Peace
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When speaking of the word “peace” we hear a lot of differing nuances for the meaning of the word:
In the hip vernacular, “Peace” and “Peace Out!”
In the reflective idea, “I’m at peace with my decision,” or “inner peace.”
From a demonstrator’s sign we might read, “Peace Not War!”
From a Christmas Carol, “heavenly peace.”
In Church we might say, “Peace be with you.”
What does the Bible say about peace?
I’m so glad you asked.
In the Old Testament the word is most often is Shalom
New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition 7965 שָׁלוֹם (shalom)
שָׁלוֹם shalom (1022d); from 7999a; completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
Shalom - completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
In the New Testament, especially in the classical Greek the word is primarily used in the negative, denoting absence or end of war.
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament A. The Greek Concept of εἰρήνη.
The basic feature of the Gk. concept of εἰρήνη is that the word does not primarily denote a relationship between several people,1 or an attitude,2 but a state, i.e., “time of peace” or “state of peace,” originally conceived of purely as an interlude in the everlasting state of war.
εἰρήνη - does not primarily denote a relationship between several people, or an attitude, but a state, i.e., “time of peace” or “state of peace,” originally conceived of purely as an interlude in the everlasting state of war.
I don’t think the fact that there is an everlasting war is something that would bring any of us peace, but there is in that statement something we long for.
We all recognize that inside of each one of us is that ongoing battle between the person we would want to be, and the person we know we are. You and I are locked in that battle of saint and sinner, the battle between the holy and the corrupt.
We suffer along with the Apostle Paul in our sinfulness:
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
This is the battle that we find ourselves up against as christians. Still, at Christmas we keep sounding the word Peace, Peace, Peace.
Where does this sense of peace come from? IT comes from Jesus Christ -
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
So what we find in the New Testament is this peace is truly a time of peace, a state of peace and an absence from the eternal war because that battle has already been won by Jesus death on the cross. Sin has been conquered and so has death!
Paul again in one of his epistles, written to the Galatians
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Right there at the beginning of verse 22 are 3 of our 4 topics for Advent. We began last week with hope, this week we have peace, and we will look at joy and love in the coming weeks.
The Holy Spirit, God, our Lord Jesus, the Trinity - changes us. When we are choosing to have that eternal perspective.
I think that may be what causes Christians to have peace more than anything else, the eternal perspective.
Eternal Perspective
Eternal Perspective
Having an eternal perspective can help us to face a myriad of issues in our culture. It really helps to put them into perspective.
Think about it -
That person that cut you out of your parking spot at the mall - what difference does that honestly make in the great scope of eternity.
That grudge that you insist on holding over that neighbor over something that happened weeks, months, or even years ago. Is holding on to your anger really any benefit to anyone?
I look at our news media who continue to show us pundits telling us we’re going to have a constitutional crises - which sounds bad, but they’ve been saying that for almost as long as I can remember, and our country remains.
I listen to our news and how much time they’ve spent lately about how offended some people are over this or that. You know what happens when you get offended?
Not one more is going to get into heaven because you were offended. Not one more is going to get off the streets because there may or may not be a constitutional crisis. Not one less is going to starve to death because we ranted about having to drive a little further for a parking space.
And yet the season continues to have a theme of Peace.
Peace…what peace.
There is no peace to the season if we focus upon the wrong things.
Do You Want Peace?
Do You Want Peace?
Rejoice
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Do You Want Peace?
Do You Want Peace?
Rejoice
Reason
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
Do You Want Peace?
Do You Want Peace?
Rejoice
Reason
Pray and be Thankful
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Now notice I did not focus on what not to do. I find that when I pray - I’m a lot less anxious. It doesn’t mean that I don’t ever worry, I do. I’m still learning this just like you, and yet I know that when I turn those worries over to God, it takes my emotion out of it. I know God has it. Now I can focus on the part that I can do.
And when you’re lifting up these concerns, making them known to God, don’t forget to be thankful! I read once a person thinking of all the things they had to complain about and turning them into things to be thankful for:
tired after a long day at work - that you have job, that your mind and body allow you to work, for the people you encountered that day and had the opportunity to bless.
messy house - that you have a home that’s lived in, that you have stuff.
flat tire - that you have a vehicle that runs most of the time and you don’t even have to think about.
It’s being more optimistic. We can be thankful for so much that we forget that we enjoy.
And then in all of this, there is a promise:
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
There it is, the peace of God, it surpasses all that we can imagine because we can’t understand it. It gives us peace in the midst of the horrendous, in the midst of struggle. Not only do we have the promise of peace, but that peace is doing something...
…it guards both our hearts and our minds in…?
…in Christ Jesus! We are guarded in Christ. Our heart and our mind.
We are in Christ!
WE are IN Christ.
This changes us! It makes us different.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
In the end, it makes us more peaceful people, and you know what? That’s attractive to people.
We don’t have to get riled up about every little thing. We don’t have to get riled about what’s going on around us.
One of the most peaceful people I know I worked with in Young Life. She was an amazing woman, and I’ll admit someone I didn’t appreciate much when I first met her. There was something about her that got on my nerves. I was challenged to pray for her for 5 minutes each day for 30 days. Well, I’m the competitive type so I took on the challenge. My perspective changed. I got to know her because I took time to see her perspective. I didn’t ask, I just began to see how my perspective wasn’t the whole picture.
Now whenever I think of her, I think of peace. In the midst of total chaos this woman had such peace. One of my favorite memories was the school year end barbecue. Some of the leaders had driven up to Crystal mountain and brought back a pickup full of snow. Highschoolers and snow, I’m sure you can imagine what happened - a snow ball fight. And of course it just exploded all around us. There’s my friend calmly smiling as she is flipping burgers on the grill with snowballs flying and ricocheting off the lid of the grill.
I doubt that’s the picture Paul had in mind, but it’s a pretty good one.
PEACE
PEACE
What do you think of when you think of peace?
It is that wholeness as mentioned in the Old Testament. It’s also the lack of war as the New Testament reminds us.
Where do you find peace?
Ultimately it’s in Christ.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Do You Want Peace?
Do You Want Peace?
Rejoice
Reason
Pray and be Thankful
God’s Promise: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”