“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” – Philippians 4:7
Our world has become so violent. Jesus said, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). It seems love is being squeezed out, pushed out, shoved and stomped out of this lost world. Young women, children, seniors, anyone traveling alone or in a group smaller than a gang of attackers, no one is safe in public places or places once thought to be safe. People would rather take pics with their phones of victims being murdered than intervene on their behalf. We see the gruesome gore of assassins murdering a young man, a husband, a daddy, a brave and brilliant national treasure, and a good portion of the country rejoices over it, justifies it, and mocks those who would grieve deeply because of it. Yes love doesn’t exist in hearts that are ice cold. It’s disturbing. It causes us to wonder, “What would my fate be in such a situation? Would I survive? What about my loved ones; would they be rescued, helped? Such thoughts produce anxiety as well as angst. It all makes life very anxious. It forces us to live in constant fear. We are enslaved to thoughts of being a victim simply because of “fate,’ or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. To all of it we shout to no one in particular, “I need peace!”
Churches targeted, schools attacked, peace and precious lives lost, Political combat, ideological combat, religious combat, peace of mind lost. Persecutions of Christians on multiple continents, unending wars, and the threat of more. Personal problems compound our personal lack of peace. Pile it all on and people are crying more and more for, “Peace and Safety!” If they only knew such cries were the prophetic sign that “sudden destruction comes upon them” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Where can we turn for true peace? Is there a peace to be had and experienced now, before the end arrives?
It’s important to look in the right place if we are to find a sound significant lasting deep peace to sustain us through the stormy waters of life. The LORD through the prophet Jeremiah indicted His people and their false prophets saying, “They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). On the other hand, Corrie Ten Boom, a holocaust survivor used to say, “If you ook at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you ook within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God you’ll be at rest.” There is a peace to be experienced even in the midst of their greatest turmoil if we look in the right place. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:3-4). Yes, there is peace to be experienced even in the midst of this world’s pressures.
I invite you to consider Someone whose title is “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This Someone is Jesus. He told His followers, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). There is a peace that no therapy, ideology, or religion can provide. There is a peace that surpasses understanding. That peace is found in a Person, Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). Jesus invites us to experience the peace that comes with His eternal life. “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
Our lack of peace in life is not a mere consequence of our environment; it is a symptom of a deeper problem called sin. Sin is that inclination to rebel against God, to ignore Hiim, to disregard Him, to live separate from His, our Creator (Isaiah 59:1-2). We are born in sin (Psalm 51:5). And this inherent sinfulness works disruption and death in us as long as we live in it. So we live and come to the end of ourselves. We carry on and try to cope. We seek peace through understanding and achievement and things. But those are roads which all end at the same place, a dead end, and a lament, “Where can I find peace? I need peace!”
“But God. . ..” There is only one place to find peace. There is only one Person who can provide us the peace we need to make this life bearable. The Bible opens the door to a life of peace with the words:
Ephesians 2:4–10 (NKJV) – 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Because of Who God is, a Being “rich in mercy,” and great in love, and One who patiently waits for us to come to the end of our journey of self-reliance. At our lowest point, when we realize, by His grace that, “’There is no peace,’ says the LORD, ‘for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22), God steps in, reaches down to us, and offers a helping hand and solution to our sin problem. As a gift of his grace, complete with all His “exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus,” He provides forgiveness for our sins, a reconciled relationship with Him, and salvation from the life of agitation and upheaval. All of this he offers to us freely. There’s no place for us to take credit or to boast. All we can do is receive it by faith. When we put faith in Jesus, we experience and understand the meaning of “salvation.” When we trust Jesus as Savior, we present our lives to Him to create a beautiful poem of peace.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is described as, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). When a person accepts Jesus as their Savior they cross a line that moves them from being at war with God to being at peace with God. “Peace” (Greek eirene) means quietness, cessation of conflict, set at one again, whole. Peace is an awareness of rightness. Sin disrupts the peace we were created to have in a relationship with God. The peace of the Gospel restores this relationship. In sin we are at war with God. Salvation through faith in Jesus ends that war. Peace is the stability that comes from being what you were originally created to be. We were created to enjoy fellowship with God. Sin separated us from that holy purpose. The justification or position of being rendered just-as-if-I’d-never-sinned that comes through faith in Jesus, restores our lost relationship with God. We have peace with God through faith in Jesus.
This passage then continues to say:
Romans 5:1–5 (NKJV) – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
When we put our faith in Jesus our war with God ends, but does the rest of this passage follow for us? Do we rejoice in hope of the glory of God”? Do we “glory in tribulations,” even if we are told trying circumstances build “perseverance” in us? Do we rejoice in God’s character building and hope producing experiences of life? Do we experience a hope that doesn’t disappoint, a hope based on the love of God poured into our heart? Do we as Christians experience that too?
Being at peace with God is a wonderful thing. Knowing you will spend eternity at peace with God is a stupendous thing. This alone would be sufficient to answer the absence of peace in this lost world. But there is something that some “Christians,” those who have trusted Jesus as their Redeemer and Savior still miss out on? Some Christians experience with God through faith in Jesus but fail to experience the practical PEACE OF GOD. There are some who have experienced salvation from their sins but still search for peace. There are some Christians for whom God’s peace remains just beyond their reach. How can this be?
It is possible for a Christian to experience peace with God but be missing the peace of God? It’s true; there are many born again believers who are wracked with anxiety and worry and lack Gods peace. Many Christians have peace with God but miss the peace of God. In Romans 5 the Apostle Paul uses phrases like “and not only that” (5:3), and “much more” (5:9.10.15, 17, 20) to show that God’s grace is limitless and inexhaustible. Just when we think God’s grace can’t get any better, He exceeds our expectations and understanding to bless us all the more (Ephesians 3:20-21). That’s the way God is, He just can’t stop loving us! He just can’t stop giving to us! Let me share one way God goes beyond our expectations.
It is one thing to have peace with God; it is another thing to have the peace of God. Not only does God provide peace with Him, but He also provides His peace to help us live in this life. The peace of God is that steadying force, that inner sense that God is in control no matter what. The peace of God is that settling effect that guards the believer’s heart from being overwhelmed as they trust hopefully in God to be faithful in all of life. How can we receive the peace of God? There are two practical steps to experiencing the peace of God.
First, the peace of God is received as we commit all things to Him in prayer. Paul speaks of this to the Philippians when he is inspired to write:
Philippians 4:6-9 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
The peace of God can permeate the believer to the depths of their being and take up residence in the mind and heart. By prayer in all things, we declare our dependence upon God who comes to us in our time of need to guard and quiet our anxieties and fears. Fear is the foe of faith and is overcome by prayerfully putting faith in God. In prayer we can literally cast our cares upon the Lord; we can throw off our worries; we can ax our anxieties (1 Peter 5:6-7). Then we rest in the peace of God trusting the Lord to be in control. All this is done by an act of faith. Just as we received forgiveness for our sins and the war with God was ended through faith in Jesus, in the same way, by faith in Jesus, we release our anxiety producers of life to Him. When we do that, His peace, that surpasses understanding, washes over us, and guards our heart.
The way we think has a significant effect on whether we experience the peace of God. The Apostle Paul was inspired to write:
Philippians 4:8–9 (NKJV) – 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Here are some very practical instructions. But it can be a battle sometimes. Elsewhere the Bible exhorts us to:
2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (NKJV) – 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
This is a call to take control of our thought life. It’s not something done in mere human strength or self-discipline, i.e., “the flesh.” It is something we do through the weapons God provides that are “mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,” of entrenched thoughts the devil keeps digging up to use against us. The battle is against counter arguments of the devil and our own carnal minds that seek to cause us to doubt God’s word and promises. These are thoughts that tempt and cajole us into thinking “You can’t obey Jesus.” These are thoughts that in the power of the Holy Spirit we punish like and discipline until our obedience to Jesus and His word mature.
How can this be done? How is it possible to govern our mind and thoughts? Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15 and 21). Genuine love of Jesus is by nature, obedient. Such love is not something we achieve as much as it is something we receive by faith. It is our hope received by faith in Jesus. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). This is a product of the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
Paul tells us if we meditate on the pure, true, noble, just, lovely, good report and praiseworthy things it will facilitate God’s peace being poured out in our lives. He then says if you “do” the things you learned, received, and heard and saw in him “the peace of God will be with you.” Put God’s word into practice friend, and God’s peace will be with you! If you want the peace of God there is no substitute or alternative to saturating yourself with God’s word.
Second, the peace of God is fueled by the word of God, worship, and Christlike doing. Paul was inspired to write to the Colossian church:
Colossians 3:15-17 – “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Paul says, “Let.” This is an exhortation that implies God wants to give you His peace. All we need do is let Him give it to us. The peace of God is from Him and received by faith. Paul tells us to let God’s peace rule our hearts and be thankful for it. That means we let God’s peace be our referee to determine the way we ought to think and feel and live in life.
The word of God fuels the peace of God in us because the word of God testifies to the faithfulness and provision of God. The word of God also guides us so that when we cast off our cares it does not lead to irresponsibility. One of the best ways to counter anxiety and fear is to consume the word of God; read it, meditate on it, and study it prayerfully. Paul points us to the psalms in particular. I always find Psalms comforting to read during times of trials or difficulties.
In Colossians 3:16 Paul also points us to worship as a means of bringing the peace of God into our lives. If you’re having a tough time of it, worship the Lord. Turn off the TV and turn on the praise and worship. Worship in the Spirit and the peace of God will come upon you and settle your heart and mind.
And lastly, we should do all that we do “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” That means we do all that we do in the power of Christ and in a Christ-like way. When we do things in His strength, His way, we have no reason to regret, and the peace of God is unleashed in our lives. Do your best and trust him with the rest and God’s peace will be released in your life.
God doesn’t only provide the opportunity to have peace with Him, but “much more,” He provides His peace to help us through life now. Charles Ryrie, in his book So Great Salvation, tells a story of a Father and child that illustrates the practical nature of peace with God.
The 3-year-old felt secure in his father’s arms as Dad stood in the middle of the pool. But Dad, for fun, began walking slowly toward the deep end, gently chanting, “Deeper and deeper and deeper,” as the water rose higher and higher on the child. The lad’s face registered increasing degrees of panic, as he held all the more tightly to his father, who, of course, easily touched the bottom. Had the little boy been able to analyze his situation, he’d have realized there was no reason for increased anxiety. The water’s depth in ANY part of the pool was over his head. Even in the shallowest part, had he not been held up, he’d have drowned. His safety anywhere in that pool depended on Dad. At various points in our lives, all of us feel we’re getting “out of our depth” — problems abound, a job is lost, someone dies. Our temptation is to panic, for we feel we’ve lost control. Yet, as with the child in the pool, the truth is we’ve never been in control over the most valuable things of life. We’ve always been held up by the grace of God, our Father, and that does not change. God is never out of his depth, and therefore we’re safe when we’re “going deeper” than we’ve ever been. [1]
When we come to rest by faith in Christ, in the peace of God, we rest in His arms. When we’re in the loving arms of Jesus, it doesn’t matter how high the flood rises or how hard the wind blows, we are safe in Him. Resting in His arms, we should fear nothing in this life. By faith we receive peace with God; by faith we receive the peace of God; and then no matter what happens in life, God holds us, and we get through. Keep the peace and pray, Lord, please make me what I need to be, to do what You call me to do, for Your glory, until Jesus returns. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
[1] Charles Ryrie, So Great Salvation, Victor Books, 1989, p. 137ff.