Constant peace from the Lord of peace

The Lord of peace wants to give us peace

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16.

Imagine that you can receive this heavenly peace in your heart, a peace that always remains there in all possible situations and under all circumstances!

Yes, this is the new, natural life that the Lord of peace wants to give us. Then everything else will become strange and unnatural. God's kingdom consists of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17) Anything outside of this cannot be united with this blessed kingdom.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9. The others have a different name. The whole world is filled with uproar, unrest, and anxiety. “‘There is no peace,’ says the Lord, ‘for the wicked.’” Isaiah 48:22. Their lord has no peace to give them, only the opposite.

The Lord of peace, Jesus Christ, always had peace. He was lord over all situations. Jesus was lying in the back of the boat, sleeping, while the disciples were filled with unrest and fear because of the storm. Jesus said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:37-41. Jesus called being afraid unbelief. If we live in a childlike trust relationship to Christ, being fully aware that He knows us, sees us, loves us, and arranges everything so it works together for our good, then the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8. Yes, this is how it is in reality with all those who trust in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lord. They are precious in the Lord's eyes and stand out as warm suns who are filled with goodness in this dark and cold world.

Friends of the Lord of peace

The Lord of peace gives His peace to His friends. His friends are those who love Him and keep His commandments, doing whatever He commands them. (John 14:21; John 15:14) Peace cannot be separated from righteousness, from keeping His commandments. That is why it is written:  “Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:18. “Great peace have those who love Your law …” Psalm 119:165. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3. How secure and good it is to have our mind established in Christ. Then we will always have peace. Jesus said we must not have an anxious mind like the Gentiles. (Luke 12:29)

“And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?” Luke 12:25-26. We cannot accomplish anything through unrest and anxiety for our own or the others' benefit and joy. However, through a living faith, life becomes rich and interesting, with great joy and peace in a living hope.

There has to be peace at headquarters if a war is to be won. This is also how we need to have it in our hearts in order to wage the wars of the Lord and gain the victory. Therefore we read, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.

If we want to have constant peace, then we must forsake everything. It is impossible to keep the peace as long as we make demands and seek honor. We need to be completely consecrated to the God of peace in spirit, soul, and body before sanctification can begin. Then we are separated and circumcised in heart and mind to serve Christ, so He can do a work in us.

The link between peace and sanctification

Peace and sanctification belong together. Peace without sanctification will result in a dead peace, and you will end up in the congregation of the dead. “A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the congregation of the dead.” Proverbs 21:16. This is where most people rest today. The preachers put their members “under the blood,” where they can safely rest in all kinds of sins. All they need to do is utter a sigh before they die (they say), and they will be in the bride of Christ. The prophets who spoke lies were in the majority in the old covenant, and they are in the majority in the dispensation of the new covenant.

“Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord …” Hebrews 12:14. “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans 12:18. We will always be the source of unrest—even in small things—if we are not properly set free from the world and the things in the world.

Read Romans 14 and see how Paul exhorted them to preserve the peace with their brothers who might be weaker in the faith or of a different mind in a matter. In Romans 14:19 he writes, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”

The kingdom of the Prince of Peace

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. The millennium will be a kingdom of righteousness and peace, which He will raise up together with all those who have received this kingdom into their hearts now. “Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the man of peace has a future.” Psalm 37:37.

This article was first published in Norwegian in the BCC publication “Skjulte Skatter” (“Hidden Treasures”) in June, 1968.
© Copyright Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatters Forlag