March 25, 2007
Morning Service
“Faithful Living in a Barren World: Living a Life of Peace”
Presented By Pastor Tim Pasma
Galatians 5.22
Take your Bibles this morning, and again turn to Galatians, chapter 5. Before we look into God’s Word this morning, let’s ask Him by His Spirit to teach us.
Father, we come to our worship now, where having sung Your praises and heard You in Your Word, now, Father, we pray that You would speak to us again in Your Word. Father, we pray that this would not be time wasted, but that You might turn our attention to Your Word that we might understand. That we might change. That we might be the kind of people that You have described. We know we can be – we know we are, because the Spirit is powerful. More powerful that any sin. More powerful that any character flaw. More powerful even than our personalities. The Spirit is so powerful, He can change us and make us more as described in Your Word. So grant us now an understanding of that change. We pray for Your help in this hour. In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
Every morning, you wake up with a new day, only to be greeted with the rubble, the wreckage, the debris of conflict. By that, I don’t mean that you turn on the TV every day and see the rubble that you see in Baghdad. But when you walk into a new day, you know that the devastation of ruined relationships and the anger and the malice, the hopelessness that results from conflict awaits you.
We live in a world ripped apart by conflict. Husband and wives fighting over whether you turn right or left at the corner. Or even worse, families torn apart by divorce and abuse and all kinds of other things. Labor fights because employers and employees can not agree as to what is fair and fitting. The Town Council argues bitterly over what trees to plant in the town commons. Senators and Congressmen have no problem with ripping apart another’s reputation just to gain power. Neighbors hate each other because of property lines and tree branches and stray dogs. Murder stalks the streets of the city. Nations kill tens of thousands of people, and have forgotten what started the war to begin with. Two people sit on opposite sides of this sanctuary because of a business meeting that happened two years ago.
The universal quest of humanity is for peace. But as the centuries roll on, peace ever slides out of its grasp. But in the midst of this conflict and battle, God has placed His people. And they are to be people of peace.
They are people of peace, because the Holy Spirit has changed them. And by His supernatural power, He gives them peace and creates peace-makers.
Look with me again, if you would, Galatians 5. And again, we’ll look at verses 16 through 26.
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5.16-26)
You detect here that peace is elusive because people are trapped in serving and living according to the flesh. They are enslaved to their desires. They are addicted to self. And thus, you find things like this:
“…hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy..”
Those by people who walk according to the flesh.
However, there’s another group of people – those who live according to the Spirit of God -- and they are characterized by, as we’re going to see today, peace. Believers in whom God the Spirit produces peace.
That being the case – if God has so changed us that we are now the Divine Ambassadors of peace – we’d better understand something about this part of the Spirit’s fruit. We need to know the nature of peace.
Now, if we’re going to do that, we need to first understand the problem. And the problem is this: the universe is out of joint. The universe is out of joint – all creation is at odds with the Creator. Turn to Romans chapter 8. Again, we’re looking at what Paul might mean by “peace.” We’re looking at Scripture, and getting a whole Bible view. And what we need to see is that all of creation is at odds with the Creator. Romans, chapter 8, beginning in verse 18:
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the gory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (v. 18-22)
All of creation labors under the curse of God placed up on it because of sin. It is enslaved to decay. It is at odds with the Creator. And it isn’t accomplishing what the Creator intended when He brought it into being.
This also includes us. As part of that creation, we, too, are at odds with the Creator. Colossians 1.21 says that you were:
“…alienated from God and were enemies in your minds…”
Romans chapter 3, verses 15 through 18, says this about humanity:
“’Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.’
‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”
We are at odds with God, and so peace does not reign between mankind, creation, and God.
People are at odds with creation and with others. Not only is there this vertical relationship of all of creation being out of joint and at odds with God, but we are at odds with creation and other people. Not only are we at odds with God, but we’re at odds with creation. God cursed the earth so that it fights back when we try to exercise rule over it. We are in a constant war against our environment. It fights back.
Not only that, but we are at odds with other human beings. Again, Titus 3 is so instructive to us. People are:
“…foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.”
And they live
“..in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.” (v. 3)
And so, peace eludes us in our relationship to the world, to our environment, and in our relationships with other people.
The universe is out of joint! That’s why there is no peace!
Well, what then is peace? In the word peace – when you hear the word, “Peace”, what do you envision? For most of us, the word “peace” means the absence of conflict. When you think of peace, do you not define it as the absence of pain in the body? The absence of trouble in the mind? The absence of outward conflict? Typically, when we talk about peace, we mean the absence of conflict.
But Paul, who is a Jew, draws on the Bible’s idea of peace. We all know the word “peace” from the Hebrew Scriptures. It’s the word “Shalom”. It’s a greeting. It’s the word “Peace.”
What does the word “shalom” mean? It is not a negative idea – the absence of something. It is a positive idea – the presence of something. To experience peace is to experience completeness. To experience peace is to experience wholeness. It is experiencing harmony. That is, everything functions as God intends it to function. All right?
It isn’t the absence of conflict – it’s the presence of completeness, wholeness, harmony. That is, everything functioning the way God intends it to function.
Peace is the restoration of harmony. All right? That’s why that you often see peace and righteousness connected, because righteousness is living in conformity to what God commands. Peace is everything functioning the way that God intends. For example, in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 11, if you want to see this – you saw it in the Old Testament reading earlier today. In the reading of the law, God says, “If only you had obeyed,” what? “You would have peace like a river!” You see, peace and righteousness are often seen together.
In Hebrews chapter 12, verse 11 – Remember, Hebrews 12 is that wonderful passage about how God disciplines us so that we will experience holiness. Verse 10:
“Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Or, as the older version has, “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” See?
So, peace is really everything operating the way it should. It’s not just the absence of conflict – it’s everything operating in harmony. Everything intending as God intended it to function. Peace, then, is the restoration of harmony.
What happens if peace actually reigned in this world? Well, we would truly be in harmony with nature. We wouldn’t be in harmony with nature how they’re always portraying it on television – how the wonderful, innocent Native Americans were living in harmony with nature and all this sort of thing.
We would truly be in harmony with nature. We would not destroy vast tracts of land and exploit it just because we had selfish desires. We would not be destroying things as we often do. And besides that, nature would not fight back with thistles and weeds and floods and droughts. It would be harmonious. There would be this harmonious relationship between us and nature.
And we would experience harmony between people. We would experience harmony between nations – not just the absence of conflict, but loving and serving one another as God intended. That is peace. That is peace.
Sometimes people in the world today—you know what peace is? Peace is the interlude in which we arm ourselves for the next conflict. It’s the absence of conflict, but it certainly is not peace. One more time – peace is harmony. Everything operating in the way God intends it to operate.
Now, God achieves peace through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. Turn to a very significant passage in Colossians chapter 1. Colossians, chapter 1. I’m going to begin reading in the middle of this paragraph. This is about how Jesus is Lord over all creation, and the Lord over the new creation. And when we pick it up in verse 19, we read this:
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…” (v. 19-22)
Now, please note that peace on all fronts is achieved by Jesus’ sacrificing Himself. Jesus made peace with everything and on earth by His sacrifice. He made peace by His death. Please note – it’s peace on all fronts. We often think of the death of Jesus only limited to us, but it is not. In order for God to renew the entire creation, Jesus had to die.
I know I’ve told you this before, but I’ll never forget. When my Christian philosophy professor, at the end of a lecture one day, said this: “Tomorrow we will talk about how Jesus died for cows.”
You know what? He was right. Not in the sense that cows sin, and therefore need redemption – but as part of creation. The entire creation needed to be redeemed.
Jesus had to die so that we could have a new Heaven and a new earth. Did you realize that? His death deals with the entire curse – not just the curse of sin on us, but the curse of sin on everything. That’s what Colossians 1, verses 19 and 20 asserts.
And, as we go on, in verse 21, “He made peace with us by his death.”
“Wait a minute,” someone objects. “I don’t see peace between creation and God or between mankind and God, so how can Paul say that God reconciled all things to Himself through Jesus?”
Some of you, if you know anything of history, remember the Battle of New Orleans. When the British invaded Louisiana in 1815. It’s part of what we call the War of 1812, which lasted from 1812 to 1814. However, in the early months of 1815, the British invaded Louisiana. General Andrew Jackson stood with the American forces and defeated them.
But do you know what? A peace treaty had already been signed in the closing months of 1814. Peace existed between Great Britain and the United States before the destruction of property, the killing of men, and the mayhem that battle inevitably brings. There was peace that existed between those two nations.
Well, why did they fight? Because the news of peace hadn’t reached them yet.
In a certain way, you can think of it this way: Word has not yet reached all the warring factions that peace has been achieved.
Or you can think of it this way: Jesus purchased peace at the cross. But the Spirit has not yet applied all of the fruits of that redemption.
Do you understand what I’m saying? God purchased peace through His Son dying in the cross. The entire peace has been purchased. But it hasn’t been applied yet. It’s been bought, but not applied. It has been bought, but only partially applied would be more accurate.
Who has heard the news of this peace? Those who believe. To whom has the Spirit applied that fruit of peace? To those who have called upon the Name of Jesus. The Spirit has applied the fruit, that peace, to you. He has not applied it everywhere yet, but only to you. And even to you, only partially, because we still haven’t experienced all the gloriousness of that peace. But the peace that was purchased on the cross has been applied to the people of God so that the Spirit produces in us peace. It took the sacrifice of Jesus to achieve, but it takes the Spirit of God to apply it.
I might turn your attention to Ephesians for a moment, very quickly, if you want to see this concept. Ephesians chapter 1, in the middle of verse 13, it says:
“Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” (v. 13-14)
Notice what it says.
Now how do God’s people know how God’s people exhibit that peace? The Spirit applies the work of Jesus’ redemption to us so that we are people of peace. That harmony, purchased at the cross, begins to find expression in us and through us – the people of God. We are the first fruits of that peace that the Spirit will someday apply universally.
This harmony – this peace – God exhibits in us. How so? God’s people exhibit that peace by possessing peace. We possess peace.
Why do disharmony and fear and anxiety find expression? Because people, first of all, are afraid of God. And rightfully, they should be. But they’re afraid of God. There is no peace in their hearts because they are afraid of this God Who is going to judge.
Not only that, we fear what will happen to us in a world that fights against us. There is no peace in our relationship to creation. One reason is, we’re afraid of what it’s going to do to us. Creation doesn’t just mean the trees out there, that maybe you’ll fall out of a tree and break your leg. It means your work. It means all that’s involved in creation. We’re afraid of what might happen to us.
So what does God do? Romans. Turn back to the book of Romans. How do we possess peace? Romans chapter 5. Romans 5.1:
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (v. 1-2)
We have peace with God through Jesus. We don’t have to fear God. We have peace with Him. We possess peace. “I no longer have to fear this great Judge of all Men, that He will judge me. He has justified me. He has declared me righteous, and now I am in this relationship of grace to him.” You see?
Romans, chapter 8 verses 1 and 2:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
I no longer have to fear death. I don’t have to fear those things. I have been set free from that.
Romans 8.28. We all know that very well.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Now, you must also know the counterfeits to peace. There are counterfeits to peace.
People often look to the law, expecting it to bring peace. Again, remember – as we’ve studied through Galatians – that the Apostle Paul has made it clear that the law is not the ultimate answer. It is not the answer. By obeying the law, I will not be justified by God. The law does not change a heart.
Now, the law can restrain evil. At best, the law can keep conflict at bay – but it doesn’t produce harmony. It can keep conflict at bay, but it doesn’t produce harmony. For example, look at the present situation in the Balkans. You say, “Oh, Pastor, now you’re challenging my geography.”
All right, the Balkans. Go over to Italy and just move right a little bit. All right?
We hear about the Balkans. We hear about Serbia and Slovenia and Macedonia and – there’s a couple more. Did you realize that those nations were all once one nation? It was called Yugoslavia. Some of you who are old enough remember Yugoslavia.
Well, the Bosnians and the Serbs and all those people – they all lived in Yugoslavia. Why, then, were they one nation then? Because they had a very strong Communist government that said, “If you rebel, we’ll wipe you out!” So, they didn’t fight with one another. Why? Because there was a power there that kept them from conflict.
But once that power was removed, you didn’t find a bunch of peaceful people. You didn’t see that the Bosnians started loving the Serbs, did you? No, then the condition of their hearts found expression. And there’s been ethnic cleansing and slaughters going on. Why? Because the law was removed.
You see, the law does not produce a heart that desires reconciliation and peace. The most it can do is restrain evil – for which, we ought to be thankful – but it doesn’t produce peace.
Sometimes the law of other people’s expectation appears to bring peace. If you bring up the issue of your boss’s cheating at work, you can be sure you’re not going to have peace. Right? So, you conform to his expectations of keeping your mouth shut. In other words, you go along to get along. And that may look like peace, but that’s not peace. That’s not peace.
But, you live according to someone else’s expectations. That can produce what looks like a law producing peace – but it doesn’t produce peace. It doesn’t produce harmony.
The flesh has its counterfeits as well. Now, the antithesis, you can easily find in verses 19 and 20. You see there, that section where it says:
“…hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions and envy…”
All right? That’s not peace. But the flesh can also produce counterfeits like:
Apathy. “I don’t care. So what? Who cares? Whatever.” That’s not peace. Such people are at peace because they have a disregard for God’s majesty and a lack of involvement in the things that concern Him. They are at peace, because they are undisturbed about sin.
Avoiding conflict. Avoiding conflict, but that just ignores the fact that we are peace makers. You might be a peace keeper, but you are not a peace maker.
Do you know the difference? A peace keeper is a thermometer. It just registers what the environment is. A peace maker is a thermostat – it changes the environment. That’s the difference between the two.
And you know what? Too many people avoid conflict. You know what I’ve found? An example from my own counseling ministry – and yours, too. Here’s some folks that are disagreeing, and they separate and they get a divorce. And during that whole process, they’re separated from each other, they say, “I’ve never experienced so much peace!”
That’s not peace. You know what peace is? Restoration and harmony. That’s peace. Avoiding conflict is not peace, okay? That’s the flesh’s counterfeit.
Well, then, how does the Spirit produce peace? How does He produce peace in us? Let’s consider that then, finally, this morning.
First of all, and most importantly, the Spirit produces peace by displaying for us Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, there is no peace. He displays Jesus to us. Again, Romans 5.1:
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…”
He displays Jesus to us so that I know that I am at peace with God through Him. God is no longer my enemy. God is not hostile towards me. Rather, God is my friend. I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even on this level, again. Ephesians – our Scripture reading, turn to it. Ephesians 2. We’ll just take a slice out of our New Testament reading that Charlie read to us. Ephesians 2.14:
“For he himself” – Christ – “is our peace, who has made the two” – who are the two? Jews and Gentiles, or however you want to break up humanity – “who has mad the two one and has destroyed the barrier the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with is commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man” – or, better yet, to create in Himself a new humanity –“out of the two” humanities, “thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him” – through Christ – “we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (v. 14-18)
So, because of Jesus, all dividing walls between us have been destroyed. Because of Jesus, the Holy Spirit displays Jesus, and says in Him there is a new humanity. There are no more races. There are no more sexes. There are no more any kinds of divisions that we want to make. Those are all gone in Christ. All of those in Christ are one new humanity.
So, I look to Jesus and say, “There is my righteousness that declares my peace with God.” I look to Jesus and say, “There is the destroyer of all barriers, therefore, I can have peace with men.” So the Spirit produces peace by displaying Jesus to us.
The Spirit produces peace when we choose to become what we are. Now look at Ephesians 4. After we’ve looked at Ephesians 2, in Ephesians 4, we read these words:
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (v. 1)
What’s that calling? It’s 1 through 3. Chapters 1 through 3. You have been chosen, you have been trusted Jesus, and chapter 2, what? All barriers have been broken down between us. So live a life that reflects what God has called you to be!
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (v. 2-7)
There is nothing between us any longer. That is a fact, because of what Jesus has accomplished. So, I need to step out and act on that reality. And when I act on that reality, peace will be a practical experience.
Now, what do I mean by that? Well, we could look to a number of things. We could look at the relationships between whites and blacks in our own nation’s history. And it’s to our shame that there are people who’ve said, “You have your churches; we have ours.” That just goes contrary to Ephesians, chapter 2. It just makes a mockery of that.
Well, how does peace ensue? When I realize that there is no real barrier between us and I act on that reality, I say, “We’re going to worship together.” Peace will ensue between us. It will become a practical reality.
So I have to choose to become what I am, or we have to choose to become what we are – one in Christ. And when we step out, believing that reality –acting on that reality – real peace ensues.
I mean, imagine it. Notice how he puts it in Ephesians chapter 2 – that we all, because of what Jesus did, we all have access to the Father by one Spirit. That is, all I have to do is say, “Brother, let’s pray together.”
Now, we can go anywhere in the world. In Romania, it’s the gypsies. I’ve had some interesting conversations with some of our Romanian brothers about that.
But the point is: when we become what we are, the Spirit produces peace between us.
The Spirit produces peace through the love of God’s Word. The Spirit produces peace through the love of God’s Word. Psalm 119. By the way, let me just say this while you’re turning there. I may come up here with, like, five ways the Spirit produces peace. You do realize I am only scratching the surface, don’t you? For your sake, I have not included every single Bible reference to peace, all right? So take that as a challenge to look at other ways that the Spirit produces peace that He’s revealed in His word.
Psalm 119, which is this wonderful Psalm regarding the Word of God. Psalm 119, verse 165.
“Great peace have they who love your law,
And nothing can make them stumble.”
You say, “Wait a minute, Pastor. You’ve been makin’ the point that law doesn’t produce peace.”
Hang on. When Paul uses that word law, he’s referring to the law covenant that is revealed in the first five books of the Bible and talked about in the rest. The law covenant – what God says “Do or die.”
But the law can also be used at times to refer to the entirety of the Word of God. That’s how the Psalmist uses it here. So we can say, “Great peace have they who love Your Word.”
Who love Your Word – if I love God’s Word, I will hear it. I will meditate on it. I will study it. I will memorize it. I will thus, as a result, know more about God. I will know about myself. I will know more about my world. And I will have a framework of understanding so that I will not be tripped up by the world’s philosophies. Or, as it says here, there is nothing that will make me stumble.
I won’t be tripped up by the world’s philosophies. The more I indulge my love for the Word of God, the more peace I will have, because I will have a better framework for understanding life. And that produces peace.
Some years ago, I had the funeral of a prominent citizen of this town. I will not mention his name. But he was a rather prominent citizen. Everybody loved this particular person in our town. And as always, when I had the funeral, I never failed to make the point – I never fail to make the point – that we are all sinners and death has entered because of sin.
Well. Everyone took that to mean that I was calling this beloved citizen of our town a sinner. Well, I wasn’t doing it directly. I was saying that, but I was primarily saying, “You are sinners. And so is this person. And so am I.” But you know what? Word started spreading through this town what I had said. And my name was mud for quite some time in this little town. I could see it in people I met in the street.
But you know what? I had peace. Why? Because the Word of God tells me that I will suffer for Christ and for truth. There’s no surprise there. I should expect that. I had a framework to understand what was happening.
Do you understand? When you love the Word of God and you indulge that love, you will have peace – because you will have greater understanding of why things operate the way they do, and you won’t get tripped up by the world’s philosophies, which inevitably produce misery and ruin.
Love the Word of God and find peace.
The Spirit produces peace through – no surprise here – faith. The Spirit produces peace through faith. One of the Psalms that has helped me a great deal is Psalm 37. And it talks about this. All right? This is a – this is the psalm that says “do not fret”, okay? Psalm 37. I’m going to begin reading in verse 8.
“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret – it leads only to evil.
For evil men will be cut off,” – and in this context, it’s evil men who are making plans against you.
“For evil men will be cut off,
But those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
“A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
And enjoy great peace.” (v. 8-11)
Now, we’re going to talk a little bit about meekness and gentleness – that’s another one of the fruit of the Spirit – later on. But at least at this point, see this: “I’ve got to trust God. And as long as I trust God, it doesn’t matter what people do against me. I’ll find peace. It doesn’t matter what horrible things people – I shouldn’t fret about that. I shouldn’t get upset. I shouldn’t start ruminating in my mind what I’m going to do, how I’m going to respond, how I’m going to fight back and all that.”
He says, “No. Refrain from anger. Turn from wrath. Do not fret. Instead,” what? “trust God. Trust God.”
So the Spirit produces peace through faith.
One last way. The Spirit produces faith through hope. Again, Romans chapter 15 – we saw this last week. Romans chapter 15. Romans 15, verse 13:
“May the god of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The Spirit produces peace through hope. I know there’s a better day coming. I know there’s a day coming where there’ll be no more enemies outwardly. Nor will there be enemies inwardly. I can tell you which ones I hate the most – I’m supposed to love my enemies and hate the ones within. But you know what? There’s coming a day when all that will be past.
Think about this. This is how we ought to think. A billion years from now – are you going to be alive in a billion years? If you’ve trusted Jesus, in a billion years, you’ll be alive! Did you realize that?
In a billion years from now, how will this conflict that I’m in go? In a billion years from now, all the trouble that I’m facing now – what’s that going to look like? It’s not even going to register, is it?
It’s kind of like thinking about – you know, the mean boy in Kindergarten that made your life miserable – how does he look right now? You can’t even remember that, can you? But boy, when you were five years old, six years old – that little boy just made your life miserable! And you thought you’d never survive. But now, here you are. You look back and you say, “Aw, what was his name again?”
A billion years from now, the conflict that you’re experiencing will look not even like that. That’s hope. And that produces peace.
I don’t have to get all churned up and turned over because of the conflict now. I can have peace. Because I have hope.
Peace proves elusive in this world. But not for those who walk by the Spirit.
How about you? Are you experiencing the peace of God, and are you promoting the peace of God? If not, why not?
Could it be that you are still captive to the flesh? Could it be that you are a stranger to grace? Then I would encourage you -- I would plead with you – come to this Redeemer. This Jesus, Who has purchased peace and reconciliation – and find peace in Him.
Find peace in Him and when you do, the Spirit will continue that marvelous work and will make you a person of peace.
Dear people of God, if the Spirit of God is in our lives – if we are walking by the Spirit – then we must be people of peace in this world. And we can be that only as we rely in faith on the Spirit – seeking the peace that can only be produced in the way that He does it.
Father, You have spoken to us about peace today, and the necessity of us – no, Lord, the reality of us as people of peace. Father, the possession of that peace ought to make us act different. The making of peace ought to cause us to act differently as well. The world should see us as people of peace. We pray now that these words will have found a resting place in hearts, and we will look even more – or we will live with even more dependence on Your Spirit to produce these things. God, help us, we pray. In a world that is strewn with the wreckage and debris of conflict, make us people of peace as we stay in step with the Spirit. We ask these things in the name of our great Redeemer, the Lord Jesus.
Amen.