“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
I hear people talk about how Christ came to bring peace on earth. Please don't misunderstand me, because I don't believe that Jesus ever failed, but if that was the case He failed. In fact, He told us that we would hear of wars and rumors of wars until He comes again. He even declared at one point that He did not come to bring peace but a sword. What He meant was that people would have to make a choice about who they were going to obey - Jesus or someone, or something, else. But Jesus did come to bring peace to people. He came, lived a perfect life, was crucified, arose and ascended in order for us to have peace in our hearts. John 15:27 gives one of the greatest promises of peace from Jesus. Jesus told His disciples, and us: “My peace I give unto you.” Remember, the peace of Jesus is the peace of God. We personally have God’s peace, we just need to claim it. How can we claim it? Philippians 4:6-7 illustrates this for us: "Be careful for nothing ("do not be anxious about anything"), but in everything 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." Now, this is the peace that the New Testament is all about. It is peace that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and from a prayer relationship with Him. Paul simply declared that if we want peace, we just need to pray. He didn't mean that we should utter a few words in the direction of Jesus, but to really get in touch with Him personally. In James 5:16b James wrote that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” This was in reference to healing, but it would certainly be true of a prayer for peace as well. If we want the peace that Jesus gives, we really need to touch His throne with great fervor. I’m referring here to prayer that comes from a heart that really craves His peace. Jesus is the "Prince of Peace" because He offers great personal peace to us in our daily relationship with Him. People who don't have that relationship will not have that peace. Jesus said, "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 14:27) He also promised: "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) It is true that we will have trouble in this life, and this is as true of Christians as it is of anyone else. Do you remember Lynn Anderson’s song: “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden”? Please notice that Jesus promised us his peace in the midst of trouble, not a trouble-free life. Often we think that our troubles are because of something bad that we have done. That could be true, because our sins can cause us problems, but we will inevitably confront troubles in this life because we live in a fallen world. Adam and Eve gave up “paradise on earth” for us when they sinned. We can’t go back to Eden, but we can run to Jesus and have peace in spite of the troubles that we encounter. Whatever your troubles are right now do not have to defeat you unless you want them to. You have the promise of personal peace planted deeply in your heart from Jesus. Do you realize that from the texts used here and the things that I have written that Jesus really wants to give you His peace? It is true, and you can have His peace at this very moment. How? Go back to the second paragraph and read Philippians 4:6-7. That is your ticket to Christ’s peace – get your ticket punched. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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