The best people to ask that question to, are your family and co-workers. Stress and worry and fear are the opposites of peace. If any of the above are dominating your life, then you are not living in peace.
Believe it or not, the one thing people want more than money or fame is peace. Recently, a very wealthy and popular movie star tried and failed to commit suicide. Suicide among rich and powerful people is not all that uncommon.
Jesus taught constantly about peace. One of His names is the Prince of Peace. When the angels announced the entrance of Jesus into the world, they spoke on behalf of God, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.” If you ever wonder what the will of the Father is, remember this pronouncement of covenant between God and man; which has now been guaranteed by the blood of Jesus. To receive peace, all we need do is accept Jesus.
(Luke 2:14, John 3:16, Romans 10:9&10, and Ephesians 2:8&9)
Jesus left His Exalted position in heaven to bring peace to the earth, through His sacrificial atonement, once for all. (Hebrews 9:28)
In this life, we will surely face trouble and problems. Yet, as new covenant Christians we have been charged with living by faith. Speaking of the Gospel of Jesus, Paul wrote: “For therein is revealed the righteousness (what we need to do, in order to walk in right standing with God) of God revealed from faith, (living in this present moment with joyful expectation of the things we can not see: Hebrews 11:1) to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
Faith and Peace are equal partners. It is impossible to have one without the other. Peace is critical to our relationship with God. Peace is evidence of faith. I believe that peace is produced by the three parts of the substance known as faith. To live by faith means to make a decision to employ the elements of faith:
(1.)Now. Living in this present moment. Now is where God has deposited the treasure of Peace. When we make Now our address, we choose to live in God’s world. Yes, we must plan for the future and learn to make positives from the negatives of the past. Try to think of it like this: You live in your home, but you drive to work. When you are at your work, you live there. You may go out for lunch or sales trips but you work at your place of work even if you are a door to door sales person. You don’t work in Kansas if your appointment is in California. So it is with living in this present moment. We can and must make excursions like going to the grocery store. But peace is found in our home, this present moment.
That is why in Matthew 6:34, Jesus instructed us not to worry about tomorrow. And is Ecclesiastes 3:16 Solomon taught us that only this present moment exists in God’s world
(2.) Hope (with joyful expectation). Living with joyful expectation is another decision or choice that we make. This is how faith overcomes circumstances. Yes, we face challenges and problems in this world, but joyful expectation empowers us to live through them and overcome them.
(3.) Of things not seen. Having joyful expectation of the things that God promised, yet we can not see; is the meat of how we are to live. Paul taught us that God created the seen from the unseen. Even though, he could not possibly have know what he was talking about. Today, we know that all things are made from unseen atoms and molecules. Yet, we must train our minds through practice to believe what we can not see. Paul said it best: “While we look not at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen: for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen, are eternal.”
(Corinthians 4:18)
These are the elements of faith. “Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1)
When we choose to live by faith, we will find peace. Easier said than done. I have coached many people in living by faith, including myself. They all report the same thing. It is not easy. It certainly is not. We have several detractors from living by faith and subsequently in peace: our flesh mainly in the form of overvalued human intellect, our own poor decisions often caused by not seeking God before acting, unbelief, the free will of others, circumstances out of our control, and the powers of darkness.
Regardless of how powerful these forces are, living in peace requires us to consciously resist them, and choose to live as described above, by faith.
Peace however can not be earned. It is a free gift from God. We do not get peace by being good, because “none are good”.
Here is what Jesus said about peace:
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. Not as the world gives, I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
(John 14:27)
“These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world”.
(John 16:33)
God the Father spoke to Isaiah the Prophet and showed him who Jesus is. This is the report of Isaiah describing Jesus: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be the Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty god, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6)
In times of stress, when tribulation comes, when things look impossible in the natural, when the evil one is roaring and my flesh is weak, I find great peace in this promise from Jesus:
“Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: AND LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE WORLD. Amen”
Here is another scripture that gives me great peace, especially in times of trouble: “For wherever two or more of you are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”
(Matthew 18:19)
God has promised to never leave us or forsake us.(Hebrews 13:5). Jesus has promised us with a blood covenant that wherever two or more of us are gathered in His name, that He will be with us. Jesus also promised us that He is with us always even unto the end of the world.
Paul taught us saying this: “For the kingdom of God is not meat or drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that serves Jesus in these things is acceptable to God and approved of men.”
(Romans 14:17&18)
As a matter of fact, Paul opened almost all of his letters with a blessing of peace to the reader. Here is my favorite teaching from Paul regarding peace and I pray it for you right now:
“Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Jesus.”
Peace to you,
Pastor Allen
www.throneofgraceministries.com
