peace ,”Shalom” - became a greeting to the disciples after the resurrection. “Peace be with you” - Jn 20:19.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
The world does not, cannot give lasting peace.
John 12–21: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 11: Supernatural Peace (John 14:27)
Many years ago, historians calculated that in the previous 3,500 years, the world had seen less than 300 years of peace (cf. Will and Ariel Durant, The Lessons of History [New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968], 81
-It has also been estimated that in the last five and a half millennia, more than 8,000 peace treaties have been broken, and more than 14,000 wars fought with a combined total of about four billion casualties. Even though there have always been illusions of global peace, this world continues to be unsuccessful in the effort to pursue that elusive goal.
John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 121.
Some who have studied history might ask, “What about the “Pax Romana?” That is a valid question. When the Roman Empire was at its zenith, there was comparative peace and prosperity. But that was only because Rome, Caesaer and his designated regional rulers, ruled with iron fists. As long as those ruled by Rome were compliant ti Rome there peace. But failure to comply usually resulted in severe punishment and often death. Eventually rotted and imploded from corruption and sin.
The lack of peace as the world gives peace should not surprise us. The peace that Christ promised is unknown and unavailable to the unsaved. The unsaved’s lack of peace with God fosters ongoing strife and turmoil.
In the midst of the spiritual unrest that surrounds us, as believers, we have peace in the midst of the storn. Thank you Lord, for your peace that passes understanding that guards our hearts and minds. - Phil 4:7. The peace that God gives is beyond human understanding. Paul wrote,
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
My peace - 14: 27
Jesus was clear. He explained that the peace that He leaves, the peace that He gives is His peace. Jesus’ peace rested in a confidence that His Father did and would do all things well.
When we know and trust someone implicitley, we might not know what they will do but because we know them and trust them, we have peace with whatever they decide is best. With that we trust their best way ahead.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Peace means trusting God in the storm, the process and ends results that might not be exactly what we expected. All of us are learning to not forfeit peace by taking it to the Lord in prayer.
This is not a fatalism or being held captive by a sovereign God. Rather , it is not feeling stressed when we don’t know the next steps and how they connect.
o From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ – Rom 1:7.
To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The peace that we long for is from God and from Jesus Christ. Although this sentence was a phrase that Paul as he began most of his letters/epistles - 1 Cor, 2 Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Col, 1 Thess, 2 Thess, 1 Tim, 2 Tim, Tit. Philem. All of them needed sense God’s peace in their individual ministry situations.
All of us long for peace and grace. Christ promised it. It comes from God. And by God’s grace it is demonstrated in the lives of other believers.
IT IS NATURAL FOR US TO ASK, “HOW DO WE RECEIVE THIS PROMISED PEACE?”
As with any truth, Christ’s promised peace, is further explained as we consider other Scripture portions.
Writing to the believers in Rome, Paul explained,
2. We have peace with God – Rom 5:1
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 5:1 ESV)
- Have been justified.
The Greek verb as translated in the ESV and other good translations reminds us that we have been (not will or might be)
one-time legal declaration with continuing results.
Justified - 30 times in Romans - legal term that comes from the Greek word for righteousness and means to declare righteous.
This verdict includes:
“pardon from the guilt and penalty of sin, and the imputing of Christ’s righteousness to the believer’s account, which provides the positive righteousness mankind needs to be accepted by God, declared righteousness” (MacArthur Study Bible - Rom 3:24 notes)
Being declared righteous, we have peace with God.
- By God’s grace as a gift – Rom 3:24.
and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
- Through Christ – Is 53:5.
“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought our peace, and with His wounds we are healed.” (Is 53:5 ESV)
So what is peace with God.
“It is not just an internal sense of calm and serenity, but an external, objectve reality. God has declared Himself to be at war with every human being because of man’s sinful rebellion against him and His laws.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
But the first great result of justfication is that the sinner’s war with God is ended forever.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
Scripture refers to the end of this conflict as a person’s being reconciled to God.” (MacArthur Study Bible - Rom 5:1 note)
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD.
3. The peace of God will guard us – Phil 4:7.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7 ESV)
When the believers in Philippi received Paul’s letter, all that God had done and through them was being overshadowed and perhaps jeopardized by unrest and discord in the congregation. This disunity was the result of a disagreement between two ladies whom Paul named, Euodia and Syntyche. Paul was not singling out women Men also create discord and scuttle unity. It could haben Eustice and Simeon. Paul singled out men like Demas in other epistles
This was one of the few times that Paul named those whose actions were hurting the body of Christ and the cause of Christ. We can be reasonably sure that was not their intension. But the discord became known to all. That probably reached beyond to the unbelievers.
Please note how Paul addressed this before he reminded them that the peace of God will guard their hearts and minds.
Paul:
Spoke openly of the issue and the cause if the disunity. It is reasonable to expect that individuals would have approached there ladies. And following the pattern explained by Christ, those individuals probably also pleaded with Euodia and Syntyche. But they refused to agree and make peace. It is also reasonable to expect that the overseers and perhaps the deacons have prayed about what to do. Their choosing to disagree was hurting the flock and ministries in which they served.
Entreated both Eudia and Syntyche - both needed to adjust and come to an agreement
Asked true yokefellow, Syzygus to help these women.
These women who:
Labored side by side.
With him in the gospel.
With Clement - nothing known of him
With rest of fellow workers, whose names are written in the book of life.
Book of life - names of those who will inherit eternal life .
Referenced with variations in both Old and New Testaments as the book, the book of remembrance, book of heaven, book of life.
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Paul’s bottom line was that they/we need to conduct ourselves with eternity always in view.
When there is diagreement, there must eventually be an admission when we are wrong and or agreeing to disagree.
WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG BUT US, WHEN THERE IS LITTLE GIVE AND TAKE AND OTHERS ARE EXPECTED TO COMFORM TO OUR AGENDA, WE MIGHT HAVE TOO MUCH IN COMMON WITH EUODIA AND SYNTYCHE.
With Paul’s continued commands the extent of the lack of peace is heart braking.
They need to be:
Reminded and commanded to rejoice always.
Let their reasonableness to be known to everyone.
Not be anxious for anything.
In everything by prayer and suppliction with thanksgiving let their requests be known to God.
God will guard.
Militry term - keep watch over.
Who goes there? Friend or foe?
Whom do we allow into our lives? To whom do we listen?
The word guards our hearts.
- Hearts and minds.
Whole inner being.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
- In Christ Jesus.
Our union with Christ guards our inner being with peace.
For that guarding and inner peace, we need to be on guard that which disrupts peace.
4. True peace is only in the “Prince of Peace” when He:
- Rules – Is 9:6-7.
“For to us is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish and to uphold it with righteous-ness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” Is 9:6-7 ESV)
While the ultimate complete fulfillment of this will only be when Christ reigns in the millenium and heaven, WE ARE CALLED CALLED TO SUBMIT TO HIS RULE TO TODAY.
We will consider that in our application.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
- Judges and reigns with righteousness – Is 11:3-9.
The prophet, Isaiah, wrote of a day when God’s righteous reign would be fully realized and there would be true lasting peace. There can be no doubt that can be fully fulfilled only in the millenial kingdom when the Prince of Peace reigns.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Might we not be perhaps a bit short sighted to suggest that glimpses of Christ, the Prince of Peace’s righteous reign and the peace that results should not be clearly seen among the redeemed today Wouldn’t allowing Christ to judge and righteousness continue to breath new life into our lives, our families our relationships and our congregation?
In his letter to the Church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul stronly reminded them behaviors that they tolerated and affirmed were not consistent with inherting the kingdom of God.
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
With regard to how they gathered for the Lord’s supper, Paul wrote,
But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.
Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
So how do we have the Prince of Peace’s promised peace? Only by obeying God’s commands to repent and to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Col 3:15 ESV).
Answering “yes” to most of the following ten questions will provide some indication of the degree to which the “Prince of Peace” rules my heart and your heart. Please consider each question carefully and prayerfully.
All of us need a bit of a heads up as we answer these questions. A “no” or a qualified “yes” needs to understood in our individual context. A “no” might not mean that I am ruling my life rather than Christ.
A “no” or a hesitant “yes” might mean that we remember overwhelming fears, those who abused their authority, or the words of someone that were seared into our minds. Some of those scars might continue to haunt our subconsciences when evaluating decisions. The result might be that others have hijacked aspectsof our lives so that as much we know we should ,we can not always defer to Christ rule in hearts
In our ears and hearts we might not be able to forget:
What a pastor or someone is authority said.
One time when we asked someone for help, they belittled us and we are afraid to be vulnerable again.
Once when I tried to work with others, they didn’t seem to value my thoughts. From now on it seems safer to serve in some area where no one bothers me or looks over my shoulder.
1. Would those with whom you live, work and serve say that you are a peacemaker?
Another way of asking this would be can we calmly defuse tense situations leading those who might disagree to a place of harmony and better understanding of each other?
2. Without being asked, would you seek out a believer who knows you well but is not a family member or a close friend to review the validity of your answers?
We don’t choose our family and they don’t choose us. If you don’t have many close friends, it might be an indication of being either very introverted or too demanding.
3. When making a decision, is your first consideration praying and making sure that you are honoring the Lord, His word and His church?
Another of asking this might be when making a decision do give more consideration to your relationship with Jesus and the needs of others than you wants and feeling?
4. When other ministry team members are needed are you most people’s first choice?
This is not about gifts and skills. Every part of the body of Christ has gifts. We should not expect to be asked to help with and administrative task or to sing if those are not within our skill/gifting set. But in the areas where we are gifted, do others look forward to us being on their team?
5. Are you eager to be held accountable and to work with others collectively and collaberatively?
Most rulers resist accountability. Servants look for areas to serve and ask if everything is okay and what more can be done. Those who are eager to be accountable and serve collaberately ask how they can serve and interconnect better.
6. Are you willing to forgive others and do you ask others to forgive you?
If you dwell mostly on the wrongs that others have done then you might be blind to stepping the toes and feelings of others. Are your feelings too easily hurt or might there be a chance that you see yourself as the one who is always right.
7. Do you put the needs and preferences of this body of believers ahead your own?
Another way of asking this might be, do you still rejoice and praise the Lord when others express a strong preference that would not be your first choice? Or when Aunt Sally brings that casserole that you don’t really like and it passed to you at the family, do you take a thank you portion?
8. When you see and interact with others, can you look past their shortfalls and thank God for what He doing in their lives to conform them to the image of Christ?
We all connect with some people more than others. That’s natural. When you sometimes struggle with how Bob expressed himself do you go to the Bible study when it’s his turn to lead or do you stay home?
9. Are you willing to change if shown a better way from the word of God?
We are creatures of habit.Some of our decisions or preferences might have been decided for us or assumed to be best or popular. Some of us grew up before pizza and Italian food. Some of us might have assumed we wouldn’t like it. It wasn’t a matter of taste preference. We were cautious of the unknown.
Might that apply in the spiritual realm. “Thee’s and thou’s “, “Is salvation something we hope for or promised by God to thosw who truly repent?
10. Would you obey the Lord even if it meant be shunned by those whom you love?
We say blood is stronger than water. Is the blood of Jesus Christ stronger than family blood ties?
Who would you do if your pastor graciously affitmed his previously stated conviction that he would not marry a believer to an unbeliever and the rest of your family decided to leave your church?
Most of us will not be able to answer “yes” to all 10 questions. We are all works in progress. Until the Lord calls us home we will continue to struggle Christ’s rule is our lives.
Sometimes only gentle questions from those whom we love help us to understand whether this is about us or ....
With regard to Christmas, many choose to make the birth of Chris they what they want it. They reject the truths that force them to yield throne of their lives to Christ.
Athough they profess in a God who the impossible, they only trust their inner circle to get things done.
After the birth of Christ, the contrast between the response of the Magi and Herod is still very evident. Like the Magi, there are those who search for Cheist accept what the Scriptures re who He is and offer to Him their gifts and worship. But there are more Herods who offer lip service to wanting to know where and who Jesus is, only to attack Him others who are near Him.
Those attacks are instigated and carried out not only from religious leaders, educators family members, neighbours and most who choose not to bow their knees to the “Prince of Peace.”
AWV/Dec 24/23 a.m.