Our Peace

Last week I talked about peace and how Elisha remained peaceful enough to listen to God during a very difficult time when Syria had blockaded Samaria and caused a famine. Even after God told Elisha that the king sought his life he remained at peace. That is wonderful and a good example but I am not like Elisha. So how does the Word of God pertain to me? How can I have peace?

We must ask more questions:

Where does peace come from?

Romans 1
:7 To all that be in Rome,
        beloved of God,
        called to be saints:
    Grace to you and peace from God our Father,
    and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 1
:3 Grace be unto you,
        and peace,
    from God our Father,
    and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace is from God and the Lord Jesus Christ. When we need to be at peace we need to look to God. Breathing deep and counting to 10 may be a tool to help you keep your cool but where is peace going to come from? Where do we need to look for peace? To God and the Lord Jesus Christ. We learn about this peace from God's Word.

Romans 10
:15b How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
    and bring glad tidings of good things!

The Word of God is where we are going to learn about true peace.

Why peace?

Romans 5
:1 Therefore being justified by faith,
    we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

God is not always watching over us ready to strike us down with a lightening bolt when we sin. When we believed Romans 10:9 & 10 we became born again of God's seed and became joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We now have sonship rights, one of them being justification. Since we are justified we are not condemned and have peace with God. We are no longer separated from Him, there is no enmity between God and us. We are His sons and daughters and have peace with Him.

Ephesians 2
:14 For he [Jesus Christ] is our peace,
    who hath made both one,
    and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
        [between us and God]
:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [separation]
        even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;
    for to make in himself of twain one new man,
    so making peace;

When we are at peace with God we can listen to Him. When we are at peace with God we do not have our guard up against Him. We have our guard up against the wiles of the devil and God is our teammate; which is a good thing because through Jesus Christ the battle has already been won. If you know that the battle has already been won for your life than you have confidence and peace.

Here is my favorite cheer in the Bible:

If God be for us who can be against us
    who can be against us
    who can be against us
If God be for us who can be against us
    NO one
    NO One
    NO ONE!

Romans 8
:31b If God be for us, who can be against us?

Through Jesus Christ we have the victory, no one or thing can stand against us.

I John 5
:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:
    and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:
    and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
:5 Who is he that overcometh the world,
    but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

How can I be peaceful?

Romans 8
:6 For to be carnally minded is death;
    but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
    he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
        by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Choose to be spiritually minded for it is life and peace, the consequences are to be carnally minded which is death. The spirit of God in Christ in us quickens us, making us alive.

Romans 5
:16 This I say then,
    Walk in the Spirit,
    and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,
    and the Spirit against the flesh:
    and these are contrary the one to the other:
    so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Be mindful of the spirit that dwells within, look to God always, put on the mind of Christ, line up your life with Word of God and measure all things on the scales of the Word. Practice the presence of God.

Galatians 5
:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
        joy,
        peace,
        longsuffering,
        gentleness,
        goodness,
        faith,
:23   Meekness,
        temperance:
    against such there is no law.
:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

To walk in the spirit and manifest peace--a fruit of the spirit--we must manifest holy spirit in our lives. I Corinthians 12:7-10 tells us that the manifestations of the holy spirit are Speaking in Tongues*, Interpretation of Tongues, Prophecy, Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom, Discerning of Spirits, Faith, Miracles and Healings. Speaking in Tongues is the manifestation that will build us up so that we may mature spiritually. Combine that with the Word of God in our minds-renewing our minds to the Word and we will be transformed.

Romans 12
:2 And be not conformed to this world: 
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, 
    that ye may prove what is that good, 
    and acceptable, 
    and perfect, will of God.

We can only be transformed by reading, listening to and speaking the Word of God.

II Peter 1
:1 Simon Peter,
        a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
    to them that have obtained like precious faith with us
    through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God,
    and of Jesus our Lord,
:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us
    all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
    through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
    that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
    having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
:5 And beside this, 
    giving all diligence,
    add to your faith virtue;
    and to virtue knowledge;
:6 And to knowledge temperance;
    and to temperance patience;
    and to patience godliness;
:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness;
    and to brotherly kindness charity.
:8 For if these things be in you, and abound,
    they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful
    in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace is multiplied unto us through the knowledge of God which we get from His Word. If you know you have sufficient money and the mortgage payment is due you will not fret about the payment. We are rich in God, joint-heirs with Christ we can be at peace.

Philippians 4
:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway:
    and again I say, Rejoice.
:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men.
    The Lord is at hand.
        [moderation is forbearance,  charitable on little things]
:6 Be careful [anxious] for nothing;
    but in every thing
        by prayer
        and supplication
        with thanksgiving
    let your requests be made known unto God.
:7 And the peace of God,
        which passeth all understanding,
    shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
        whatsoever things are honest,
        whatsoever things are just,
        whatsoever things are pure,
        whatsoever things are lovely,
        whatsoever things are of good report;
        if there be any virtue,
        and if there be any praise,
    think on these things.
:9 Those things, which ye have
both learned,
        and received, and heard, and seen in me,
    do:
    and the God of peace shall be with you.