“He
Is Our Peace”
Ephesians 2:12-18
12. That
at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without
God in the world:
13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14. For he is our peace, who hath made both
one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity,
even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself
of twain one new man, so making peace;
16. And that he might reconcile both unto God
in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17. And came and preached peace to you which
were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18. For through him we both have access by one
Spirit unto the Father.
e are in a time in which it seems
there is no peace to be found anywhere. But it is of the utmost importance
that we understand that no matter how any situation seems, we have been promised
peace by our Saviour.
Our world is desperately seeking
peace: peaceful things, peaceful situations, peaceful distractions and hobbies.
Where no peace exists, our leaders attempt to manufacture it through treaties
agreements and talks. But the harsh reality of a world run amok (through sin)
is that there is no peace outside of Christ. No matter how hard we, or anyone
else, try to achieve it, we will find peace only by submitting to the Lord.
If you are constantly “at odds” with
others or find yourself always opposing yourself, perhaps you should check
your relationship with God. Because knowing that you have a relationship with
Him and pleasing to Him is the only way one can really be at rest. What one
cannot do is live as if avoiding God. In order to make peace with anything
or anyone, that object person must be looked squarely in the face and confronted.
We must be able to meet God on His level, see ourselves through His eyes and
accept our correction and or admonition—that we might enjoy peace “through
our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Just as there could be no homey without
bees, there is no peace for the individual unless he knows the Peacemaker.
And living free from worry, sin and the rest of life’s problems is sweet,
indeed.
Unfortunately, we have developed
a skewed perception of ourselves and our relationship to the rest of the world.
We honestly believe that others’ attitudes, perceptions and feelings toward
us affect who and what we are. Well, the fact of the matter is that your peace
is not predicated upon how anyone else treats or mistreats you. The ease of
mind with which you go through this life is based upon your personal “right
relationship” with God—and that only. Being and staying in union with Him
and consequently, knowing who you are makes peace for you absolutely no problem.
The Holy Ghost has come to the world
and into our individual lives that we “…might have life and that more abundantly.”
Obviously, to give us the more abundant life, the life that we had before
salvation must be changed. Why? Because that way was the way of destruction,
death, heartache, turmoil and trouble.
Usually, the only impediment to the
operation of the Spirit is the vessel in whom He is housed. The transformation
the Holy Ghost brings involves our cooperation. That is, though upon receiving
salvation, everything the Holy Ghost came to do has been done for you, there
is no magic wand which can be waved to make you accept the benefits of God.
So, what does this mean in translation? If one insists upon conducting himself
as a fleshly being, he will be forced to live his life without peace.
Spiritually (biblical) teaching—teaching
that discourages anger, wrath, despair, anxiety, depression—is becoming more-and
more maligned by saint and sinner alike. Nevertheless, what God has said has
and always will prove itself to be right. Therefore, it only makes sense that
the God who grants us peace, would admonish us to stay balanced in our living
and emotions, thereby “non-reactive” to what we perceive as threats, crises
or traumas.
The Apostle Paul believed that whatever
he committed to the Lord He was able to keep “against that day.” In other
words, that which was committed to the Lord was always committed. Though many
of the children of God believe themselves masters at commitment, too many
things are loaned to the Lord and taken right back into possession. We are
just too bothered by what happens to us. Too many become faint when they begin
to feel that despite the fact they are saved, they are subject to the same
nuisances as sinners. For many, it is one thing to talk faith, but another
harder thing to live saved. For these people, life will be as a sinner’s for
they will be subject to the things which befall sinners.
If one has peace bestowed upon him,
need he find it necessary to defend himself? This is exactly why God blesses
us so. He knows that if we are at peace within ourselves, we will not find
it necessary to “take up arms” for any reason.
Jesus is our peace under all circumstances.
For too long, it has been dealt with as if we are at peace only as long as
no one personally attacks us. God can be attacked and we can take it, but
we just know that He doesn’t want us to let people “mess” with us, right?
Doesn’t it stand to reason that those
not serving God will persecute those who do? This is why scripture admonishes
us to “… think it not strange” and that “in the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” The Peacemaker Himself wants
us to understand His role in our lives and wants us to be comforted. Those
given a vision and mission by God can ill afford to expend valuable time and
energy worrying about anything. Accepting peace makes overcomers, and it is
the overcomer who will be allowed to eat of the tree of life, who will be
given a white stone with a new name, and power over the nations. It is the
overcomer who will be made a pillar in the temple of God and who will be allowed
to sit with the Lord on His throne. Now, don’t the benefits outweigh any inconveniences?