The Peace of God

By Pastor William R. Cunningham
January 29, 2006

SCRIPTURE LESSON

Philippians 4:6-8 (NKJV) -- {6} Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; {7} and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. {8} Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

This is a very interesting and very powerful principle that Paul gives us.  He says the following.

1. Don’t worry about anything
2. Instead tell God what you want in prayer and supplication
3. God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds.

The issues in life can easily cause us to worry if we don’t take control of ourselves.  However, we should realize that worry will not produce anything productive in regards to the issue.  Worry will have a negative affect on the situation and for that reason alone we should avoid worry.  However, how do we do that?  How can we not worry?  What do you do so that you do not worry?

Paul gives us the answer to this question.  As a matter of fact, Jesus also told us how not to worry and why we shouldn’t.  Consider Paul first.

1. Instead of worrying we should pray
2. The peace of God will then guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Paul says that this peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.  It appears that the peace of God will guard us from anxiety.  However, I think that it will protect us from more than that because anxiety can come as a result of other things.  Let’s digress here to what Jesus taught us about anxiety.

Matthew 6:34 (NKJV) -- {34} Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Notice the word at the beginning of this verse.  The word “therefore” implies that this statement is linked with the ones before it.  This means that we need to know what Jesus said before this scripture so that we would know how to rightly interpret it.  To summarize, Jesus basically told us to serve God.  He taught us that our primary objective is God’s Kingdom.  Trusting God therefore means that God will take care of us and therefore we don’t have to worry.

Now back to Paul’s statement.  There are two questions that I would like to pose to you.

1. What does the peace of God guard us from?
2. What is the peace of God?

Let’s briefly look at question number one, since I would like this discussion to focus on the peace aspect.

We said earlier that the peace of God would guard us from anxiety.  However, I also said that there is more to it than that.  The peace of God will also protect us from the destructive affects of worry and protect us from those things that would lead to worry in the first place.

Now before we go any further I need to establish something very important here.  What I am sharing with you shouldn’t be considered a formula to live by.  I am giving you principles that I have learned from the study of the word and from examining my own life in relation to the word. With that said, let’s move on.

It is easy to become discouraged when we face challenges in our lives.  If things get “hot” enough then we may begin to question, doubt, and even blame God.  At the very least we may wonder why.  Our minds begin to wonder and bad seeds begin to grow.  In some cases people actually fall away from their relationship with God.  This is what I believe the peace of God will protect us or guard us from.

THE PEACE OF GOD

Now what is this peace of God?  There are two words that are translated into the English word, peace.

1. Hebrew shalom
2. Greek eirene

 The Hebrew word “shalom” has several meanings, which are given below.

1. Completeness, soundness, and well-being of the total person.  In the Old Testament this peace was believed to come from following the Law (See Psalm 119:165).
2. Security (Ps 4:8), contentment (Is 26:3), prosperity (Ps 122:6-7, 73:3), Absence of war (1 Samuel 7:14)
3. Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence.

Peace in the New Testament was thought of as inner tranquility and pose of a Christian whose trust is in God through Jesus Christ.  This peace was originally expressed in the OT pertaining to the Messiah (Is. 9:6-7).

There is one thing that we need during the course of our lives and that is peace.  The peace that I am referring to here is that soundness, completeness, and well-being of the total person.  The result of this peace is no anxiety.  That is definitely something that we could use in any situation.

ASPECT OF PEACE

Peace in the OT was closely associated with the covenant and was therefore conditional.  It was thought to be a result of obedience to God (Is 48:18, 22; 57:19-21).

Peace is a gift of God and therefore not the result of our activity.  In other words, there is nothing that we can do to get peace.  It comes from God as a gift.  We only need to experience the peace of God and Paul told us how.

Peace (Shalom) was the desired state of harmony between God and humans (Numbers 6:26; Isaiah 54:10).

This last aspect is most interesting because it puts the acquisition of this peace in its proper perspective.  First peace is the desired state of harmony between us and God.  Consider the following scripture.

Luke 2:14 (NKJV) -- {14} “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

This was the declaration of the angels and hosts when Jesus was born.  The phrase I would like for you to focus on is “on earth peace and goodwill toward men.”  The interesting thing here is that God was the one that initiated this peace towards us.  There is nothing that we did to deserve it or earn it.  This peace is a free gift from God that He decided to extend towards us.

JESUS AND PEACE

God is the God of Peace (Romans 15:33; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:33).

Peace signifies God’s presence in a relationship and the absence of peaces signifies the breakdown of that relationship as a result of disobedience (Malachi 2:5; Jeremiah 16:5).

Peace is established between us and God when we are saved, i.e., reconciled to God through Christ Jesus (See Romans 5:1; Colossian 1:20).

Jesus Christ is the bringer of this peace (Luke 2:14). 

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NKJV) -- {17} Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. {18} Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, {19} that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. {20} Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. {21} For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Peace is ultimately founded upon reconciliation between God and humans.  The effect of this peace in part contributes to the Christian lifestyle.

It is helpful to know what peace is not in order to understand it more fully.

Peace is not…

1. An end to tension
2. Absence of warfare
3. Domestic Tranquility

Peace isn’t necessarily physical calmness.  The peace of God may in fact cause conflict with those around you, namely those who are in the world.  Consider the following scripture.

Matthew 10:34-37 (NKJV) -- {34} “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. {35} For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; {36} and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ {37} He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Peace is crucial for a truly Christian lifestyle, which is in accordance with the Kingdom of God.  However, we should realize that this peace isn’t something that may keep the peace so to speak as we read in the above scripture.  Living according to God’s way puts us at odds with the world.  Our integrity in the Kingdom of God may make us offensive to those of the world. 

Conclusion

We all need peace.  However the peace that we truly need and that will truly protect us from anxiety and other related things comes from God.  We receive this soundness and well-being of the total person when we are reconciled to God through salvation. Learn to live the peace of God and go and be blessed.