Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

Today everyone talks about peace, countries are willing to go to war for it, and political figures promise it. We desire peace from a planet perspective, world peace, as well as a personal one, peace in our relationships, but do we really know what peace is? We live in a world where many different definitions and ideas of peace exist. Someone may say as long as I have money I can have peace, while another says as long as I have family I have peace. While still others believe that as long as they have health they have peace. The problem with these explanations of peace is that they are all examples of imperfect peace. People often pursue peace by chasing down different paths only to find that they are chasing something that they can’t catch or comprehend without Christ. It’s a little bit like the story of a puppy and the older dog. The puppy said to the older dog I have mastered philosophy. I have learned that the best thing for a dog is happiness and that happiness is my tail. Therefore I am chasing it and when I catch it, I shall have it! The older, bigger, and wiser dog replied, “I too have judged that happiness is a marvelous thing for a dog, and that happiness indeed resides in my tail. But I have noticed that when I chase it, it keeps running away from me; but when I go about my business, it comes after me.” People are often like the puppy pursuing after peace because they misunderstand the meaning of the scripture in Psalms 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”. This doesn’t mean that we chase after peace like the puppy does after its tail, but we pursue to be at peace with others and to be peacemakers. So what is peace, where does it come from and how do we have perfect peace? The dictionary defines peace as a state of quiet or tranquility, freedom from disturbance or agitation.  However, in the Bible the word “peace” in Greek refers to a mental attitude of tranquility based on a relationship with God. Peace with God is the result of an individual’s correct response to the Grace of God. It’s the result of a relationship with the Redeemer, a calmness based of Christ. It’s not the absence of problems but the presence of the Prince. Peace is not something that we chase after and grab a hold onto like the puppy, it’s about how we respond to the invitation to relationship, and based upon our response peace will follow or not. Now in Philippians 3:15 we are given some key insights into God’s plan for peace with regard to the cares of life; this is the peace of God. When it comes to the peace of God we are called to let the peace that comes from Christ rule in our hearts. To rule means to be in charge, it’s the one who calls the shots, peace should be the umpire of your soul. An umpire is an official appointed to rule over plays, the one who has the authority to decide. An umpire first of all knows all the rules of the game and how these rules should be interpreted and applied in every situation. They thoroughly understand and know how to apply the rules concerning interference, collisions, and obstructions and have the authority to award bases based upon the decisions they make. To “let” means making a conscious decision to grant permission to. The peace of God will not forcibly take control, you must allow it the opportunity to have control of you. So what is going to have control in your life, peace or problems? When we let the peace of God rule in our hearts, it becomes the umpire of our soul, finalizing the controversy between the flesh and the spirit. When the flesh tries to interfere with the spirit and the waves of emotions begin to rise within us, it is the umpire, the peace of God, that is ruling in our hearts and says peace be still (you’re safe). When opposition comes in like a flood trying to impede our progress, it’s the umpire (peace of God) that raises up a standard against them and says peace be still (you’re safe). When the enemy tries to hinder our progress, it’s the umpire (peace of God) that says to us be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, 1 Corinthians 15:58. Is peace the umpire of your soul, is peace the controlling force in your life? This requires a humble submission to the will of God in every situation that we face in life. Because no matter the sporting event we all see calls made that we don’t agree with or even understand, yet we have to accept the final authority of the umpire, even when we don’t like the decision. The same should be true with God’s Peace in our lives, it should rule our hearts, and guide our choices and decisions. Today we want to make everything about our feelings put peace provides a foundation upon which to stand.  Peace is not being in a serene situation, it is not a place called perfect, where we are free from the tornados of trouble. No peace is when in the midst of calamity and chaos we are able to say I still have joy, after all the things I’ve been through I still have joy. Peace is not pursuing fortune and fame, prosperity and popularity, and believing that once you have it that you will have peace, because if you chase after it, it will never come. Letting the peace of God rule in your heart is simply allowing God to speak peace to your afflicted soul just as He did the winds and the sea. It is peace that protects us from the whirlwinds and waves of worry.  The winds, and waves of this world, the distress and sorrows of our soul, and the adversities of our life must obey Him when He speaks peace be still. Only His voice of peace can silence the storm of sins and tame our troubled minds. Only His voice can defeat our doubt and conquer our fears.  When we let the peace of God rule in our hearts He leads us through the dark and dangerous times. It is Amazing Grace that overcomes our anxieties and leaves us with the calm assurance that everything is going to be alright. Peace is knowing that regardless of the problems, pressures, or principalities God’s promise will keep us in perfect peace if we will just keep our minds on Him. In this life there are many things that are determined to destroy your peace but the peace of God will be the umpire of our soul if you allow it to be. If you fill your minds with thoughts of Him you will still smile in the midst of sorrow. You will experience tranquility in the midst of turmoil and trouble. Paul also reminds us that we can be thankful in every situation. As a believer ruled by God’s peace you are to be thankful to God, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. When we focus on what He has done rather than on what we want done we will find our attitude will be a grateful one rather than an anxious one. Does His peace have the final say in your life or are you arguing with the referee over whose ruling will stand? What is ruling your heart? Are you letting worry have its way? Are you letting complaining and criticizing control? Are you letting guilt grip you? Are you letting anger, bitterness, hatred, revenge or fear rule, if you are then it’s no wonder that there is no peace.

Peace our precious possession

Romans 5:1  “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

Paul reminds us that peace doesn’t start with people it starts with the Savior and His finished work on the cross. Peace is a result of our:

• Position in Christ

The apostle Paul starts in Romans 5:1 by stating our position in Christ, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith. . . .” Justification is God’s act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin while at the same time declaring a sinner righteous through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. This righteousness from God is credited to the sinner’s account through faith alone, apart from works. Have you seen the illustration used of the three crosses at Calvary, Jesus and the two thieves? Over one cross is written: “In but not on.” On another cross is written: “On but not in.” And on the third cross is written: “In and on.” What do these signs mean? These signs are statements speaking about sin. The penitent thief, who after initially reviling Jesus, repented and cast himself on the mercy of Jesus, trusting in Him as he asked for forgiveness. Jesus forgave him and from that point on he had sin in him but not on him. His guilt was removed when his sin was transferred to Jesus. On the next cross, Jesus had sin on him but not in him, He was the Lamb of God without spot or blemish. The penitent thief’s sin along with all people’s sin was placed on him, and he was punished for it. The unrepentant thief who did not turn to Jesus in faith was on the third cross. He did not cast himself on the mercy of Christ for salvation, so he had sin in him and on him. Instead of having God’s grace he had guilt, when he died, he suffered the penalty for the sin that was still on him. What about you? Is sin still in but not on you? Or is it still in and on you? It is by faith that we receive justification, just like the penitent thief we need to turned to Jesus and say, I accept your claim, I believe that you are God’s Son; I believe that you are the Messiah, the Lord and Savior of sinners. Do you trust in Christ alone for salvation? By faith the thief said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus is the only one whose righteousness is accepted by the Father. When we believe that the perfect righteousness of Jesus is credited to us, our sin is paid for and we are justified by faith. So are you justified by faith? First Paul describes our position in Christ and next our:

• Possessions in Christ

What are the blessings of our justification? Paul mentions several of our possessions in Christ but I’m just going to mention the first of our possessions in Christ. If you ever want to do a fascinating study then take the time to discover all of the possessions we have in Christ. You will be amazed at all the “we have” references in Scripture. I think many Christians live discouraging lives because they have never been blown away by all the blessings we have in Christ. Our first possession in Christ is peace with God, Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God. . . .” Now it is very important to note that the Bible speaks of peace with God as well as the peace of God. Peace with God is not the same as peace of God, so what is the difference? The peace of God is described in Philippians 4:6-7, where Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God is having a calm and satisfied frame of heart and mind in the midst of troubles and pressures. The peace of God is peace with regard to the cares of life and is subjective. Where peace with God means that we were at war with God, there was a state of hostility between us which is now over. Peace with God is peace with regard to God, it is objective, and is a reality regardless of whether or not we feel happy and secure. That means that unless you are justified by faith you are at war with God and there is no peace. There is a sentence of death upon us which cannot just be discarded or ignored. The penalty and punishment was paid through the death of Jesus so we could be reconciled to God. But we must come to that place where we are able to say, “I recognize that God is holy and I am a sinner. I deserve to die and experience the penalty for my sin. I deserve the wrath and condemnation of God; I deserve to go to hell for all eternity. But, by his amazing grace, God sent his Son, Jesus, and he paid the penalty for all of my sin. Through Jesus’ death we can be justified there is peace and reconciliation to all who will receive it. The terms of peace were sealed by the blood of Christ at the cross of Calvary. And when we accept the terms of peace and believe that Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sin, and that his righteousness is credited to our account, we have peace with God. We don’t have to live weary lives fighting a war we can’t win, instead we can come by faith and find forgiveness. Paul says that the peace we have with God is “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” All of our blessings come through a relationship with Jesus Christ, starting with our access to God. It is here that we need to be careful, because instead of possessing real peace many are fooled into a false peace. There are those who simply give an intellectual acknowledgment to the gospel. They understand that God is holy and that we are sinners, they know that Christ lived a perfect life and died to pay for the penalty of sin, yet that is far as it goes. But true peace is much deeper than that, it is not merely having an understanding of the gospel and assenting to the truth of the gospel, but it is entrusting yourself to Christ. It’s where we stop saying Jesus died for sinners, and start believing that Jesus died for me. Another false peace is when we have an interest only in forgiveness and not in righteousness. A person who has false peace only wants to be forgiven. Their focus is only on forgiveness because they don’t want to go to hell. They only want forgiveness as fire insurance but true peace is not merely wanting forgiveness, but wanting to live in light of that forgiveness. It involves a heart transformation that results in a desire to walk in holiness before God. It’s not a response just based on a fear of hell but one of faith that longs for heaven. A third kind of false peace is seen in a scant view of sin. A person who has false peace sins and says, “It’s no big deal, the blood of Christ covers me.” They dismiss disobedience as no big deal. But true peace has a high view of sin, this person is troubled over their rebellion because they live for righteousness. They are concerned and convicted over anything that would break fellowship with the One whose Son died to secure that peace. True peace sees the real price that Christ paid and doesn’t to try to cheapen the cross of Calvary. True peace is characterized by gratitude. A person who has peace with God is constantly thankful to God for his amazing grace. They deserved to pay the penalty for their sin for all eternity, but instead God declared them, “Not Guilty!” They cannot help but living the rest of their life in gratitude for the gift of eternal life that was given to them even though they did not deserve it. So do you have peace with God or are you still at war?