A Perfect Peace That Will Never Cease

A PERFECT PEACE THAT WILL NEVER CEASE

Introduction: Isaiah 26:3 & 4

1. The prophet Isaiah has been rightly called The Messianic Prophet because he had so much to say about Jesus the Messiah.

2. He probably wrote more about the salvation that Jesus was to bring than any other Old Testament writer. (Percentage wise, Zechariah may have said more, but he only wrote fourteen chapters compared to Isaiah’s sixty-six).

3. Paul wrote that the “Holy Scriptures” (O.T. Scriptures) are “able to make us wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 3:14-16). A study of Isaiah proves that to be true. I like to think about the book of Isaiah as “The Gospel according to Isaiah”. We are all familiar with the gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but there is also the gospel according to Amoz’s son (Isa. 1:1)

4. Isaiah tells us about the Lord’s Birth (7:14, & 9:6), the Lord’s Behavior (11:1-5), the Lord’s Bruises (53:4-11), and the Lord’s Blessings (61:1-3).

5. Isaiah saw the Lord’s Glory (6:1-5), spoke of the Lord’s Government

(2:2-4; & 9:6-7), emphasized the Lord’s Grief (53:3,4, & 10), and stressed the Lord’s Grace (45:25;49:8-10; & 53:11).

6. Isaiah refers to the Lord’s Position (52:13-14), the Lord’s Preaching (61:1-3), the Lord’s Pain (50:6), the Lord’s Pardon (53:4-12), and the Lord’s Peace (9:6-7; 53:5).

7. What he says about the Lord’s Peace is what we want to focus on in this particular study.

8. Two of my favorite verses in the Old Testament are, and has always been since the first time I read it them, Isaiah 26:3 & 4.

“You will keep him in perfect peace

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the Lord forever,

For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”

9. As we study this verse, I want us to observe:

I. The PROMISE

II. The PERSON

III. The POWER

I. THE PROMISE (Isa. 26:3a)

1. Notice first of all the promise, “You will keep him in perfect peace”.

2. This peace is “perfect” which means, “Without fault or defect, satisfying all the requirements.” (Webster). It means “completeness” (Strong).

3. When I think of perfect I think of words like, pure, ideal, flawless, exact, absolute, complete, whole, precise etc. etc.

4. It is “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:6).

5. It is the peace that only Jesus gives. He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn. 14:27).

6. It is the “peace with God” that we have in Christ that Paul referred to in Romans 5:1.

7. It is the “peace from God” that is referred to in almost every book of the New Testament. For example:

a. Romans 1:7 Peace from God.

b. I Corinthians 1:3 Peace from God.

c. II Corinthians 1:2 Peace from God.

d. Galatians 1:3 Peace from God.

e. Ephesians 1:2 Peace from God.

f. Philippians 1:2 Peace from God.

g. Colossians 1:2 Peace from God.

h. I Thessalonians 1:1 Peace from God.

i. II Thessalonians 1:2 Peace from God.

j. I Timothy 1:2 Peace from God.

k. II Timothy 1:2 Peace from God.

l. Titus 1:4 Peace from God

m. Philemon 1:3 Peace from God.

8. See also Hebrews 13:20; James 3:18; I Peter 5:14; II Peter 1:2; II John 1:3; III John 1:14;; Jude 1:2; and Revelation 1:4.

9. Observe it is: Peace of God (Phil 4:6).

Peace with God (Rom. 5:1).

Peace from God (Rom. 1:7).

10. Isaiah said, “Lord, You will establish peace for us” (Isa. 26:12).

11.How? He answers in chapter 53:5, “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.”

12. He “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20).

13. As Paul said, “He Himself is our peace” (Eph. 2:14).

14. Jesus “Himself is our peace” because He established “peace for us” when He suffered “the chastisement for our peace” and thus “made peace through the blood of His cross”.

15. That is how He keeps us in “perfect peace”. It is not partial peace, it is perfect peace. It is not temporary peace it is permanent peace.

II. THE PERSON (Isa. 26:3b)

1. Who is this person who has this perfect peace? It is the person whose mind is stayed on the price He has paid.

2. It is a person whose mind is fixed and focused on Jesus. God will keep in perfect peace those who trust in Jesus and His sacrifice.

3. This does not necessarily mean that we will be at peace within ourselves all the time, but it does mean that we will be at peace with God continually.

4. Illustration: No one who is married and/or has children can have peace within (much less perfect peace) for any length of time. Like one husband wrote on his wife’s tombstone: