Peace. How much we long for it. We look around the our world, and we find no peace. We look around our nation, which is more divided than I have ever seen it, there is no peace to be found. We look around our town, our community and even here, peace is often elusive. In many of our homes, I sorry to say, there is little peace. We are looking at this time leading up to Christmas, as a time where we take to heart the praise of the angels at their announcement of the Savior’s birth as heard by the shepherds on the field outside of Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
As we have discussed last week, this praise of the angels to God is about God giving His people peace. Not to the world as a whole. In preparing for this sermon series, in my studies, I have found that God has given us the implements of peace, the things that will bring peace to the people of God. Yes, individually we have peace with God:
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
This inner peace we will explore more in the coming weeks. But in exploring the peace of Jesus, and the peace Jesus gives in the New Testament, much is said about the peace among God's people, the body of Christ, the church. We looked at this last week and we will continue to explore that aspect of peace today. Peace is what we should have in our fellowship. So, how does that work?
Colossians 3:12–17
This same passage I preached three years ago, and the emphasis then was on unity in the fellowship. Unity is so important as we in the church make a stand against the godless forces out in the world that is opposed to all we are and all we stand for. But today, the emphasis in this same passage is peace. What makes for peace in our fellowship and with that peace, unity?
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
From this verse we see “the Peace of Christ” is to rule over us. If you have the KJV or NKJV it will read “the Peace of God.” This is due to the different Greek text used in translation. However the meaning is the essentially same. That peace we have is the peace Jesus gives us, it should rule over us.
“Let rule” in the Greek can be translated as to act as an umpire. This peace we experience from Jesus should be a deciding factor in what we choose to do. Every day we are faced with choices. Should we or should we not do this or that, take this course of action or another? Peace with these decisions ought to rule.
Peace, the very peace of God should guide all our activities, whether individual decision or actions, or in church programs and projects. Over the years I’ve been pastor of this church, you may have noticed how I shut down decisions in business meeting of which we have some notable dissention. Even though we may have a majority to pass a motion, it is not worth the loss of peace in the fellowship to pursue that matter further at that point in time. Keeping peace is different from compromise. Make no mistake, there things we do not back down on, but what color should the new carpet be is not one of them. Keeping the peace results in unity in the fellowship. What did Jesus say about peace?
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Are you and I a peacemaker in the body, for "you were called in one body" (verse 15). We are one with one another. Do all we do, not only honor Jesus, but bring peace to whole body? The Bible is quite clear, no one among us is called to a “Lone Ranger” Christian. We are in this all together and must be at peace with one another. If we have peace as our umpire for our decisions making within the body of Christ, we cannot simply say I have personal inner peace with the decision I have made. We must consider others in the fellowship. Will my brother be at peace with any decision I have made or course of action I have determined to take.
We need to remember that as the body of Christ, that Jesus is our head, and we following in all things.
Colossians 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Jesus is first in all things, our eyes must remain on Him. And we are also told, “And be thankful.” Thankfulness is an essential ingredient of peace. Without thankfulness, people become self-centered, self-seeking, and dissatisfied with the body, and there is not any peace. How thankful we are is an indicator how the peace rules within the heart of our fellowship. So the question might not be, “is there peace?”, but rather “are we thankful?”
There is an interesting tie between being at peace and thankfulness. Look at verses 15, 16, and 17. Being thankful (verse 15), singing with thankfulness (verse 16) and giving thanks (verse 17) are all part of having peace and unity in the church.
I don’t know of any ungrateful people who experience peace, both peace within themselves and peace with others. Unthankful people are generally selfish, self-serving, and dissatisfied with everything. One prime directive we have, to be thankful, is prime ingredient for peace and as a result, the peace we experience ought to bring about even more thankfulness within us.
Let pause here for a moment and talk about our supposed inner peace we may experience over a decision. Yes, I do believe God will give us peace over decisions that are made in His will, provided we are we remain firm in his word and close to Him in constant and regular prayer. The danger lies with those who justify their action that are clearly out of the will of God with the statement “God has given me peace about this.” Many times I believe people experience a false sense of peace over an action that is out of the will of God. Remember the story of Jonah. Jonah was running from God yet he experienced a peace about it that enabled him to sleep soundly in the midst of a storm!
Warren Wiersbe commented: “We must beware, however, of a false peace in the heart. Jonah deliberately disobeyed God, yet he was able to go to sleep in the hold of a ship in a storm! “I had peace about it!” is not sufficient evidence that we are in the will of God. We must pray, surrender to His will, and seek His guidance in the Scriptures. The peace of heart alone is not always the peace of God.” [1]
That’s another reason we need to let peace rule with us as part of the body. Most of the time, our decision affects others. I depend on the thoughts and guidance of mature Christians within our fellowship in many decision I have to make. Being at peace in the fellowship is important. Look at this next verse:
Colossians 3:16a Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you
If we are immersed in the word, we will know when our action are not consistent with the word. We can experience peace if we know are in line with the word of God. So what other things are we to do to have peace? Going back to the beginning of our focal passage:
Colossians 3:12–13 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
First let us consider the these two verse together as a whole. Paul is directing his instruction toward those that are offended, not to the offender per say. Have you noticed how society at large are conditioned to be offended, to have a victim mentality? This should not be so with in the church. We are offended and we let others know. We get upset and withdrawn. We have our feeling hurt and we want to take our ball and go home.
How are we to be a blessing to others in the church, much less those outside the church, if we continually allow ourselves to be offended every time somethings happens that things just do not go our way or someone says something that hurt our feelings?
One thing that makes for peace within the fellowship of the church is for us individually but have a thicker skin. We just cannot afford to take offense every time someone says something insensitive toward us. Most of the time the offender, within the church, does not realize they are being offensive. There have been times I say something to someone or about someone that I have not thought through and later I’m told (usually by my wife) that what I had said was rather crass.
We should have “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” with one another. These things bring peace to the body of Christ. Essentially Paul is telling us to display the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22–23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The thing about the fruit of the Spirit is that the Christian should be displaying these things constantly and consistently. It takes practice, and they must be developed to maturity. The non-Christian can display some of these traits, and even fake them all for a period of time. But the Christian should be living out these fruit day in and day out.
Back to verse 13: “Bearing with one another” means to put up with each other. The church is a family. We put up with one another. We put on thick skin and we love each other because each one is our brother or sister in Christ. Lord knows, how many here have put up with me and still love and bless me despite all my faults.
"And forgiving each other." “Forgiving” in the Greek has as its root word “grace.” We know about God’s grace, forgiving is something that is freely given, it is not conditional, it is not based on whether that other person ever changes or not.
"Whoever has a complaint against anyone" How many complaints do we have with another? Grudges and animosity held within us has no place in the lives of God’s people. God’s people are not to hold grudges. Remember, we are talking about those in the church. Again, I know many have had complaints against me, yet they forgive me, let the grudges go, and continue to love me and bless me, “just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Wow, there is a lot right there. We must continually remind ourselves who we are pattering our lives after. Just how much did Christ forgive you and me? Does Jesus hold a grudge against you and me for what we have done in the past or even continue to do? No He does not. So we must do likewise with others.
Colossians 3:14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is what? Love.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Are we really loving one another? Or do we just say the words? Can you see that these things that make for peace in the body of Christ? Letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and within the body along with giving thanks (verse 15). And what does this ruling of peace look like?
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
We have teach and lift up one another. The word says to do so with all wisdom. In other words, we don’t lord it over each other what to do, but we teach and lead by example, openly praising God and thanking Him with one another.
Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
We do it all in the name of Jesus? Do you ever think about that? Doing everything in the name of Jesus? Would we stop doing somethings and start doing other things if all of done in the name of Jesus?
Are we God’s instrument of Peace in this place? When the angels praised God saying God was giving peace to those whom He favored – Are you allowing God to do this very thing through you? It’s all about Jesus. Jesus, the Prince of peace, Jesus that gives us peace.
Next week we are looking at the very peace that Jesus gives:
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
The peace of Jesus is not the same as the world. Does it come through us?
Do you know the Jesus, the one who give us peace? Are you letting His peace, the peace of Christ rule in your heart?
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 139.
