The Peace of God

Introduction

1. Jesus displayed remarkable peace in the face of imminent and certain betrayal, pain, and death. Jn 16:28-33

a. Jesus was not immune to the stress and strain of His coming trials. (cf. Mt. 26:36-46)

b. Jesus’ peace is evident in His courageous action in spite of fear, not in the absence of fear and struggles.

2. Jesus’ peace was a byproduct of His relationship with the Father. (cf. Jn. 16:32)

3. He offered His disciples the hope of having such peace in Him, even in the midst of trouble. (cf. Jn. 16:33)

4. God’s way is the way of peace; this peace of and in our Savior is an integral part of our spiritual life.

a. Jesus came and preached a message of peace. (cf. Ac. 10:36; Eph. 2:17)

b. The gospel is a declaration of potential peace. (cf. Ro. 10:15; Eph. 6:15)

c. Peace is an essential characteristic of the kingdom of God. (cf. Ro. 14:17)

d. We find peace through cultivating a spiritual mindset and believing in the Lord. Ro. 8:6; 15:13

5. What is this peace that is so associated with the Savior and saints in the scriptures?

a. Peace can exist in three aspects: Objective (with God), Subjective (with self), and Relational (with men).

b. This study will focus on the first two (Obj. & Subj.) of the areas impacted by God’s peace in our lives.

I.      Objective: Peace with God

A.          Defined

1.   Peace with God refers to our relationship with God.

a)       As sinners, we are objects of God’s wrath and subject to punishment. Ro. 1:18; 1Pe. 3:12

b)       To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God. Ja. 4:4; 1Jn. 2:15-16; 5:19

2.   Christ, however, has made it possible for there to be peace between God and men. Ro. 5:1-8

a)       He took the punishment for our sins and gave His life for our crimes. (cf. Isa. 53)

b)       Jesus’ mission in coming to earth was to make peace with God possible. (cf. Lk. 19:10)

B.          How Obtained

1.   There can be no peace either with God with ourselves while we remain in sin. Is. 48:22

a)       As sinners, we are God’s enemies; He is more powerful than us -- we must plead for mercy.

b)       We must acknowledge and abandon our sinful habits to escape destruction. Pr. 28:13

2.   True peace, in every sense, is available through Jesus and only through Him. Is. 53:4-5

a)       His punishment at Calvary was for us; His chastisement was the price of our peace.

b)       Peace with God was purchased at the cross when Jesus paid our debt to make us righteous.

3.   This gift of God’s mercy is available to all men, but only believers will receive it. Jn. 8:24

a)       We are saved by grace through faith, but our faith must lead us to obey God. He. 5:8-9

b)       Faith translates into forgiveness by God’s power in the waters of baptism. Co. 2:11-12

II.    Subjective: Peace with Ourselves

A.          Defined

1.   When we are at peace with God, we should also be at peace within ourselves.

a)       This is not to say that the Christian will never struggle with depression or discouragement.

(1)    Discouragement is one of Satan’s most effective tools in neutralizing the Christian.

(2)    He wants us to see ourselves as a failure and think that we cannot do any better.

b)       But the Christian is equipped to deal with such struggles in a way that unbelievers are not.

2.   Jesus offers us His peace that can soothe our inward struggles and fear. Jn. 14:27

a)       This peace is to rule in our hearts; it is to have control and reign over our emotions. Co. 3:15

b)       Every time Satan tries to discourage or defeat us within, this peace arms us to defeat him.

B.          How Obtained

1.   Inner peace is a direct result of God’s word working within our life. Ps. 119:165

a)       The scriptures are a source of comfort and hope for the servant of God. Ps. 119:49-52

b)       The scriptures can preserve and sustain us in times of trial. Ps. 119:92-93

2.   To obtain these benefits from God’s word we need to meditate constantly upon it. Ps. 119:15-16

a)       The best way to facilitate meditation is by means of memorization. Ps. 119:11

b)       To meditate constantly on the word of God, we must have its words planted in our hearts.

3.   We will find inner peace when our hearts are fully set upon God. Is. 26:3

a)       Peter found the courage to walk on water while looking intently at Jesus. (cf. Mt. 14:28-31)

b)       But when we took his eyes off the Lord and looked at the wind, he became afraid.

4.   Worry is the antithesis of inner peace; the two cannot co-exist.

a)       To gain inner peace we must forsake worry and commit ourselves to God. Php. 4:6-7

b)       The pattern of the lives of righteous men provides a blueprint for inner peace. Php. 4:9

III.  Effects of God’s Peace

A.          Calm

1.   When we are at peace with God and ourselves, a sense of calm will pervade our lives. Ps. 4:8

2.   We may experience trouble and heartache in the world, but with God and within there is peace.

B.          Joy

1.   Worry and emotional distress make us slaves to fears, discouragement, and a sense of failure.

2.   The peace that is found in God sets us free to praise God with heartfelt joyful. Ps 63:1-5

C.          Purpose

1.   Jesus was at peace because He knew who He was, why He was there, and where He was going.

2.   The same scriptures that furnish us with peace will also furnish us with purpose in life. Pr. 3:1-6

D.          Strength and Courage

1.   Peace is a result of our trust in God becoming greater than our worries or fears. Ps. 29:11

2.   If God is our source of strength, there is nothing and no one of whom we must be afraid. Ps 27:1

E.          Hope

1.   Our trust in God should produce hope, and hope should produce inner peace. Ps. 42:1-5

2.   Hope inspires us to pursue peace with God that our desire may someday be realized. 2Pe. 3:14

Conclusion

1. Peace with God and peace from God: both are crucial aspects of peace for the Christian.

2. Are you at peace with God, or are you still His enemy because of your sin?

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