Can anyone tell me the Hebrew word for Peace? (Shalom).
Can anyone tell me the meaning of the word Shalom?
When someone says, “Shalom,” the full meaing of it is, “May you have the highest good coming your way.”
This month we are considering the Supernatural Stream of God’s Peace & Rest
The biblical concept of peace is not the absence of trouble. Biblical peace is something that is not related to circumstances or situations.
We can be in the midst of a problem and still experience the peace the bible speaks of.
The Apostle Paul said he could be content in any circumstance; he demonstrated that peace in the jail at Philippi, he sang and remained confident that God was being gracious to him.
He told the Philippian jailer about God’s goodness and the jaliler and his family were saved.
James, the half-brother of Jesus, same mother different Father, James wrote, “when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” (James 1:2).
How can we experience the kind of peace that cannot be affected by trouble, danger, or sorrow?
It’s a little ironic that one of the best descriptions of Biblical peace was given by Jesus the night before He died on the Cross.
Jesus knew what was coming next, He knew what He would face, yet He took the time to comfort His disciples with a message of peace in John 14:27:
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
(John 14:27)
The peace Jesus speaks of enables believers to be calm in fearful circumstances. It is a peace that is never affected by circumstance.
The New Testament speaks of two kinds of peace:
objective peace and subjective peace
Objective peace is about our relationship to God, Subjective peace is about our experiences in life.
When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, we enter into a relationship with God, we enter into a covenant of peace with God.
This peace is objective it has nothing to do with how we feel or think. It is an accomplished peace.
Romans 5:1-5 says, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
When we place our trust in Christ, we are redeemed, we are declared righteous by faith.
Our sins are forgiven and we have peace with God. That was God’s wonderful purpose in salvation.
Colossians 1:19-22 says “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”
Because Christ died for our sins, we are reconciled with God, we have peace with God because of what Jesus has done.
This is the heart of the message of the gospel, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
But Jesus is not talking about objective peace in John 14:27. I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
The peace Jesus speaks of here is a subjective, experiential peace.
It’s tranquility of the soul, it’s settled, it’s positive,
it’s a peace that affects the circumstances of life.
It is a supernatural stream of peace,
it’s permanent peace,
it’s positive peace,
it’s peace that will calm the heart in every situation,
in every circumstance, in every storm of life.
This is the peace that Paul speaks about in Philippians 4:6-9: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
The peace of God is not based on circumstances,
Paul says it is a peace that surpasses comprehension.
Peace that exists in the midst of the problems and troubles we go through.
This is divine peace, supernatural peace; it cannot be figured out on a human level.
The word translated “guard” in Philippians 4:7 is a word that is used in a military sense, it means “to stand at a post and guard against the aggression of an enemy.”
When the peace of God is on guard, the Christian is within an impregnable fortress. The name of the fortress is Jesus, and the guard is peace.
The peace of God stands guard and keeps worry from corroding our hearts, and thoughts from tearing up our minds.
This is the kind of peace we have,
a peace that deals with our past,
a peace that deals with our present,
a peace with a guaranteed promise for our future.
We have peace from the guilt of our past, we are forgiven.
We have peace in the trials of the present, they are already overcome in Christ.
We have peace in our future destiny in Christ our eternal future is secure.
God is the Source of our Peace.
God alone brings peace.
Jesus Christ is the One who gives peace.
Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart.”
The Supernatural peace of Jesus is His gift to us.
The same deep peace that stilled His heart in the midst of mockers, haters, murderers, traitors, and everything else He faced.
In the midst of incomprehensible persecution,
Jesus was calm and unfaltering; He was a rock.
When Jesus appeared before Pilate, He was so calm, so serene, so controlled, so at peace, that Pilate became greatly disturbed. He was furious that Jesus was standing before him fearless; Pilate said, “Why don’t you talk to me? Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” (John 19:10).
In perfect peace Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above.” (John 19:11).
That’s the kind of peace Jesus gives to us.
Undistracted fearlessness and unwavering trust.
Our source of peace is Christ.
Throughout the New Testament Jesus is the giver of peace.
In Acts 10:36, Peter says, “This is the message of Good News for the people—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.”
Jesus Christ gives us His own personal peace.
It should give us the same serenity in danger, the same calm in trouble, and the same freedom from anxiety.
The Holy Spirit is the Giver of this peace, and He gives it as a gift. Galatians 5:22 says one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is peace.
The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to take the things of Christ and give them us.
Lets close by returning to John 14:27:
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
(John 14:27)
Jesus says, “the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. ”
His peace is not like the peace of the world
Jesus Christ has given us real peace.
It is here, it is ours; but we must take hold of it.
The peace He gives has to be received and applied in our lives.
When we claim the promise of the peace of Christ,
we will have calm, untroubled hearts, regardless of the circumstances.
Friend, is your heart troubled this morning?
Is it troubled because you have ignored His promise of peace to you?
Is there worry, or anxiety, or turmoil because your focus is on your current circumstances.
Is your heart troubled because of something in something your past.
Do you lack peace because you are worrying about what might happen?
Our past, present and future are under the care of God. He promises to supply our future need, and He has forgiven the past.
Jesus said in Mathew 6:34 don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Don’t worry about tomorrow or yesterday. Concentrate on trusting God for today’s needs.
Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”
Do you have a problem, or a decision to make?
Let the peace of Christ make that decision for you.
Today and everyday, let the supernatural spring of peace rule in your heart. AMEN
