The Way of Peace
Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Make you perfect in every good work to do His Will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight,”
God is the God of Peace….of all peace. And we should be fully at peace with Him…..instead of at cross purposes.
Luke shows this in the announcement of Christ’s work:
Luke 1:79 “To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The Way of Peace….
That Way begins, of course, when we are born again…..there is the peace of reconciliation by salvation.
Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
Which leads to the ministry of reconciliation…telling others of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not inputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
Sometimes our ministry of reconciliation is simply a word of testimony about our Lord Jesus,….or a prayer for another,….or a conversation.
Then there is the Way of peace by sanctification…..
…..by denying ourselves, picking up our cross and becoming His followers in deed as well as word…..in obedience to His commands and calls.
(Sanctification is the setting of ourselves aside to sacred use….to be used by God in our spirit, soul, and body.
We are in fact, sanctified by all three Persons of the Trinity:
“Sanctified by God the Father”…..Jude 1 [He willed it]
“Sanctified in Christ Jesus”….1 Corinthians 1:2 [He paid the price so that we could have it]
“Through sanctification of the Spirit”…..1 Peter 1:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 [He works it within us on a day by day basis]
The Peace of Sanctification is a great peace….leaving the wishy-washy, fence-setting, double-minded life…..to gain the pure outlook….”I belong to Christ…everything I am and do, I want to do to the glory of God.”)
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.”
Then there is the Way of peace of repentance from backsliding….like the Prodigal.
Luke 15:17 “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, while I perish with hunger!”
“When he came to himself” means when he realized, that the pigpen of the world was not where he belonged…..
….he belonged in his Father’s house.
But how to return? He could not return and ask for a son’s place at the table which he had refused…and left….
…what could he do?
Luke 15:18-19 “I will arise and go unto my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.”
He could return, and confess his folly and sin,…..and ask for a servant’s place….placing himself at the Father’s disposal.
Well, we all know what the Father did for the Prodigal….
….but do we know He will do the same for us?…..if we “return, O backsliding children!”
Jeremiah 3:22 “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God.”
Then there is the Way of peace in the midst of the storms of life….a peace which anchors us to Him….calming, holding us, moving us forward against the onslaught of trial and fear…
Philippians 4:7-9 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful.”
God is the God of all peace…..praise Him in all three Persons, that He is a God of peace……which covers all our separations from Him….
It is because of His Will, His precious blood, His blessed inworking….
…that we have Peace….reconciliation…..a place at His table….strength…and all these through Him.
Romans 8:31-32 “What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 