Peace ???
Jill walked home from her doctors surgery. The doctor had recently ordered a routine chest x-ray because of her persistent cough. She had left devastated - the doctor told her that the x-ray revealed cancerous secondaries in both lungs. He was referring her to the hospital urgently for tests and to see if anything can be done.
Too often people think of rest and peace in terms of advertised holidays, lying on a sunny beach doing little. But in reality our need for peace is much more profound than that.
A patient in the Lister hospital was dying of advanced cancer yet she clearly had great peace and had a lovely smile whenever anyone visited her. A teaching ward round was taking place, with students, nurses and junior doctors present. They came to her bed.
“When am I going home?” she asked the consultant with her usual smile.
“Alice, you wouldn’t be able to cope on your own at home?”
“No, I don’t mean that,” she replied with another smile, “I mean when am I going home to be with my heavenly Father in heaven?”
Real peace and rest comes when we are completely secure, whatever challenges life throws at us. There was a competition for artists to paint a picture with the title ‘Peace.’ Most entries depicted beautiful mountain ranges or coastal scenes. In contrast the winning entrant portrayed a large cascading waterfall but in the foreground was a thrush, sitting on a branch over the waterfall, singing away. The artist recognised that real peace is a peace of mind that overcomes life’s external problems.
Just prior to his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, Jesus told his disciples about the difficulties they would face when he returned to his heavenly Father. Yet he promised to give them his peace.
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
This peace, that God wants everyone to experience, can be understood in two ways,
1. Peace with God We are given this when all our sin has been forgiven by asking Jesus Christ to take responsibility for them. Sin is the attitude of mind that says,
“Shove off God. I’m in charge. No to what you want.”
To enter into a relationship with God through Christ means a reverse of this - God is now in charge and this relationship gives us eternal security. There is no other way to gain peace with God. The Bible teaches,
“Since we have been justified (put right with God) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1
2. Peace of God Because Christians have an assured relationship with God and know that he is in charge of everything that happens to us, we need never be anxious. The Bible teaches God’s people,
“Do not be anxious about anything . . . and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6
A major purpose of a church should be to point people to the joy they can experience through having a relationship with God - a peace and joy that can overcome all problems. Please come and investigate by coming to a service or joining us at a Christianity Explored group.
BVP
