Common Sense Commentary: .......True, Lasting Peace is a Product of Heaven !
When Jesus was born, the angels sang out, "Peace on earth, good will toward men". That is, peace has come down to earth in the form of the baby Jesus and He comes with good will toward all men (hu-man-ity). Jesus came to a restless, troubled unpeaceful world with "peace and good will" for all who would accept it... freely.
The bold, fearless Prophet Isaiah declared in Isa.57:21, "There is no PEACE saith my God to the wicked." Then the weeping Prophet Jeremiah said they were saying "Peace, peace when there is no peace." Jer.8:11. God had looked down upon humanity, whom He had created in His own "image and likeness", and saw a world of turmoil and wickedness, but He loved us anyway. Jn.3:16 "For God so loved the world ...." (It was the grace of God which loved this wicked world). "... that he gave His only begotten Son .... (Yes, the "grace full" love of God sent Jesus to earth to die for our "wicked" sins) "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
l. God's hand of GRACE reaches down to our hand of FAITH .... "For by GRACE are you saved, through FAITH, and that not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God. Not of (selfrighteous) WORKS lest any man (hu-man) should boast." Eph.2:8-9. "For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Gal.2:16.
ll. God's GRACE-full Love, when accepted through FAITH in Jesus Christ, saves us from the guilt and penalty of sin and thereby we receive PEACE with God. "Having made PEACE through the blood of His Cross ...."Col.1:20.
lll. Peace with God is His Gift to true believers .... "Now the Lord of PEACE himself GIVE you PEACE...." 2Thess.3:16. ....."Peace I leave with you, my PEACE I give unto you: not as the world giveth ...." Jn.14:27.
IV. Jesus not only GIVES us PEACE ... He IS our PEACE. "For he IS our PEACE ...."Eph.2:14
V. From the moment we believe, the Spirit of Jesus lives in us to nurture and produce spiritual
fruit through our lives. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE ...."Gal.5:22. There are nine different blessings listed in v.22-23 but they are all ONE fruit like sections of an orange. Notice the verse says, "The FRUIT (singular noun) IS (singular verb) love, joy, PEACE ...." The Spirit of Christ is producing those nine spiritual blessings, in some degree, large or small, in every true Christian ... not based on how much of Him we have but how much of us He has. He is a person, the third person of the Trinity. If we have the Spirit of Christ at all, we have all of Him.
"... God giveth not the Spirit by measure." Jn.3:34. You have all of Him or none of Him. "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Rom.8:9.
Vl. PEACE with God will strengthen your MIND as well as your heart. "The PEACE of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and MINDS THROUGH Christ Jesus."
Phil.4:7.
Vll. GRACE always precedes PEACE. In every verse where GRACE and PEACE are mentioned, GRACE is always listed first followed by PEACE. There is GRACE available for every human being on earth but can be rejected which forfeits PEACE. There is no PEACE without GRACE.
In all 13 of Apostle Paul's epistles (letters) he begins with "GRACE and PEACE unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Also in both of Apostle Peter's epistles, he uses that phrase. Apostle John also uses it in 2Jn.1:3.
Pass it on. RB
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