The Great Exchange: Peace for Confusion and Turmoil!
We have been examining the Great Exchange. Those things that Jesus gave to us in place of those things He has taken from us. The subject for today is God’s peace. Jesus took our turmoil and confusion and gave us His peace; Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Show More
The way the “world” presents peace is through prosperity, importance, celebrity, and so many things that give a sense of peace to others looking at you, but never the inner peace that only God can provide. Someone can look like they have peace on the outside, but all the while, be in emotional turmoil and torment!
The peace that Jesus gives is so important in this life that I am breaking it up into two teachings. Let’s now begin with part one.
The word peace in the New Testament means precisely what you would think it means. Peace, according to Strong’s Concordance means to produce prosperity (a good journey in life, not just finances): to be one, quietness, rest. The word peace is used in at least three important ways in the Bible:
- a state of national tranquility exemption from the rage and havoc of war
- peace between individuals, i.e., harmony, concord, security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous) of the Messiah’s peace the way that leads to peace (salvation)
- of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is the blessed state of devout and upright men after death
Darkness vs. Light
When the scriptures talk about walking in darkness, it doesn’t always mean doing evil deeds. Darkness also means the state of mind in ignorance and deception. Ignorance in the sense of not being aware or knowing the truth.
The most essential truth, as a Christian, is to know that we don’t earn God’s Grace, nor do we deserve it (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is a gift of God to His sons and daughters, and as Christians, we are the sons and daughters. Remember, every good gift comes from above the Father of Lights, and light illuminates the darkness just as the truth illuminates ignorance.
God’s Grace is like a flow of living water that is released by the Holy Spirit. We are the vessels through whom God desires to flow, His Spirit producing genuine life in us and through us. The most important question for us is, how do we activate God’s Grace?
Activating God’s Grace in our Lives
- The same Grace that produces salvation is the Grace to live life with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (the Fruit of the Holy Spirit described in (Galatians 5:22 -23).
- Grace is not made available by our efforts to be good, although that is important. To know what God expects of us and then to do it is the road to blessings. However, God’s Grace is released by one thing and one thing only, that is Faith. Faith is simply believing what God has said and then trusting and obeying that He will fulfill it.
- Grace is the table of bounty available to all believers to take from. Faith is then merely reaching up and taking what has already been provided. Grace is first, and then Faith receives it. Grace is God’s work, and Faith is your work. Faith does not create Grace, it simply makes what is available… now!
- In the same way, salvation is provided through Jesus Christ. Jesus made salvation available, that’s Grace, and by Faith, we receive it. Mark 11:24 states, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” We walk in what has been provided. Every other provision provided by God is obtained in the same way.
- It is not by how good you are but by the fact that you are seeking His kingdom and His righteousness that enables us to have genuine Faith in Him. The question is not how good you are, but do you know Him. If you are in a relationship with Jesus through His Holy Spirit, He will transform you into being like Jesus in every way.
- You can’t accomplish the work of the Holy Spirit through your efforts alone. You really can’t change your character and nature. Many confuse rehabilitation with transformation (Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. Rehabilitation is man’s work; transformation is God’s work (Romans 12:2). Rehabilitation is changing the outside of a person hoping that it will change the inside. Transformation on the other hand, is the work of the Holy Spirt on the inside, the heart of a person, and it will change the outside behaviors and character.
- The key to all change in Christ is, “do you know Him!” Not simply know about Him, but do you know Him? Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Do you talk to Him? Does He talk to you?
- Think about it; all the relationships you have had in life, parents, family, friends, and teachers have made you who you are. In the same way, a relationship with Jesus will make you the person God wants you to be.
If you can agree that all of the relationships in your life have shaped you into the person you are today, then you can also agree that not all of those relationships have been healthy or beneficial. Along the way, in life, there have been people, places, and things that have caused you great pain and sorrow.
In life, we all have grown up with mistaken ideas about life and carry the scars of making very bad decisions. Those bad decisions can often keep us from moving forward in the life that God has called us to. In a sense, they are emotional scars that we try to keep hidden. In the process of keeping them hidden, we become dysfunctional. Some dysfunctions are minor and irritating, and others are major and crippling.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
What Paul is saying is that our salvation or being saved requires us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He changes how we think and act. God’s Holy Spirit is at work to “will” or give us the desire to change and the strength to allow Him to complete it. Remember Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
No Jesus no peace; Know Jesus know peace!
