Thank you for taking the time to read The Biblical Path To Peace. If you are in need of peace, this brief article will give you the help you need to find Bible answers that work. We will discuss what peace is so that our goals will be understood and realistic. We will reveal different types of peace and their sources with God’s Word as our guide. Lastly, we will see if there are things we can do to promote peace in our lives. So let’s get started.
Let’s first define what peace is. Until we know what peace is, it’s like shooting in the dark. You may eventually hit something, but it will be purely accidental. However, if we know what we’re aiming at, we increase our chances of success. Jesus Christ, while preparing the disciples for His departure, said this recorded 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.”
Peace is not the absence of problems but the absence of fear. We sometimes feel that if we just didn’t have so many problems, we could have peace, but a life without problems is a fantasy. In Matthew 6:34 Jesus said, “…Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” And in John chapter 16 :33 He said, “ 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.” Jesus was instructing them how to have peace when they would be scattered and alone. People often try to escape their problems through medication or alcohol hoping to find peace only to discover their problems continue to escalate. Again, the Bible defines peace as the absence of fear in the face of problems.
There are two important categories of peace mentioned in the Scriptures. First, there is peace WITH God. Rom 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Simply put, when a person gets saved, they are at peace WITH God and they are no longer His enemy. The previous four verses explain how that is accomplished. It says that Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification and that if we will receive Him as our Savior by faith, His righteousness will be credited to our account. Eph 2:8-9 restate the same truth. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation brings peace to our lives by removing the fear of eternal judgment.
Just as being at peace WITH God removes the fear of future judgment, obtaining and maintain the peace OF God removes the fear of day to day living. John 14:27 instructs us there are two sources of peace. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” This world’s system tries to remove fear by deceiving you. It tells you there is no judgment, no Hell, and no God. It works the same way pain medication does by masking the problem. It does not however address the problem or change the reality. The peace that God gives is a different kind of peace. It seeks to remove fear by addressing the problem with a solution. God tells you the truth and supplies a remedy.
How then do we obtain THE PEACE OF God? First, peace is a by-product of salvation. Peace is listed as one of nine characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22-23. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance.”
When a person accepts Christ as their Savior, the Holy Spirit enters and begins removing fear, continuing to do so as we yield to His leadership and learn from Him. John 16:13 tells us, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” He does so by instructing us in God’s Word. Psalms 119:165 tells us, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” The Scriptures bring us peace because they tell us the truth and teach us that God is in control so there is no need to worry. It helps us understand things that the world can’t. The Psalmist observes in Psalms 119:98-104 that he gained wisdom and understanding from the Scriptures. “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies… (99) I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. (100) I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts… (104) Through thy precepts I get understanding:…” Five times in seven verses he says that he gained wisdom and understanding from the Scriptures. Understanding helps us to have confidence and not be afraid by removing doubts and uncertainties. Proverbs 3:5-6 remind us to “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
God’s Word brings peace by giving us direction concerning the choices of life. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” When we are guided by His commandments, we can be confident that the results will be according to His will.
So, God is the source of our peace and the Holy Spirit produces it in our life through God’s Word. In addition to what God does, is there anything WE can do to promote and maintain peace in our lives? Again, we find the answer in the Bible. First, we are told to replace worry with believing prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 teach us to, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything 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.” When we pray “with thanksgiving”, it means that we are already trusting the Lord in the matter and so peace replaces fear.
The next thing we are taught is that peace is the result of keeping our thoughts on the Lord. Isa 26:3 tells us, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Cultivating an awareness of God’s presence throughout our daily lives will help us focus on the One Who is the solution to our problems, and not the problems themselves.
Lastly, always doing the right thing will help to maintain peace in your life. One thing that brings fear into our lives is the concern about consequences for things we have done. We fear the policeman on the side of the road because we’re speeding, and we fear judgment because of sin in our lives. Isa 32:17 tells us, “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” 1Jn 4:18 teaches us, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.”
We have learned from the Word of God that He is the source of true and lasting peace and we are at peace WITH God from the moment we accept Christ as our Savior. This has removed all the fear about eternity such as “what happens when I die.” We can also obtain and maintain peace in our lives by bringing our needs to Him in believing prayer, keeping our thoughts on the Lord to remind us where our help is from, and living a godly, separated life to remove any fear of divine displeasure.
I want to thank you for reading The Biblical Path To Peace, however real peace will not be found in the few minutes it took to read this article, but in the days and years to come of putting these things into practice. May the Lord help you find the peace you desire in Him.
Authored by: Pastor Mark Wagenschutz
