Learning to Show Peace
Many would say they want peace - but peace seems to be a rather elusive thing these days. On the world stage we continue to hear about conflicts and wars and threats of war. On a national level we're still divided about the last election. On social media there doesn't seem to be much peace. Many of our movies and entertainment seem to center on some sort of conflict, real or fictional. How do we find peace?
We have been in a series looking at the characteristics that we're to develop as we follow Jesus, the 'fruit of the Spirit' found in Galatians 5:22-25 (NIV)...
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. (25) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
We've looked at 'love' and 'joy', today I want us to think about the personal characteristic of peace in our lives and relationships. And that's different from 'world peace' or 'national peace'. Nations will always be fighting - and there's very little I can personally do that will change that. But what about personal peace - peace in our lives? What does that look like? Before we get too far into it, I want to address some misunderstandings we might have about this Biblical idea of peace.
Peace in our relationships is not simply about avoiding conflict. Peace in our relationships is not about always appeasing everyone. That's not the idea of true peace that's supposed to be a trait of a Christian. Peace, for the believer, is not about weakness, but strength. Jesus Himself said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."
Those are some pretty strong words for someone called the "Prince of Peace'... - In order to bring lasting peace, Jesus' teachings were actually controversial and divisive - but they were necessary to bring people back into a relationship with God. The world may fight over Jesus' words and teachings, but for those who believe and understand – true peace will be the result. First, we can have…
I. Peace with God
This is the idea of peace between God and us – peace with God. Back in the Old Testament, peace with God was a tenuous thing – not because of anything on God's part, but because of mankind. Back then, peace depended largely upon what you did or didn't do. Let's look at Isaiah 48:17-18 (NIV)...
This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. (18) If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea."
Peace with God was conditional on following all of God's commands and offering sacrifices when you didn't. You may have heard the Hebrew greeting "Shalom"? That's the word used here translated as peace. If you look at the origin of the word, it carries a richer meaning. Not only can it mean peace, but also the idea of safety. So, when God told His people "If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river," – He's was also giving directions to keep them safe.
When we look ahead to the New Testament, we find The Apostle Paul talking about Jesus in Colossians 1:19-21 (NIV)...
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, (20) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (21) Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
The word used here that's translated as peace also brings the idea of harmony. Paul is saying that Jesus brings harmony to an otherwise disjointed or broken relationship. Peace with God is no longer wholly dependent on what we do, but on what Jesus has done – giving His life for ours! It's now a matter of accepting that peace with God through Jesus.
- But accepting is more than just with words. Jesus didn't ask us to simply 'repeat a prayer' - but to follow Him. Many would prefer simply to say the right words without having to actually follow. The way we accept God's peace has changed from the Old Testament to the New - but it's still conditional - based on our genuine response to God. Our peace, our 'shalom', our safety still depends on our response to Him!
I don't know how many times I've spoken with a person who rejects God's ways but is then confused or even angry because God hasn't blessed them the way they think He should. They don't attempt to align their values with God's values, or they don't accept God's view on human sexuality as sacred, or they intentionally and even defiantly live in direct opposition to God's revealed Word in the Bible - but they still expect that God should just open up the floodgates and pour down blessings on them.
Peace with God comes from accepting and following Jesus! And what did Jesus do? - He lived His life in complete submission to the will of The Father. Peace with God, and the blessings and harmony and safety that come with that peace, comes only through Jesus!
When we have peace with God, only then can we develop and experience the…
II. Peace of God
This is the personal peace that's supposed to develop in the everyday life of a Christian. The peace of God comes as a result of peace with God. It's the sense of tranquility, of reassurance and comfort that comes from knowing we're forgiven when we submit to Jesus. Let's look at Jesus' words in John 14:23-27 (NIV)...
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (24) He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. (25) All this I have spoken while still with you.
(26) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (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."
It's a peace that comes from Jesus; it's a peace that learns to trust deeply. Despite circumstances, we can trust God knowing that He is in control – whether we can see His hand or not. There are times when genuinely bad things happen. And we need to acknowledge that even though bad things happen, God can bring about good!
I've seen times when something tragic happens to a person and a well meaning friend might say something like, "Maybe it's for the best." Ultimately that will be true when God steps in and works – but that doesn't make that 'bad' thing good - or even make it less painful in that moment. We are allowed to grieve, but we aren't to grieve as people without hope! It's then that the peace of God can begin to help us heal despite awful circumstances.
To those who don't know God, this 'peace of God', seems to be a pretty foolish peace. When others see us trusting God and experiencing peace in the midst of pain – they probably won't understand. When we're doing it right, we may even find ourselves a bit surprised.
In 1555, a man named Nicholas Ridley was condemned to be burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. It's reported that the night before Ridley's execution, his brother offered to remain with him in prison to help comfort him. Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he planned to go to bed and sleep as soundly as he ever did. Because he knew the peace of God, he could rest – trusting that God would take care of him.
That's the peace of God! If you knew for a fact that you would be burned at the stake tomorrow - would you have a good night's rest? I'm pretty sure I'd be a bit unsettled to say the least. But that's the comfort we can have when we trust fully in God! We may not understand why things happen the way they do, but we can trust in the One who does! We can have the peace of God because of our peace with God.
And then, the last point, it's yet another thing to have…
III. Peace on earth
It's one thing to be at peace with a good, gracious, merciful God. It's another thing to be at peace with those around you. God is perfect. People are flawed, difficult, they can sometimes be uncaring and mean spirited, sometimes annoying. And when you think about it, the reason there isn't peace on earth is because of 'people'. If you were the only person on earth - there would be no conflict; there would be peace.
The absence of people would bring peace - but God has created billions of people. - And attempting to get rid of billions of people would make you the evil villain in the plot of a movie... So, how do we make peace with people with whom we don't always agree...? Jesus told His followers, in Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)...
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, (24) leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
God provided us with a way to have peace with Him through Jesus. God gives us inner peace knowing that He is in control. When it comes to getting along with those around us - peace is our job.
Jesus' words in Matthew tell us that God puts the priority on making peace with each other even before we come to offer anything to Him! But do we always do that? Before you came here this morning to offer your worship to God - did you stop and think about making peace with your brother or sister in Christ..? Maybe we need to...
It's our responsibility to make peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ! Now of course, peace may not be possible in every relationship, but we are to do everything in our power to work things out. Many times we try and make excuses as to why we're feuding with each other or why it's 'their fault'. But the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:14-15 (NIV)...
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (15) See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
- "All men" – not just those who are easy to get along with; not just those who didn't have it coming to them, not just those who agree with me all the time – "all men". We are to make every effort even when the person with whom we're fighting, is, in our opinion, dead wrong or out of line! - Learning to be at peace with those around you means becoming selfless.
Have you noticed that's a very frequently recurring theme recently? So far it appears that all the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit require us to become selfless – to focus on others needs before our own.
In order to have peace in our relationships here on earth, it will require many times that you take the initiative. It will require for you to willingly give up your rights even when you may not be at fault. It's incredibly hard, and frankly, not even remotely fair. But that's why I said at the beginning, "Peace, for the believer, is not about weakness, but strength."
Living in peace when you live among imperfect people like us is hard, but it's what we're called to do. If we're going to claim that we follow Jesus – we will have to take on the selfless burden of trying to live in peace in all of our relationships.
Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (4) Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Notice that this verse says "look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." It doesn't mean that we constantly ignore every need we have and just cave in for the sake of peace. There will be times when we have to stand firm, but make sure your motivation is pure and your actions are done in love. We can't separate what it says in vs. 4 concerning our interests from what it says in vs. 3 about humility.
So What?
If a relationship never has any form of conflict at some point – it's probably because it's only a superficial relationship. Peace is not just an absence of conflict. Peace is not just about two people always agreeing on everything. Anyone who has been married knows that you won't always agree and you will have conflict - but you can also have peace despite that conflict. In fact, the relationship may even benefit from having a serious heart to heart.
In any relationship, avoiding conflict at all costs will ultimately hurt that relationship. We're not called to always agree on everything, but we are called to unity and to live in peace despite our differences.
How do we do that? - By focusing on reconciliation, not resolution. Jesus reconciled our relationship to God by what He did on the cross. He didn't magically change history and turn us into robots who couldn't sin or rebel against God. He provided a way back to God despite our continued failings. He reconciled the situation. The resolution will come when we are made perfect in Heaven!
We're called to reconcile our differences here and live in peace with one another. We may not resolve every issue we have with each other in this life – but we can love one another for the sake of peace.
How do we complete such an extraordinary charge of 'living in peace' and 'loving each other' - as unlovable as we are at times? (Of course I'm talking about you, not me – I'm always lovable…) Peace is achieved only through Jesus Christ. Do you want to develop peace in your life? Get to know Jesus better and better each day through prayer and reading His Word and spending time with His people!