Date: July 17, 2014
To: The Body of Christ
From: Miyagi
Subject: Essay
Re: The Peace of God
The Peace of God
The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate and show how the Scriptures and with other secondary literature support and fits with the theme of the “Peace of God.” This essay will show how a believer can dispel fear, anxiety, doubt and worry through achieving God’s peace. The challenge here is that when you hear a person say ‘I do not have the peace about ….,” the question that comes to mind is that is this statement of God, of the flesh or of the enemy of our soul? This essay will prove and demonstrate that the word of God with the Holy Spirit in convergence will reveal to the believer the truth of the matter. It will identify what in particular about the believer is making him fearful, anxious, doubtful, worrisome and unpeaceful.
One question to ask is “ who is talking here?” Is it the Lord, the strongman, or the devil? In the foregoing paragraphs, by Scripture and commentaries, evidence will be presented to show that a believer in Christ must know who is His Lord. What I am about to present is the proposition on the subject of “The Peace of God” through Scripture and personal testimony. The results will contain enough substance to prove, not so much scientifically, but through revelation and Scriptures those things that have been proposed.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7, NKJV)
Commentary:
As believers, we are to live without fear, anxiety and worries. This is so because the Almighty God is our heavenly Father. He is more than able to care for all our needs. We tend to be fearful, anxious, and worrisome when we take our eyes off of Jesus and place them on our problems. When we do this, we are taking the place of God. We become our own gods. But when we pray to God regarding our problems and struggles, and we humbly acknowledge that we need God’s help in these matters, God will then step in to help us. He will not leave us nor abandon us. He will help us find a solution and He shall give us peace. (Miyagi)
Because prayer is a vital part of the believer, there is simply no place for anxiety. As believers, we pray, petition, make requests, but above all give thanksgiving unto God. God deserves all the praise and faith comes when we remember what God has done for us in the past and we become thankful to Him. Therefore, anxiety and praise cannot co-exist side by side. When the believer replaces worry with prayer, he will have the peace of God. This should be evident in the lives of the true believers (Carson, et al 1258)
“Be careful for nothing.” The one essential cure for worry is prayer. Through prayer, we renew our trust in the Lord, casting our anxiety and problems on Him (Stamps 1883).
“...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Pet 5:7, NKJV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matt 6:33, NKJV).
The peace of God comes from God to guard our hearts and mind as the result of our communion with Christ Jesus (Stamps 1883).
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Colossians 3:15 (NKJV)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
God strengthens us to do all the things He desires of us. According to Ephesians 3:16-21 (NKJV), it says
“16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
When we receive His mercy and grace in times of need, we are assured that in all things God works together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). The peace of God….shall keep your hearts when you call on God from a heart that remains in Christ and His Word (Stamps 1883).
John 15:7 (NKJV) says “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Then the peace of God will flood our troubled souls. This peace is a tranquility mediated by the Holy Spirit. It involves a firm conviction that Jesus Christ is near and God’s love will be active in our lives for good. When we lay our troubles before God in prayer, this peace will stand guard at the door of our hearts and minds It prevents the care and heartaches of life from upsetting our lives and prevents undermining our hope in Christ. If fear and anxiety return, prayer, petition and thanksgiving will place us in the peace of God. There, we are safe and we rejoice in the Lord. We have the peace of God (Stamps 1883).
The Hebrew Word for peace is “shalom.” This word denotes far more than the absence of war, conflict and stress. “Shalom” is the positive presence of harmony, wholeness, soundness, well-being and success in all areas of life. It refers to one’s personal sense of wholeness and well-being, free from anxiety and fear, to be at peace within one’s own soul. The disruption of peace came about from the sin of Adam and Eve (Stamps 1883).
The result of the fall is the destruction of peace and well-being for humankind. God planned to restore “shalom.” Therefore, the story of regaining peace is the story of redemption in Christ Jesus. Our personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior represents the degree of “shalom” that a person possesses (Stamps 1883).
Seek to maintain unity with other believers through your thoughts, attitudes, love and purpose. The agape love of Christ’s attitude of unselfishness, servanthood, and obedience are demonstrated with the Body of Christ. So when Jesus Christ was questioning Peter,”do you love Me? …. Then feed My sheep,” He was extending agape love to Peter, but Peter was carnal. Because Peter’s response was “of course I love You,” it only confirmed what Jesus already knew which was the condition of his heart. His heart wasn’t in servanthood. (Spirit Filled Life Bible 1808).
Matthew 25:40 (NKJV) states,
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”
As we do to the least one of these, we are serving the Lord Jesus Christ. This agape love is manifested when we do for the least one of these (Spirit Filled Life Bible 1808).
Perfect love casts out all fear. So without “agape love,” fear is prevalent and the believer will always be in bondage to fear with no expression of God. For one to express God, he must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Man’s love is shallow, like Peter, and cannot come to terms with the Lord. There is always an excuse. “I have no peace.” This statement really indicates that there is no agape love because agape love has no fear Perfect love cast out fear and perfect love IS agape love (Miyagi)
Therefore, ministry philosophy, personal revelations, and religious dogma, when converged together in the Holy Spirit, will develop a person’s personal theology of God. This personal theology of God defines his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The dimensions or dynamics of all these components describe the status of his spirituality. It could be elementary, carnal or mature. He must know that he know that he know who Jesus Christ is. For some, it may take twenty years to come to this great exchange. It may require years of study, years of walking with the Lord, years of trials and tribulations of testing and perfection to develop one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul reminds us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). The doctrine of “once saved, always saved” cannot be found in Scriptures at all (Miyagi).
True fear of the Lord is lacking in churches today and so when you hear statements like “ I don’t have the peace about this or that,” it is because agape love and the fear of God is missing. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding comes from Jesus Christ (Miyagi).
On the other hand, if the Holy Spirit is being grieved, and stirs up a believer, this is a warning: “Beware, evil is at the front door.” A believer without the gift of the Holy Spirit cannot discern if this is of God or the devil. The fear of man produces a snare but the fear of the Lord produces liberty. So one must carefully discern what comes out in the tongue because life and death are in the power of the tongue as per Proverbs 18:21 (Miyagi).
So when God sends His message regarding ministry opportunity through His messenger, when the response is “oh, we have already done that” or “we have no peace about that” or “that’s not my calling,” this is typical of one who is walking in the flesh instead of walking in the Christ. This is an example of the inability to discern that this is a message from God through His appointed messenger. When a stranger appears at your church, usually it is because there is sin in the camp and God wants to address that sin. If a pastor is unable to discern why this stranger appeared in his church out of nowhere, but instead rise up to control or put a muzzle on the messenger, he is actually coming against God Himself. Beware of Psalm 105:15 (Miyagi).
Summary Conclusion (Application):
In Conclusion, the peace of God will dispel all fear, anxiety, doubt, and worry. To get this peace, one must have the fear of the Lord and agape love.
Shalom and blessings,
Miyagi
The Body of Christ Jesus Fellowship
Makaha, HI USA
808-772-8215
P.S. Although this essay may appear to have some personal components, the content of this essay was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of edification, exhortation and comfort. If the foregoing essay cannot be a stand-alone with scripture and personal revelation, then it may be a false teaching. We all have the right and the power to judge. Righteous judgement is called “discernment.” We have the power of God to ascertain that what we have read is true and not mere man’s interpretation.
The ministry that God has given me is Isaiah 61:1-3 and that I was led to create this essay because I am operating on point and purpose. The Bible is our standard of measure. If it doesn’t line up with the word of God, we must recheck it and label it false teaching.
As always, feel free to share any comments and impressions that may edify the Body of Christ at large. The foregoing essay contains personal revelational knowledge of what the Lord has shown me through the last 25 years.
Miyagi
Work cited
Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1258). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
Stamps, Donald C., The Full Life Study Bible King James Version, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992. Print.
Spirit Filled Life Bible New King James Version. Ed. Jack W. Hayford Litt.D. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1991. Print.
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