I'm hearing a lot about peace these days. Makes sense I guess that in a world right now where there seems to be nothing but chaos, division, anger, hostility, tension, etc., people really want to FEEL peace. And Eastern Mysticism and other philosophical self help religions promise inner peace through meditation, yoga, or some other formula. But is peace an inner feeling or an emotion? And if it is what happens when we don't "feel" it? Don't get me wrong I have had moments when I have felt absolute peacefulness! But the thing about a feeling or emotion is that it ebbs or flows depending on our circumstances, our atmosphere, or what we do to maintain it.
But is that the peace that God says we have?
The good news is that peace is a FINISHED work!! There is nothing you can do to get it, or get more of it. There is nothing you need to do to maintain it. And there is nothing you can do to lose it! It is independent of your feelings or emotions. You have ALL peace right now! It doesn't ebb and flow, it is constant, secure, and anchored IN Him. Isaiah 9:6 says that Jesus is the prince of peace! The word prince is sar (שַׂר) in Hebrew and means chief, ruler, master, lord, keeper. The root of the word is sarar (שָׂרַר) and means to have dominion. He is the Keeper of peace, it's under His authority and dominion. Peace is His and He gave it to you!
Romans 5:1 says, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
What a beautiful truth..... we have peace with God!! It's ours! Doesn't matter if you feel peace... you have it! Doesn't matter if circumstances are good or bad... you have peace with God! You don't have to follow after religions of mysticism such as Buddhism, New Age, Kabbalah, etc.... you have peace with God! And Paul said we have it through our Lord Jesus Christ! That's it! You don't have it through any other source. He is the prince or keeper of peace and our justification by His faith = we have peace with God!
The word peace is eiréné in Greek and means to join, to be set at one again. In carpentry it is referred to as the dove-tail joint, which is the strongest joint. And the word with is pros in Greek meaning face-to-face. Peace is the unhindered enjoyment of our face-to-face friendship that we have with God IN Christ Jesus!! It is our oneness with Father, Son, and Spirit, IN Christ.
And this peace is a fruit of the Spirit. I like the Mirror Bible's translation of Galatians 5:22.....
Your spirit effortlessly bears the rich harvest of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, integrity, gentleness and self control; all these individually reveal the irresistible attraction of the inner-life of our design. (They are not fading, fragile emotions produced by willpower. This is the fruit of what you know in your spirit to be true about you. Fruit is the effortless, spontaneous expression of the character of the tree. Rest in the awareness and assurance of who you really are!)
I love that. Peace is not a fading, fragile emotion produced by willpower. Peace is the effortless, spontaneous expression of Father, Son, and Spirit IN you. That's good news! That's the gospel of peace!
IT IS FINISHED!!
