Jesus said in John 14:27: 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.  Several truths stand out in the words of Jesus. They are that he brings peace; it is different from the peace that the world offers; and that there is no need to be troubled or be afraid. The Bible makes it clear, that Jesus came and made peace for man with God by becoming the peace offering that put away sin. The writer Hebrews wrote in 12:1: let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us …  That is the ingredient that leads to the peace that Jesus left with the world.

The people of the world are frightened with the conditions being as they are today. The protest groups cry to give peace a chance but refuse to turn to Jesus Christ. The people in other nations are blowing themselves and others up due to following false gods that tell them to destroy, maim and kill in order to go to heaven. They are doing it in the name of peace, trying to bring peace and order by using disorder to achieve it. The peace that Jesus said he would leave is that which passes all understanding as Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Those verses proclaim the true peace that Jesus said he would and did leave.

In order to have true and lasting peace in the world, it must begin in each individual. Judas was a troubled man who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He killed himself as a result of not being at peace with God. Peter was a troubled man who denied Jesus three times out of fear for what others might say and do if he acknowledged Jesus as the Christ. He had no peace of mind due to fear. Paul consented to the persecution of Christians thinking he was doing God’s will, but he learned that he wasn’t at peace with God since he couldn’t keep the requirements of the law. All of them were looking for peace and couldn’t find it until they looked to Jesus for it; that is all except Judas.

People cry out and ask why God doesn’t stop the carnage that humans bring to their fellow man. He won’t stop anyone from performing their wanton behavior any more than he prevented Adam and Eve from following the words of the serpent. It is up to each individual for proper conduct toward others and God. God gave each of us a free will to make choices and the choices will be right or they will be wrong. It is up to each individual to stop the carnage by not engaging in sinful conduct. Peace with God (and each other) begins with each one of us.

The new way of life will bring peace if one keeps faith in Jesus Christ.  The writer of Hebrews says in 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is Jesus himself, the substance of the hope that those who die in faith will rise from the grave; the empty tomb is the evidence of Jesus having been on the earth. That surely by itself will bring peace knowing that one did rise from the grave to prepare the way for those who will believe.

© 03-06-2003 DEC

Revised 06-01-2008

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