True Peace Only Comes Through Jesus Christ

 

Jesus told His disciples, us and the world in the gospel of John 14:27; “Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give you to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.”  There are at least three wonderful truths that come from this short and powerful verse.  First of all Jesus is going to leave His peace with His followers.  Second He is giving this peace to His followers.  And third Jesus is not going to take it away as the world does.

Maybe we need to define the peace the world understands.  One of my high school history teachers defined peace in this way; “Peace is the time between two wars.”  Honestly this is not very encouraging to me; it means that there will be a war at sometime in the future and no one is sure when the war will begin or end and how devastating it could be.  President Woodrow Wilson said that WWI would be the war to end all wars.  As history has taught us this was not the case.

So peace defined by the world is unstable and uncertain.  On the flip side Jesus teaches that His peace and His Father’s peace is real and lasting.  Jesus told the apostles that when He left the earth the peace that He has in Himself and with His Father would be theirs.  On page 2053 of the English Standard Version Study Bible the note gives us clearer insight as to what type of peace Jesus means to leave.  “The expression peace (Hebrew – shalom) had a much richer connotation than the English word does since it conveyed not merely the absence of conflict and turmoil but also the notion of positive blessing, especially in terms of right relationship with God.  This may be manifested most clearly in the midst of persecution and tribulation from the world; see also John 15:18-19; 16:33.”

When the world defines peace as the time between two wars or absence of conflict there is an uneasy relief but the tension remains of when the next conflict will begin.  When one receives the peace that Jesus speaks of it does not matter what the world does because God’s peace that He leaves with His followers is maintained even in the midst of conflict.  We learn this truth either by going through persecution or by identifying with our brothers and sisters who are persecuted (Hebrews 13:3).

The second truth we see from John 14:27 is that Jesus gives us His peace; He doesn’t charge us for it nor do we have to earn it.  It is a free gift just as His salvation is a free gift.  This peace is both the peace of God and peace with God.

Peace with God begins when one receives Him as Savior.  It begins when you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and at that instant you receive peace with God.  Is this not what every human wants from whatever walk of life?  No one forces you it is something God does in your life and you respond with your heart and mind to His call upon your life.

No other religion offers this type of peace even if the so-called religion says they are one of peace.  Many religions say they offer peace but they offer a peace that is the absence of conflict based upon your good works.  And if you do enough good works then maybe you can have a better life after you die.  But it is nothing compared to the peace that you can have that comes from God through His only Son Jesus Christ.

God through Jesus Christ freely gives salvation or eternal life to those who would receive it; no strings attached.  Read these following words carefully: “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Salvation, eternal life and peace with/of God comes this way and this way only.

God is motivated by love to freely give you His peace.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever would believe in Him would have eternal life” (John 3:16).  This is true peace the love of God come for you and me and if we believe in what Jesus Christ did upon the cross on our behalf then we fully receive everything He has for us.

So if you want real and lasting peace in your own soul then turn to the Author of true peace Jesus Christ.  Followers of Jesus or Christians have been freely given this peace that humanity is looking for and even fighting for; stop fighting!  Christ desires to give His peace to you.  Simply receive it as a gift from the God who created you in His image.

Finally this peace is forever, it is not here today and gone tomorrow.  When Jesus gives His peace He tells us it is not as the world gives, which can be taken away at any moment.  When a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior that person receives eternal or forever life that includes the eternal peace of/with God.  No one can take it away from you; the world will try with all its distractions and uncertainty but the peace of/with God remains with a person who receives it freely from His righteous right hand.

Claim the peace that only Jesus can give by right now, confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing your heart that God raised Him from the dead.  This is what every human heart cries out for!  Are you listening to your heart?

Thanks to our Guest Contributor:

Pastor Ray Peters

Harvest Alliance Church