Liberty Advocate

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Peace On Earth

Part 1:
Peace in Your Heart

by

Karen Pansler-Lam, J.D.

You must not yield to overwhelming worry and grief and fear 
during your trials and tribulations.

You must not yield to overwhelming worry and
grief and fear over evil in the world.

 You can have peace in your heart.

Is your heart troubled?

Do you lack peace in your heart?

Do you yield to overwhelming worry and grief and fear over evil in the world?

Do you yield to overwhelming worry and grief and fear during your trials and tribulations?

Jesus promises to give you peace:

Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth,
give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

Jesus Christ - The Prince of Peace  - came so that you may have "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). 

You can have peace in your heart. 

The Prince of Peace

The prophet Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Prince of Peace: 

For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given:

and the government shall be upon his shoulder:

and his name shall be called

Wonderful,

 Counsellor,

The mighty God,

The everlasting Father,

The Prince of Peace. 

Of the increase of his government and peace

 there shall be no end,

upon the throne of David,

and upon his kingdom,

to order it,

and to establish it with

 judgment and with justice

from henceforth even for ever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6,7

And the Book of Luke records the announcement of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds:

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude

of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,

good will toward men.

Luke 2:10-14

The peace promised by The Prince of Peace is twofold:  1) Peace on earth within the true Church – the body of sanctified believers: and when Jesus returns to rule over the earth; and 2) Peace within us when The Prince of Peace reigns in our hearts.  “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). And Paul writes to the Colossians: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

Some professing Christians mistakenly believe that Christ has called us to worldly peace through an unholy alliance with enemies of Christ – ecumenism.  This is not Biblical and will be discussed in part 2: “Peace on Earth: Ecumenism is Unholy Unity.”  Paul writes to the Ephesians: “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  We are called to unity in the true body of Christ, not unholy unity with false religions in hopes of world peace.  Ecumenism is the spirit of antichrist.

This message will focus on inner peace: when The Prince of Peace rules in your heart. 

Peace Through the Blood of the Cross

The first step in having peace in your heart is to be reconciled to God.  You must be born again.  You must be sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit. You cannot have peace in your heart if the Holy Spirit does not dwell within you.

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross,

by him to reconcile all things unto himself;

by him, I say,

whether they be things in earth,

or things in heaven.

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind

by wicked works,

yet now hath he reconciled.

In the body of his flesh through his death,

to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled,

and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,

which ye have heard,

and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;

Whereof I Paul am made a minister.

Colossians 1:20-23

Notice that Paul proclaims Christ’s death purchased our reconciliation to God and He will present you “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and not be moved away from the hope of the gospel.” This is a conditional promise based on your continuing in the faith, and not sliding back into wickedness.  You must continue in the faith.  You must walk the narrow path of holiness and not turn back and travel the broad way that leads to destruction.  You must not “draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39). 

Jesus is the Mediator of reconciliation, who procures peace as well as pardon for sinners.  He has made peace through the blood of His cross.  The blood of Jesus atoned for our sins: “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). The shed blood of Jesus releases us from the wages of sin which is death and brings us under the covenant of grace. We are pardoned and accepted into the Kingdom of God.

Are you a sinner?  Sinners cannot have true peace in their hearts.  You must first be saved.  You must pray and ask the Lord’s forgiveness of your sins and consecrate your heart, your mind, your soul, and your body to the Lord as a temple of the Holy Spirit.  You must walk in holiness and righteousness.  True faith is obedience unto righteousness and holiness: "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).  

Be reconciled to God.  This is your first step toward peace.

You Must Have Great Faith

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,

which today is,

and tomorrow is cast into the oven,

shall he not much more clothe you,

O ye of little faith?

Matthew 6:30

And when he was entered into a ship,

his disciples followed him.

And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea,

insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves:

but he was asleep.

And his disciples came to him,

and awoke him, saying,

Lord save us: we perish.

And he saith unto them,

Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?

Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea;

and there was a great calm.

Matthew 8:23-26

How often has the Spirit rebuked you: “O ye of little faith”?

Over and over again, Jesus rebuked His disciples for having little faith:  “O ye of little faith.”  We often say that we trust in the Lord, but at the same time yield to overwhelming worry and grief and fear. 

Are you a Christian of little faith? 

You must be Christian of great faith.

Great faith does not mean that you disregard the duty of diligence in your life. And it does not mean that you ignore the trouble in your life and ignore the trouble in the world.  But it is a sin to yield to overwhelming worry and grief and fear. You must cast all your cares upon Him in prayer.

Be careful for nothing;

but in every thing by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God,

which passeth all understanding,

shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4: 6,7

Notice, we are admonished “in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.”  Every thing means every trouble and care – great and small.  Thanksgiving means thankful for past blessings and answered prayers; and for future blessings and answered prayers according to His will.

Supplication is earnestly pleading for specific needs for ourselves and for others. Prayer is presenting our requests to the Lord. And intercessory prayer is every Christian’s duty. We must pray for our family, our neighbors, our Church, our nation, for all Christians, for the heathen, for missions. 

And the Spirit intercedes for us!

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:

for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:

but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us

with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth

what is the mind of the Spirit,

because he maketh intercession for the saints

according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26, 27

Matthew Henry comments:

I. The help of the Spirit in prayer. While we are in this world, hoping and waiting for what we see not, we must be praying. Hope supposes desire, and that desire offered up to God is prayer; we groan. Now observe,

1. Our weakness in prayer: We know not what we should pray for as we ought. (1.) As to the matter of our requests, we know not what to ask. We are not competent judges of our own condition. Who knows what is good for a man in this life? Eccl. 6:12. We are short-sighted, and very much biassed in favour of the flesh, and apt to separate the end from the way. You know not what you ask, Mt. 20:22. We are like foolish children, that are ready to cry for fruit before it is ripe and fit for them; see Lu. 9:54, 55. (2.) As to the manner, we know not how to pray as we ought. It is not enough that we do that which is good, but we must do it well, seek in a due order; and here we are often at a loss-graces are weak, affections cold, thoughts wandering, and it is not always easy to find the heart to pray, 2 Sa. 7:27. The apostle speaks of this in the first person: We know not. He puts himself among the rest. Folly, and weakness, and distraction in prayer, are what all the saints are complaining of. If so great a saint as Paul knew not what to pray for, what little reason have we to go forth about that duty in our own strength!
   

2. The assistances which the Spirit gives us in that duty. He helps our infirmities, meant especially of our praying infirmities, which most easily beset us in that duty, against which the Spirit helps. The Spirit in the world helps; many rules and promises there are in the word for our help. The Spirit in the heart helps, dwelling in us, working in us, as a Spirit of grace and supplication, especially with respect to the infirmities we are under when we are in a suffering state, when our faith is most apt to fail; for this end the Holy Ghost was poured out. Helpeth, synantilambanetai—heaves with us, over against us, helps as we help one that would lift up a burden, by lifting over against him at the other end-helps with us, that is, with us doing our endeavour, putting forth the strength we have. We must not sit still, and expect that the Spirit should do all; when the Spirit goes before us we must bestir ourselves. We cannot without God, and he will not without us. What help? Why, the Spirit itself makes intercession for us, dictates our requests, indites our petitions, draws up our plea for us. Christ intercedes for us in heaven, the Spirit intercedes for us in our hearts; so graciously has God provided for the encouragement of the praying remnant. The Spirit, as an enlightening Spirit, teaches us what to pray for, as a sanctifying Spirit works and excites praying graces, as a comforting Spirit silences our fears, and helps us over all our discouragements. The Holy Spirit is the spring of all our desires and breathings towards God. Now this intercession which the Spirit makes is, (1.) With groanings that cannot be uttered. The strength and fervency of those desires which the Holy Spirit works are hereby intimated. There may be praying in the Spirit where there is not a word spoken; as Moses prayed (Ex. 14:15), and Hannah, 1 Sa. 1:13. It is not the rhetoric and eloquence, but the faith and fervency, of our prayers, that the Spirit works, as an intercessor, in us. Cannot be uttered; they are so confused, the soul is in such a hurry with temptations and troubles, we know not what to say, nor how to express ourselves. Here is the Spirit interceding with groans that cannot be uttered. When we can but cry, Abba, Father, and refer ourselves to him with a holy humble boldness, this is the work of the Spirit. (2.) According to the will of God, v. 27. The Spirit in the heart never contradicts the Spirit in the word. Those desires that are contrary to the will of God do not come from the Spirit. The Spirit interceding in us evermore melts our wills into the will of God. Not as I will, but as thou wilt.
   

3. The sure success of these intercessions: He that searches the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, v. 27. To a hypocrite, all whose religion lies in his tongue, nothing is more dreadful than that God searches the heart and sees through all his disguises. To a sincere Christian, who makes heart-work of his duty, nothing is more comfortable than that God searches the heart, for then he will hear and answer those desires which we want words to express. He knows what we have need of before we ask, Mt. 6:8. He knows what is the mind of his own Spirit in us. And, as he always hears the Son interceding for us, so he always hears the Spirit interceding in us, because his intercession is according to the will of God. What could have been done more for the comfort of the Lord’s people, in all their addresses to God? Christ had said, "Whatever you ask the Father according to his will he will give it you.’’ But how shall we learn to ask according to his will? Why, the Spirit will teach us that.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1725&commInfo=5&topic=Romans

But the Spirit only intercedes in Spirit-filled Christians because those who are not Spirit-filled are spiritually dead.  They are false Christians.  False Christians are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ but refuse to obey His Word.  Their life is dead of holiness and righteousness that evidence a true, living faith.  

The truth is that only Spirit-filled Christians can have true peace in their hearts during trials and tribulations.  It is the fruit of the Spirit…

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,

goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

Galatians 5:22,23

It is the Christian’s privilege to have peace, which is of God by faith a peace that passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7), which the world can neither give nor take away.

But we must come to Jesus as little children in trusting obedience.  Distrusting God’s power and wisdom is a sin. 

And we must have faith in the promises of His Word that He will make “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Would Jesus rebuke you: “O ye of little faith”?

Or would Jesus commend you: “O ye of great faith"?

You must have great faith.  For faith produces peace.  And peace produces hope.

The God of Hope

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

that ye may abound in hope,

through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Romans 15:13

The Holy Spirit inspires us with hope. 

There is an obvious distinction between the true Christian and the hypocrite and infidel.  The Christian has hope.  The hypocrite and infidel are hopeless; they have no hope that all things will work together for good. Unless they repent and are born again, their eternity is doomed.

Are you dark and despondent because you have no hope?

You must not yield to overwhelming worry and grief and fear over evil in the world.

You must not yield to overwhelming worry and grief and fear during your trials and tribulations.

The God who loves you with an everlasting love promises He will never leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).  

Depression and despair come from a lack of faith in God…a lack of hope. In other words, hope springs out of faith.

Our hope is not based upon chance or good fortune.

Our hope is not based upon the promises of fallible men.

Our hope is in God.

When your spirit is downcast and sad…hope in the Lord!

When the wicked world is gloomy and dark…hope in the Lord!

When human help is feeble…hope in the Lord!

Believe in Christ as the true Object of hope – “Christ our Hope.”

In sorrow and in adversity...hope in the Lord!

When the wicked appear to triumph, and injustice and oppression gain the upper hand... hope in the Lord! 

A day is coming when Truth will triumph over lies and deception!

A day is coming when purity will triumph over impurity!

A day is coming when righteousness will triumph over wickedness!

Rejoicing in hope;

patient in tribulation;

continuing instant in prayer.

Romans 12:12

O Christian...

Rejoice in hope!

Be patient in tribulation!

Continue in constant prayer!

Don’t let fear and worry and grief overcome you!

Through great faith and great hope you can overcome fear and worry and grief.

You must be a Christian of great faith.

You must be a Christian of great hope.

Rejoice!  Jesus Christ - The Prince of Peace - has overcome the world!  

These things I have spoken unto you,

that in me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer;

I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

Have peace in your heart.

December 2011

Liberty Advocate

http://www.libertyadvocate.com/