Text- John 14:27 – "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.”
We see time and time again in the Bible after the resurrection of Jesus that He said to the disciples, “Peace be unto you”. There was almost never a time He appeared to them that He didn’t bless them saying. “Peace be unto you”.
If I ask you what you felt at the point when they gave their lif to Christ, you are likely to say something like “I just felt peace!”
Jesus himself said in the gospels, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)… Evidently, one of the prime packages of salvation is Peace.
There are three dimensions of peace that Christ offers to us:
1. Peace with God
Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. One of the first things we must understand about salvation is that it was an act of reconciliation. God reconciled us unto Himself, and so we have (or as it were, we are at) peace with Him.
By taking away our sins and acquitting us of the guilt of sin; Jesus paved way for peace with God. That you are at peace with God means that God is not your enemy. It means you are not “a sinner in the hands of an angry God” like a preacher once said. You are a son in the house of a loving Father… Rejoice! You have peace with God.
2. Peace from God
Romans 1:7 says, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” We see here, the second dimension of peace that we experience in Christ – Peace from God.
Peace from God is a state of mind that is never perturbed. A state of mind that comes from faith and trust in God, knowing fully well that all things are working together for your good, because you belong to God. This is the kind of peace that Psalm 91 (v 5-6) was talking about when it says “You shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day; Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.”
3. Peace of God
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
This is the kind of peace that we inherit as joint heirs with Christ; it is the kind of peace that is seen only at the God-level; the kind of peace that passes all understanding… It is the kind of peace that you have even when everything is upside-down. Even you can’t explain why; you just know you’re not bothered, and sometimes it seems weird even to you!
You must have these three dimensions of peace fully functional in your life as a believer. Don’t let the devil rob you of any. Shalom! – Nothing missing, nothing broken in Jesus Name.
PRAYERS
1. I have peace with God. Lord, help me to live in that reality every day in Jesus Name.
2. I have peace from God. All things are working for my good; I shall not be afraid.
3. I have the peace of God. Nothing missing; nothing broken in my life in Jesus Name.
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