Romans 1:7God starts every church epistle reminding us of the grace and peace that is ours from Him. God wants us to know that this is His will for us. People many times are wondering what is God’s will for them. One of the things that is God’s will for us is to be at peace with Him.
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.
The definition for peace from various lexicons includes the following: inner rest and harmony, a state of reconciliation with God, security, safety, prosperity (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous), the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ.
Webster’s dictionary defines peace as: a state of quiet or tranquility, freedom from mental agitation or disturbance (as from fear, terror, anger, anxiety, or the like), calmness, quiet of conscience, harmony, concord, a state of reconciliation between parties at variance, spiritual calm or repose.
Romans 5:1We were justified by faith at the time we were born again of God’s spirit. Therefore, what God is saying in His Word is that one of the results of being born again is that we have peace with Him. If the new birth gives us peace with God then only the loss of the new birth could take away our peace with God. So, we cannot loose the peace we have with God because the new birth is eternal life.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Ephesians 2:13-17Our being justified by faith, which occurred when we were born again, is because of what Jesus Christ did for us. Our peace with God starts with knowing what Jesus Christ accomplished for us. Jesus Christ is our peace. Jesus Christ abolished; he destroyed what was keeping us from God. And not only did Jesus Christ make peace available, he also preached peace. He wanted to make sure people knew what was available and encourage people to enjoy what he worked so hard to make available.
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
John 14:25-27Not only did Jesus Christ preach peace, but also God has given us the holy spirit to continue to remind us of what Jesus Christ made available and preached unto us. If we are not aware of the peace we have with God, it is not because God has not told us.
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33aJesus Christ did his best to let people know what they needed to know in order to have peace. And Jesus Christ always did the Father’s will. So it is God’s will that we know what we need to know in order to have peace. God is not hiding His grace and peace from us. God has made peace with Him available to us and He is doing everything He can to inform us of that peace we have with Him. Jesus Christ preached peace, the peace of God is written in the Word, God gave us the holy spirit to remind us of what God has done for us, which includes peace with Him.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
Isaiah 26:3The key to seeing the peace of God as a reality in our lives is to know and think about the things of God. God has told us what we need to know to have peace. We need to stay our minds on those things and trust in God. The promise of God is that if we do this we will have perfect peace.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Romans 10:15bGod wants us to join in the preaching of the peace of God. He wants us to help spread the Word, those things that God has told us that will give us peace if we believe them. God says that those that preach peace are beautiful to be walking around. Not too many of us refuse someone walking up to us who is preaching peace and telling us about good things that delight us. God has made peace available to us and He wants us to know it and believe. He wants us to know and He also wants us to go tell others.
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 14:17The kingdom of God is not in the things money can buy, but in the things the new birth gives us – righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy spirit. You cannot earn the peace of God but you can learn about it and enjoy it.
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Romans 15:13aOur God is a God of peace. God has called us to peace. We are at peace with God. If we will just believe God and live according to God’s Word we will have peace in our lives.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
Romans 15:33God is a God of peace. If I do not have peace in my life, then I must have walked away from God and quit believing Him or else I have been wrongly taught. What steals my peace and keeps me from the peace of God is anything that leads me away from God and His rightly divided word. When I am unpeaceful, the first place I look is how much time have I been spending in God’s word. I ask myself, “have I been reminding myself of what Jesus Christ accomplished for me? Have I been getting God’s word taught to me or just man’s opinions?” Unpeacefulness may be an indication of a wrong diet or lack of nourishment from God’s word.
Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.Romans 16:20a
And the God of peace…
Psalm 119:165The word “offend” in this verse can be understood as to cause to stumble. When we know God’s Word and love God’s Word, nothing shall cause us to stumble from God’s Word. Our peace with God will be sure because we know what God’s Word says, we know what Jesus Christ did for us, we know what Jesus Christ preached, we know of what the holy spirit is bringing us into remembrance.
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Psalm 37:37Observe the man who is morally and ethically pure according to God’s Word and consider the man who is doing what is right according to God’s Word and you will see a man who is at peace with God. Not because of what they do but because they know and believe what God accomplished through Jesus Christ.
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
There is a practical side to peace which involves keeping the peace, the way of peace, living in peace, letting the peace of God rule, following peace, seeking peace, making peace, etc. But you cannot practically apply peace in your life until you know where peace comes from. And peace does not come from the world or worldly ways but from God through Jesus Christ. You cannot earn the peace of God but you sure can enjoy it – because we are sons of God.
The following is a great blessing of God that was given to Moses, who was to give it to the priests, so that they could bless Israel.
Numbers 6:22-27Part of God’s blessing to the children of Israel was that the Lord give them peace. Could God’s blessings to His sons by birth be any less? NO. God has given us His Word, God has given us Jesus Christ, God has given us the holy spirit and God has given us preachers to tell us and remind us of the things of God which make for peace. We need only to stay our minds on those things and believe them. And when we do, we will have perfect and great peace, and the end of our ways will be peace.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.