Christ Is Our Peace

 All scripture is from CSB version.

In the world these days, especially over the last almost four years, having peace within us has been something that eludes many people.  Many believe finding peace in their lives as being very elusive and fleeting. If you’re like me, it seems like every time I begin to be able to feel some peace in myself, it would go away just as fast as it came. 

What if I told you that true peace is found in a person, not a place or thing?  God willing, you’ll see that to be true by the time you finish reading this.

Ephesians 2:14-18 - ¹⁴ For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, ¹⁵ he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. ¹⁶ He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.^[a] 17 He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Jesus is our peace!  If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you don’t know what true peace is.  You may have seen this saying at some time in your life: “Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace.”  Truer words have never been spoken.

In Isaiah 9:6, which is the prophecy regarding Jesus’ birth says: For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

As you can see, among the names/titles this prophecy gave to Jesus is “Prince of Peace.”  I found this so amazing.  Not only is He peace, but He is the Prince of Peace. 

Verse 14 of the scripture reference above, talks about Him (Jesus) “made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.” These groups mentioned are Jews and Gentiles and the dividing wall of hostility is representative of the enmity that existed between them. It was vividly portrayed by an actual partition that existed in the temple in Jerusalem.  There was a sign warning that any Gentile going on beyond the Court of The Gentiles would receive swift and sudden death.  Something like that would make you feel welcome at a church, wouldn’t it?

Verse 15 says that Jesus made of no effect the law consisting of commands and regulations. The Apostles Paul was not saying that God had rejected the righteous standards of the law.  Rather, in Christ the righteous standards that people could never reach have been accomplished by Jesus’ work on the cross. He is our righteousness: in Him, believers fulfill the Law.  

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17: “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ' Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law.  Since He fulfilled it, it was not abolished.  It is interested what He said about how long the Law will last in verse 18:  'For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. '  Obviously, He did not ever intend for it to no longer be followed for the believer.

He also said a few verses later: Matthew 5:20: 'For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.’  As you may know, the Pharisees were into keeping the law big-time, or so they believed.  My point is that they believed that because they kept the law so well, they were righteous before God and therefore “OK.”  Yet, here Jesus is saying that our righteousness must be better than the scribes and Pharisees.  How can we possibly be that if those amongst the highest of Judaism couldn’t do it?

The problem is, they believed that since they kept the law so wonderfully, they were saved.  That is a works-oriented theology, and it will not get you saved.  I suggest you read the entirely of Romans Chapter 10 to get the full gist of what is being said; however, I will give you the meat and potatoes of what it says here.  Romans 10 :8-13 - 'On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. , This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,  since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

No amount of keeping every jot and title of the law will get you saved.  Only confessing Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead will get you saved. So obviously, what Jesus is saying in Matthew 5:20 is that if you haven’t received Him as your Lord and Savior, you’re not saved.  End of the story.  It is through HIS righteousness that we are righteous in God’s eyes, if we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

The early Christian church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, was described as one new man. In the earliest days of Christianity, the church was largely made up of Jews. But under the direction of God’s Spirit, the believers witnessed to Gentiles (Acts 10), who then outnumbered the Jewish members.

Jesus reconciled both Jew and Gentile to God through the cross, thereby making peace. He put to death the enmity between Jew and Gentile.  Likewise, even now, He is reconciling the unbeliever to Himself.  It says in Colossians 1:19-22 - 'For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— ' 

He preached peace to all who were far off and those near. John 16:33 - 'These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”'  And through Him we have access by the one Spirit to the Father. John 10:9 - 'I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. '

In closing, I will leave you with two passages of Scripture to meditate on and plant it in your heart.

2 Peter 1:3-8 'His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. '

John 14:27 - 'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ' (Jesus speaking)

 

GOD BLESS YOU!