MIF 18:6 (Nov-Dec 1986)
Perfect Peace
“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
There is very little peace in the social and political world today. But the term PEACE is found over 400 times in the Scriptures and is the legacy to all believers from the God of peace through our Lord Jesus Christ who “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20).
It is because of our sinful nature that we are basically at enmity with God. But the message of the Bible is that we are reconciled to God through Christ. Our hearts are purged from a guilty conscience (Hebrews 10:22) and we can draw near to God in harmony with Him both now and for eternity. The peace which the Lord Jesus promised to His disciples in John 14:27 can be ours when we put our trust in His finished work on Calvary on our behalf.
The writer to the Hebrews tells us to “let brotherly love continue … follow peace with all men” (Hebrews 13:1; 12:14). When the peace of God governs our thoughts and actions toward others, we will share the peace and serenity in our hearts with those around us (Proverbs 16:7). Happiness lies not in getting everything we want, but in letting the peace of God dwell in our hearts to make us content with what we have.
Grace and peace are found together in many of Paul’s epistles and both are the gift of God. We accept both by faith, and the grace which flows to us from God through the Holy Spirit brings us peace.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).