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What Is Peace?
Peace is something Jesus taught at Luke 10:5 & 6 we should pray for everyone to have! He there said: "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' (6) And if a son (or friend) of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you."
What is peace, thought? Do you think most people actually have found it? How can you get it?
What we all seek is happiness, but we quickly learn there can be no happiness without peace. [Prov 15:16-17] Most of us make the mistake of seeking peace through trying to please other people. We all start seeking to please our parents so they will love us and take care of us, and in some sad cases, just so they won't harm us. We seek peace through the approval of our other family members and friends, and from clergymen. Then, a little later in life, by trying to please a mate and children of our own. Most of us spend a large portion of our lives believing: If we can just figure out how to please the people in our lives, they will love us and we will have peace and happiness. That can never bring true peace simply because, as Jesus said at Luke 10:6, many people are not peace lovers... People who are not peacemakers are always intolerant of (hate actually) people who are![Luke 6:22-23; Mat 10:32-39]
To have true peace requires you first believe your life is going to continue and that you will have what you need, and even what you want. Other humans can never provide that hope and happiness. Even if you are favored have the very best this world has to offer, in every single way, you are still getting older and headed to the grave; as are those you love. That's a pretty big obstacle to having true peace.
Simply understanding that we are all born headed to the grave leads drives most of us to think about our Creator. It's a fool who believes mankind and our earthly home is an accident. [Psalm 14:1; Heb 3:4] If you are not a fool, then you are searching for the true God. Enter the Bible... From the Bible you can quickly learn God is looking to help you. [2 Chron 16:9] Next, you find He has provided the one and only, and the same, simple solution for each one of us. We each need only to listen to the son God sent to teach us. [Mat 17:5] But how can we really listen to Christ, and at the same time be certain we are following his warnings to avoid being deceived? [Mat 7:15; Mat 24:11] Easy enough really: We each need to join Jesus Christ's family [Mark 3:31-35] by reading the Gospel accounts of his life and teachings for ourselves; from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Jesus and his early followers cautioned you must be careful not to let other people tell you what they believe Christ taught. [Acts 20:29-30]
How, though, can knowledge of these few scriptures grant you peace? Simple... Understanding Jesus to be the one God is using to restore peace and paradise to the earth brings peace. [Isa 11:1-12] Building a true hope and faith in Christ, and in his promises, can grant you happiness by means of peace you have never known before. [James 1:25; Mat 24:38] That requires you first know what his promises are.
The Bible itself gives a beautiful definition of peace obtained through faith. It finishes the verses from Hebrews 10:35 thru 11:1 by saying simply: "Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld." Verse 39 says our faith will preserve alive our soul (or will sustain our life). Can't you see, then, if you truly believe in Christ as your deliverer, [John 11:25-26] as the one who will preserve you alive, [Job 33:24-25] you will have peace? [2 Cor 4:3-6]
In my personal opinion, I don't believe there can be complete peace until we are living completely and unquestionable under the kingdom of Christ; meaning all badness will be gone forever. Then, we won't suffer or have to see people around us suffer. As for now, there are days when I am convinced I see God do things in my behalf to care for and protect me. Then, other days, things happen that make me question whether He cares for me at all. In some cases, that may be because I have taken some action that damaged my conscience. In others, it seems it is because bad things happen to everyone (in this old world system), and maybe, because I just lost faith. I do believe, however, that even the perfect Christ Jesus sometimes had doubts under the pressure he faced. (Some people will say Jesus was perfect and that means he could never doubt. Well... We must be cautious to believe only what the Bible actually says and not what people think.) God sometimes sent angels [Mark 1:12-13] or others [Mark 9:1-8] to strengthen and comfort Jesus. During the ordeal of his death, he cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" [Mat 27:46] While on the one hand, Jesus knew he had to die, [Mark 8:27-33; Mat 16:21-23] I think some part of him also expected his Father to save him. [Gen 22:1-14] Of course, that is what I believe. That is my faith as I try to make sense of what is happening to us to me. The Bible seems to teach if I am wrong, I will die. That because, if I am wrong, it means I am not really listening to Christ. [John 8:31-32; Mat 7:15; Mat 15:9] So... Don't build faith in what I believe or say. Build faith in the words of God's son! [John 18:37] My faith can't save you. It must be yours! It seems we can't be saved just because we love receiving God's blessings. Even Satan would like being blessed by God. We must do what is right because it is right, without concern for reward. We must obey God in everything because we know He is perfect and that what He says is always for the good of all. Christ was willing to die [Mat 26:52-54] a horrible death, even tolerating being made fun of as a sinner, because he believed in his Father's goodness. [Mark 10:17-18] We must become people who would be willing to do the same. That's what Jesus came to teach. There can be no life except in יהוה 's righteousness. That knowledge brings peace because it will be so. [Phil 2:9-11]
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