People everywhere search for peace. We sing songs and travel to try and find it. We even wage war to protect it. Many wealthy and powerful people would trade everything for just a few minutes of peace. But, what they often find is false peace which is a completely different peace that if offered by Jesus,
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” – John 14:27
The peace offered by the world is an empty promise and can only bring temporary comfort. God’s peace is permanent peace offered by the only One who can be trusted to keep His Word and heal our sins.
The world’s peace is fleeting and changes with every circumstance.
During times of prosperity, nations experience temporary peace. But when economies struggle, countries find themselves on the brink of civil war as well as war with their neighbors. The peace of the world is a precarious thing. Conflict erupts when people are hungry, peace disappears when circumstances turn ugly.
Think back to when covid 19 happened. The government told us how we had to live, where we could go, and what he had to wear on our faces, to time spend with family, we had to stay 6 feet away. If your anxiety was high and were afraid and thought you were going to die. You did not have peace with God. The world is good a trying to lead us astray and using our fear as a weapon against us. Don’t get me wrong, covid can make us very sick, but there was medicine to help it, medicine in which America has nearly been banned to keep us from taking it.
“The says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, Peace!” and whoever doesn’t provide for their mouths, they prepare war against them” – Michah 3:5
The world’s peace is built on the weak foundation of compromise.
In the Old Testament, God warned the Israelites that if they intermarried for political reasons, they would face the temptation to compromise their love for the One true God and end up serving false gods. This compromise, though would create a temporary absence of conflict and would ultimately lead to destruction.
“Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are going to enter, otherwise, there will become a snare amount you” -Exodus z34:12 (NIV)
“Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your won’t, and never speak of peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever” -Ezra 9:12
Now many people intermarry and it’s not a problem unless they share your beliefs in God. In many cases it leads to trouble.
The world’s peace ignores the root of the problem.
When asked “What is wrong with the world today?” many will point out to the volatile stock markets, corrupt governments, climate control, poor diets, lack of healthcare, broken families, poor schools, and more. The world tries to fix these problems by doing good, feeding children, building wells, regulating stock markets, conserving wildlife, funding schools and thereby achieving a type of peace.
Worldly Peace tries to fix the symptoms of sin but fails to see how the root of the problem is the sin disease itself, something that can only be healed by God, not by money, regulation, or reform. Dealing with the symptoms of sin but failing to diagnose the sin itself is not new. In the New Testament, the false prophets treated sin lightly and proclaimed the problem ‘solved’ when it wasn’t.
“They have healed the wound of my people lightly saying, ‘Peace, Peace,’ when there is no peace” -Jeremiah 6:14
“Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying “Peace,” and there is no peace. When one builds up a wall behold, they plaster it with whitewash“ – Ezekiel 13:10
In contrast to the world’s promise of peace, God’s peace is permanent and firmly grounded in His Word. He doesn’t ignore sin -He heals it, making His peace a different kind of peace from what we find in the world.
God’s peace is permanent and secure.
When circumstances are free of conflict, we enjoy momentary peace. But when we face difficult relationships, health problems, and financial crises, the monetary quiet is disrupted and chaos rules the day.
God offers us peace in the midst of the chaos. His peace doesn’t change with the circumstances, it is secure in spite of the circumstances.
“For the mountains may depart and the hills removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall no bet removed” – Isaiah 54:10
“I have said these things to you, that in my you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world” – John 16:33
God’s peace is built on the sure foundation of His Word.
Young or old, male or female, we’ve all experienced the pain of broken promises. No matter how much our families, friends, and coworkers love us, at some point, someone will disappoint us. And despite our best intentions, we are likely to disappoint someone else by saying or doing one thing or another. God’s Word, however, can be trusted. He never contradict Himself or acts in a way that is our of character. He will never disappointed us.
“Great peace have those who love your law, nothing can make them stumble“ -Psalm 119:165
God’s peace is ours because Jesus heals our root of sin.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You” -Isaiah 26:3
All religions other than Christianity have one thing in common. They try to achieve peace with God by doing works and following rules. Christianity is different.
In Following Jesus, we are offered peace with God because those who “once were far off have been reconciled to God through Jesus’s death and resurrection. (Ephesians 2:13). Jesus’s sacrifice addresses the root of the problem that the world ignores. By His sacrifice, He bridged the gap that sin inserted between us and God. He took the punishment for our sin and in exchange He gives us peace with God.
When we experience eternal peace through reconciliation with God in Jesus, we also receive the Holy Spirit. Because of Him, we enjoy the blessing of peace in our daily lives -even when we find ourselves in the midst of turmoil.
I believe that until we learn hoe to follow God’s commandments, man’s laws will never work.
From Pity to Praise 