Opening illustration: A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their mom with a houseplant. They had used their own money to buy it and she was thrilled. The older of them said with a sad face, "There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you. It was real pretty but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said ‘Rest In Peace,’ and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest.
What is this peace we are going to address this morning? Is it the kind of peace these kids were thinking about or the peace their mom desired to have? Let us get into God’s Word and check it out.
Introduction: Peace, a most common word today, is on the lips of every news reporter, on the pages of every publication. We hear politician speak of a "just and durable" or a "just and honorable" peace. Peace is the part of the conversation of the average person as well as every ruler. Yet peace is a strange word for the twentieth century. Our world is rampant with nationalism, imperialism, racism, militarism, militant communism and division.
Some may even say...that in order to "have peace" ... you have to "declare WAR"! Isn’t that interesting? So let’s declare war against the "chaos" and bring order into the "chaos". So BE HAPPY, because there is hope in the midst of chaos. SHALOM! It’s a good day to FIGHT!
People everywhere speak of peace because all desire peace. "All men desire peace, but very few desire those things that make for peace".
Many times we give a false meaning to peace. On the personal level peace comes with old age, settling down in a country home in the quiet of nature. Or peace is a lad fishing for suckers on a lazy afternoon. In the family peace exist when no quarrels or verbal battle occur. In the church peace happens when the preacher doesn’t say anything upsetting or when members are satisfied with the status quo. On the national level people think peace is the absence of war and when the oppressed do not cause any opposition or commotion.
Background: What is peace? Why do we need this peace?
In the New Testament, the word "peace" is found at the beginning or end of every epistle except for James and 1st John. The breadth of its meaning is apparent when it is linked with "grace" (Romans 1:7), "life" (Romans 8:6), and "righteousness" (Romans 14:17). What are the different shades of meaning of this wonderful word?
Romans 1:7, "...to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 8:6, "...For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace."
Romans 14:17, "...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
In the Old Testament, the concept of peace is usually expressed by the Hebrew word shalom and its derivatives. Has a wide semantic range stressing various nuances of its basic meaning: totality or completeness. These nuances include fulfillment, completion, maturity, soundness, wholeness (both individual and communal), community, harmony, tranquility, security, well-being, welfare, friendship, agreement, success and prosperity."
In the New Testament, the Greek word eirene [i-ray-nay] and its derivatives express the idea of peace. Thayer defines this word as "1. a state of national tranquility; exemption from the rage and havoc of war... 2. peace between individuals, i.e., harmony, concord... 3. after the Hebrew SHALOM, security, safety, prosperity... 4. spec. the Messiah’s peace... 5. acc. to a conception distinctly peculiar to Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is... 6. the blessed state of devout and upright men after death."
Bauer says eirene refers to "1. peace a. lit. b. fig. peace, harmony c. order; 2. corresp. to Hebrew Shalom, welfare, health... in a farewell greeting ... A new and characteristic development is the combination of the Greek epistolary greeting charein with a Hebrew expression in the Pauline and post-Pauline letters: ’grace and peace’; 3. Since, according to the prophets, peace will be an essential characteristic of the messianic kingdom. Christian thought also frequently regards peace as nearly synonymous with messianic salvation."
In conclusion, "the Biblical concept of ’peace’ is total and profound. It touches on our relationship with God, with our inner self, with other believers, and with the world at large. Biblically, peace is no mere absence of strife but the active experience of a harmony that promotes total well-being. Peace is always the product of God’s active involvement in our lives, and God’s intervention is essential, for sin has so marred individuals and society that strife is our constant companion. Only god’s saving work can bring us an experience of his peace."
We have already seen that the peace of which Jesus speaks has a different source than the world’s. But there is another element that is vastly different. The world’s peace is caused by created things and the manipulations of carnal beings. History proves that the restless strivings of men for the peaceful promise of power, wealth and fame instead leaves them with care, anxiety and remorse. God has not given created things the power to give peace. The result is that once someone attains these things, the endless cycle to achieve their desired peace will only begin again.
False religions, philosophies of men and even close friendships cannot assuage this hunger. These can do nothing to alter the cause of the anxious restlessness born of a guilty conscience or enmity between them and God. These can claim to give peace, but what can they do about the problem of sin and a relationship with God? Can any of these reconcile a person to God and give him a new nature?
Can these give a person the security that comes with knowing his life is in the hands of the Almighty Sovereign Creator of all things, whose attentiveness is so great that He notices a sparrow’s falling? Can they give a full vision of the great and glorious purpose God is working out? Can they give lasting and complete healing of a person’s bent and twisted mind or diseased body?
The Christian can have the peace that "surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:6-7) because God does all these things and much, much more. We have only scratched the surface of the understanding that under girds the way a Christian perceives this troubled world and his life in it.
The Biblical word "peace" signifies far more than merely the absence of war. It carries the idea of completeness and wholeness. It conveys a sense of inner-satisfaction and fulfillment. It communicates the idea of contentment and serenity. In its fullest sense, it expresses our hope of reconciliation and redemption.
What PEACE must we desire and pursue?
1. Who gives us PEACE? OR Who brings about PEACE? (vs. 13 – 15)
It comes from Jesus who came to bring peace ……..
(i) It was prophesied He would be the "Prince of peace" - Isaiah 9: 6-7
(ii) When He came, He came preaching peace - Acts 10:36
(iii) Indeed, He offers peace...
a. That the world is not able to give - John 14:27
b. That one can possess even in the midst of tribulation – John 16:33
Christians should be the happiest and most well adjusted people in the world. We may face difficult problems, but the peace of God enables us to maintain a proper balance. Peace is not the absence of conflict in life, but the ability to cope with it. The old gospel song, "It Is Well With My Soul," beautifully expresses this sentiment: "When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul." Through Christ, we can overcome any adversity; we can rejoice even in the face of hardship. As someone once said, "Peace doth not dwell in outward things, but within the soul; we may preserve it in the midst of the bitterest pain, if our will remain firm and submissive. Peace in this life springs from acquiescence, not in an exemption from suffering." The peace that Christ affords is qualitatively different from that which the world can give (John 14:27; 16:33).
Christ also produces peace with others. It creates a harmonious relationship among believers, and also yields relative harmony with the non-Christian world around us. In one sense, Jesus came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34-36). This describes the struggle between righteousness and evil. It reflects that division that inevitably occurs between those who seek to please God and those who rebel against heaven’s will. At times we will experience conflict with the world, yet as a rule, obedience to the Lord will improve all our relationships (Proverbs 16:7). Thus Christians are admonished to live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18). If the gospel of Christ could break down the wall of hatred that existed between Jew and Gentile, it can resolve whatever difficulties exist between brethren, if we will only follow the Biblical pattern (Ephesians 2:13-17).
[When one is in Christ Jesus, enjoying the blessings of justification, along with reconciliation with both God and man, peace is a natural by-product. But is there anything we can and should be doing to preserve the peace we have from God in Christ Jesus? Indeed there is...]
2. What kind of PEACE does Christ offer? (vs. 14 – 16)
(a) Methodology:- Having broken down, or ended, the law of Moses which built up a wall between the Jews and Gentiles. Hence there was a twofold wall of partition, one the inner wall, severing the Jewish people from entrance to the holy part of the temple where the priests officiated, the other the outer wall, separating the Gentile proselytes from access to the court of the Jews (compare Eze_44:7; Act_21:28). Thus this twofold wall represented the Sinaitic law, which both severed all men, even the Jews, from access to God (through sin, which is the violation of the law), and also separated the Gentiles from the Jews. As the term “wall” implies the strength of the partition, so “fence” implies that it was easily removed by God when the due time came. While he was in the flesh the law condemned him and nailed him to the cross. In so doing it destroyed itself. The old covenant ended at the cross, when the new covenant was dedicated by the blood of Christ.
(b) Purpose:- Hence, the law, the wall between Jew and Gentile, "the enmity," was taken away. Thus, the difference between Jew and Gentile being destroyed, both are made in the church one new race, "a royal priesthood, a chosen nation, a peculiar people," at peace among themselves. First, the cross makes peace between Jew and Gentile; and second, the blood of the cross cleanses both before God, and makes peace between them and God. Not only of Jew for Gentile, but of the sinner for God. When the sinner once fixes his mind on the bleeding Savior, the "goodness of God leads him to repentance."
Illustration: A young man applied for a job as a farm hand. When asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows." This puzzled the farmer, but he took a liking to the young man and hired him. A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm. They quickly began to check things out to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace. The farm implements had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements. The tractor had been moved into the garage. The barn had been properly locked. All was well. Even the animals were calm. It was then that the farmer grasped the meaning of the young man’s words, "I can sleep when the wind blows." Because the farm hand had performed his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm when it broke. Consequently, when the wind blew, he had no fear. He was able to sleep in peace.
3. What is available to us through this PEACE process? (vs. 17 – 18)
Jesus Christ made peace by the sacrifice of himself; in every sense Christ was their Peace, the author, centre, and substance of their being at peace with God, and of their union with the Jewish believers in one church. Through the person, sacrifice, and mediation of Christ, sinners are allowed to draw near to God as a Father, and are brought with acceptance into his presence, with their worship and services, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, as one with the Father and the Son. Christ purchased leave for us to come to God; and the Spirit gives a heart to come, and strength to come, and then grace to serve God acceptably.
The Peace Jesus brings involves ~
(i) Peace with God - Ro 5:1-11
a. Which comes when we are "justified by faith" - Ro 5:1
b. Which is accompanied with rejoicing and love, even in tribulation - Ro 5:2-5
c. Which is made possible by the loving sacrifice of Jesus’ blood - Ro 5:6-9
d. And continues by virtue of His resurrected life - Ro 5: 10-11; e.g., He 7:25
(ii) Peace with man - Ep 2:11-22
a. Jew and Gentile, once alienated from one another, can be at peace in Jesus Christ - Ep 2:11-14
b. Made possible through the same act which makes peace with God: the death of Jesus Christ! - Ep 2:15-16
c. Thus Jesus has come preaching peace to all mankind - Ep 2: 17
d. The wonders of this peace are described as Paul continues...
• A peace that allows access by one Spirit to the Father - Ep 2:18
• A peace where all can be fellow-citizens with the saints - Ep 2:19a
• A peace where all can be members of the family of God - Ep 2:19b
• A peace where all can be a temple in the Lord, a habitation of God in the Spirit - Ep 2:20-22
Christ Jesus, we both - Jews and Gentiles, have access by one Spirit - through the influence of the Holy Ghost, unto the Father - God Almighty. This text is a plain proof of the holy Trinity. Jews and Gentiles are to be presented unto God the Father; the Spirit of God works in their hearts, and prepares them for this presentation; and Jesus Christ himself introduces them. No soul can have access to God but by Jesus Christ, and he introduces none but such as receive his Holy Spirit. All who receive that Spirit are equally dear to him; and, whatever their names be among men, they are known in heaven as children of God, and heirs of eternal glory.
Our first priority should be to find peace with God. Those who delight in God’s law are blessed, but sinners experience misery and unhappiness, conflict and chaos, tragedy and heartache. Sin not only severs our relationship with God (Isaiah 59:1-2), it also destroys our chance for real happiness here below (Psalms 1:1-6; Isaiah 57:20-21). Disobedience will bring God’s indignation and wrath down upon our heads, but glory, honor and peace belong to those who keep his commandments (Romans 2:6-11). If we are to avoid temporal misery and eternal condemnation, we must make peace with God and be reconciled unto him. This can only be accomplished on God’s terms: Obedience is the key! Peace is the fruit borne from living in harmony with the will of God (Proverbs 3:13-17; Psalms 37:37; 119:165; Galatians 6:16).
Illustration: I heard a story about a train traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm. The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was deafening and the strong gust winds rocked the train from side to side. When the lightening flashed and lighted up the darkness, the passengers could see the rising water along the tracks. This created terror in the minds of the passengers. Several passengers noted that through all the noise, lightening and wind, one of the passengers, a little girl, seemed to be at perfect peace. The adult passengers couldn’t figure out why the little girl was so calm during all this excitement. Finally, one passenger asked her, “How is that you can be so calm when all the rest of us are so worried about what might or could happen?” The little passenger smiled and said, “My father is the engineer.”
Conclusion: The people of God must actively promote peace (Matthew 5:9; James 3:17-18; 1 Peter 3:10-12). We must strive to live in harmony and concord (Psalms 133:1; 2 Corinthians 13:11). We must seek to maintain Christian unity (Ephesians 4:1-3). This not only means that we should avoid strife and discord, we should also put positive effort into building up the body of Christ (Romans 14:19). The importance of this matter cannot be overstated: without this disposition, no man will see God (Hebrews 12:14).
As Peace is one of the characters of the Fruit of the Spirit and in order for a believer to manifest this has to under go the process of pruning so that you can bear more of this fruit. Do not be discouraged but keep pressing on no matter what you go through. Peace is through Christ alone. Do we have it?
