The Recipe for God's Peace
As you read the New Testament letters of Paul and Peter you will notice the phrase “grace and peace” in all of their introductions.
Romans 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:3, 2 Cor. 1:2, Gal. 1:3, Eph. 1:2, Phil. 1:2, Col. 1:2, 1 Thes. 1:1, 2 Thess. 1:2, *1 Tim. 1:2, *2 Tim. 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 3, 1 Peter 1:2, 2 Peter 1:2. *Grace, mercy and peace.
This phrase “grace and peace” comes from the blessing in Numbers 6:24-27. It is an abbreviated version something like what we say when we leave someone or finish a phone call. Good-bye is an abbreviated form of God bless you. We tend to like abbreviations: 24/7/365 means 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Thus we see the blessing of God from Numbers 6:24-27 abbreviated in the letters of Paul and Peter.
As God's priests we have authority to speak the blessing of God on the people of God! Let us say together this beautiful blessing of grace and peace from Numbers:
"May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift his countenance upon you
and give you peace."
The Jews abbreviated this blessing to a single word: shalom, or peace. So what is peace? This is what we will talk about in today's lesson from Philippians 4.
In the letter of Philippians chapter 4, after urging Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord and calling in backup to help them get their relationship issues settled, it logically follows that Paul turns attention to teachings that bring and maintain the peace of God.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your forgiving spirit be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Look at verse 7 again. Underline that word "guard." This is a strong Greek word. It means a fortress or group of soldiers that protect and make secure. God's peace is not weak, but powerful and protective!
What is peace, and especially “the peace of God?” I think of a peaceful pool of water in the woods, mirror like on a still morning. Can you see it? It is lovely, but fragile. It only takes a breeze to disturb the mirror calm and begin ripples and waves in the water. Is that like the peace of God? I think of a restful night with peaceful sleep. Then the calm peace of sleep is shattered by the alarm clock and the issues of life that splash about and disrupt the quiet of tranquility of restful repose. Is that what the Bible means by the peace of God: quiet stillness and rest? In some sense, but listen to Jesus. He talks about peace in the midst of pain. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. God's peace is ours in times of trial and trouble bringing us strength and courage when we would falter. Peace from God is amazing!
We live in a world that seeks peace but doesn't know what it is or where to get it! Phil. 4:7 says the peace of God is beyond all understanding. So it's not surprising. But... Where do you go to get peace? To the woods? To the bed? To a party or a pill? Or maybe a quiet chapel? Peace is not found in a place or a thing. Peace, true and lasting peace, is only found in a Person, and a joyous relationship in that Person: We find peace in our heavenly Father the God of peace through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace.
This peace has many practical aspects.
Philippians reminds us that Christian fellowship is built on the gospel of peace: peace with God and peace with men. Biblical peace is first of all a relationship with God in Christ, provided by God and given to us through the suffering and death of His Son, Jesus on the cross. Just imagine. How did God bring us His peace? God took the most ugly, horrifying, violent unpeaceful thing that could happen to a person and turned it into the instrument of His peace. Now that's not what we would have expected or imagined would bring peace. But God's wisdom is far above our own and He accomplishes His will through what we might perceive as an upside down method. Actually, the truth is, our ways have so fallen from God's way that we live in an upside down world that is hurling headlong into self destruction and hell. This world is moving farther and farther from peace as it moves away from God. What God has done is exactly right-side up! He disturbs our violence and invades our self-destructive world and turns it right-side up with gospel truth about lasting peace found only in Jesus Christ.
The entire Christian life and message stands the world on its head. God's peace comes through Christ's violent death and earth shattering resurrection!
So we as Christians can rejoice in the Lord! Joy is an expression of peace from God.
When do we rejoice? Always! When Paul was in prison, he rejoiced. Upside down, isn't it?
Philippians is filled with these upside down viewpoints. For me to live is Christ, to die is gain, says this little letter. Paul's argument in chapter three expresses this reversal of direction well. There Paul writes about his successful venture as a Pharisee giving him status, confidence, and a grand place in Jewish history. So what has he done with it? Does he rejoice in it? Does he make this his confidence and peace? No way! He has cast it aside and walked away from it! He counts what is considered great gain and a foundation for confidence as loss! Worse than loss, Paul calls all he accomplished under his pre-Christian glory rubbish! He gives it all up, and even casts it all away for one thing: to know Jesus Christ.
Why? Because, that's were truth and life and lasting peace are found! That's where the joy is! That's why he can say, “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say, Rejoice!”
Peace is only found in nearness with God.
When is man on earth nearest to God? When are we most aware of Him and His presence? Is it not when we pray to Him and worship Him in company with other Christians? Or when we serve Him by serving others in His name? God who made you wants you to love Him, to be with Him, to think about Him to enjoy His grace and experience His glory and peace. Paul says, The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Anxiety disrupts peace, prayer restores peace. But not just any prayer. Prayer with thanksgiving! Paul told the Thessalonians in 1 Thess. 5:16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil. 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
Thankfulness and thanksgiving in prayer is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. When you are thankful you open your heart up to receive God's peace. Thankfulness in prayer prepares us for joy and fills us with enjoyment of God's presence, love and goodness.
Jesus taught us, “Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called children of God.”
Peace is precious and God's peace is priceless. It is also powerful. It has the strength to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Christ came to bring peace to those who are far off and peace to those who are near. The angels announced at Jesus birth, “Peace on earth and goodwill toward men.” God's peace has entered this world through Jesus Christ. He comes bringing peace. Peace with God and peace with one another.
Someone has said that the world's peace sign is an upside down broken cross, but God's peace sign is the cross of Christ, the empty tomb and the risen Lord.
In the creation God brings fullness out of emptiness, order out of chaos, life out of deadness, light out of darkness, Adam and Eve are created in God's own image and they enjoy God's grace and share in God's glory. All is good, very good. This is God's peace. Then sin comes.
After the fall, death enters and sin spreads so that by Genesis 6 the Bible says that the world was filled with violence and God saw that every inclination of the heart of man was only evil continually and God was sorry he had made man. Wow! When we turn away from the God of peace where do we end up? At that time God used the violence of the flood to destroy the earth and restore His peace, but again it didn't last. Why? Because in this fallen world man sins and departs from God. When we leave God we lose peace. But God is persistant and His purposes always find fulfillment.
The price of peace is high. God paid the price of our peace through Christ's death on the cross so we could have peace with Him. Romans 5 makes it clear. It was God's love given to us while we were still godless, powerless, sinners, enemies. God in His amazing love calls us out of darkness into His light.
Most of humanity is at war with God, but Jesus Christ purchased our peace by His death on the cross. Now God's peace is found in the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ as we seek Him through obedient faith and persistant prayer. May we enter into and enjoy the peace of the God of peace!
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Other scriptures that are helpful:
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Acts 10:36
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 8:6
The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Romans 14:19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 15:13
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.
Romans 15:33
The God of peace be with you all. Amen
Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
Ephesians 2:17
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
Ephesians 4:3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 6:15
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:23
Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
Hebrews 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
