Excerpt from sermon #274 THE PEACE OF GOD

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus," Philippians 4:7.

In its context, our text says in Philippians 4:6-7: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

To not get distracted or anxious, which is what the word careful means. "Be careful for nothing" is the key to the peace of God, that our hearts are not distracted. Your heart and your mind will be kept in that sanctuary, in that place of refuge.

Our peace with God is obtained through Christ Jesus alone. We see this in Colossians 1:20: "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

Things in earth are things that pertain to our daily life. Things in heaven are things that pertain to our eternal salvation. Salvation does not just pertain to going to heaven to get out of hell. Salvation is that we come into the Lord and that He becomes our salvation. He becomes our hope. He becomes our all in all for this life and for the life to come.

This peace of God is a peace of mind that comes through our being reconciled with God. Colossians 1:21 says, "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled."

God brought our minds into that sanctuary to where there is no more frustration. This reconciliation is two-fold as we see in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19: "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

In the first instance, God reconciled Himself to the world in Jesus Christ.

The other side of this principle comes through in verse 20: "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

The sole basis for any reconciliation between God and man comes through in verse 21: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It all has to center back into this.

We must bear in mind we are not only dependent upon Christ to have purchased our peace by the price of His blood, but we are dependent on Him to bestow it on us. It must become personal.

In Isaiah 54:8-9 we read: "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee."

Now I want you to see the covenant of His peace in verse 10: "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee."

The mountains will be removed and we will see that the elements of nature will explode, but that does not take our hearts away from the Lord. The Lord does not forget His covenant of peace.

See how God speaks peace to a weary soul in verses 11 and 12: "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones."

The Lord is saying that He has riches in store for His people that so far surpass anything of this world that our hearts should never be set on the things of this world. Amen.

By the cross of Jesus standing,
Love our straitened souls expanding,
Taste we now the peace and grace!
Health from yonder tree is flowing,
Heavenly light is on it glowing,
From the blessed Suff'rers face.

Here is pardon's pledge and token,
Guilt's strong chain forever broken.
Righteous peace securely made;
Brightens now the brow once shaded,
Freshens now the face once faded,
Peace with God now makes us glad.

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