""And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:7) "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." (Col 3:15) Jesus confirmed that in the world, we would have tribulations. We would have discomfort, we would have fear and distress; but none of those things will rob us of our peace. (John 16:33). Our peace will serve the anchor keeping our heart still in the midst of life's troubled waters. Today, we take a second look at that peace which Jesus brings, and what makes it so different from the world's peace.
The first part of this message The peace of God Part 1 dwelt on the peace of the world. The peace based on ungodly compromise and satanic manipulations. The type of peace which Jesus warned us against. Now, we look at the true peace of God. The peace of God - the peace which Jesus promised us is not attained by treaties or inter-personal agreements. No, it flows from a heart ruled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. It is the third gift of the Holy Spirit following the list in Gal 5:22. It is not an external show of calmness, but a state of psychical serenity brought about by the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.
While the world's peace hangs on the outside, God's peace originates from the inside, and manifests to the outside, positively affecting everything in its path and around it. It is an indwelling peace. It is not the absence of troubles and fear, but the overriding confidence that all things works together for good. It is the calmness arising from the deepest and strongest spiritual assurance that no matter what is going us around us, God will keep to His promise and see us through. It is that peace that enabled Jesus to sleep while the storm was threatening to overthrow His ship. It is that peace that confuses the devil when He sees us calm and composed instead of trembling with fear at his roarings! That is why the Bible says it is a peace that passes understanding - behind comprehension, above definition, better experienced than discussed. An amazing peace! The greatest feeling!
That is the peace of God. Friend, God wants you to have this peace. This peace becomes real and grows in your life as you learn to trust in the Lord with all your heart, and stop leaning on your own understanding (Prov. 3:5). This peace is a demonstration of an active faith that passively expects a miracle. It is the highest show of faith. It is the peace into which we are called. I pray for you today friend that this peace will be activated in your heart right now even as you read this lesson. Let the power of God's peace become real and operational in your life in Jesus name.
"Unto us a child is born and a son is given... and He shall be called the Prince of Peace, and the chastisement of our peace was upon Him" (Isa 9:6; 53:5)