The World's Peace

May 19, 2022

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).

The peace that Jesus gives is spiritual, not material, and affects the whole person, not just the physical person. What is the peace that the world gives? The dictionary has many shades of meaning for the word peace, but the main principle is that of the end of conflict: “the normal, non-warring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world; to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism; a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations; the normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community; public order and security.”

Pop-culture says, “You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level” (Eckhart Tolle), “Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be” (Anonymous), “Nobody can bring you peace but yourself” (Ralph Waldo Emerson), “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding” (Albert Einstein), “Peace of mind is not produced by pleas or supplication, but by achieving command of your own attention” (Henry Palmer), “It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it” (Eleanor Roosevelt).

Both the modern definition of peace, and the various pop-culture concepts of peace are flawed because they rest on the person to manufacture or achieve it. However, The Personnel Journal reported this statistic: "Since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight percent of the time! In its study, the periodical discovered that of 3530 years of recorded history, only 286 years saw peace, and over 8000 peace treaties were made and broken" (www.family-times.net/illustration/Peace/200136). We are all too familiar with this.

The vast majority of people will never experience peace, and if they do, it will be short lived. Why? Because we are people, human beings that are flawed, sinful, evil, and for the most part - godless. We cannot rise above what we are. We are at war with others because we are at war with ourselves. Only the Lord can give us peace. We can only be at peace with others when we are at peace with ourselves, and we can only be at peace with ourselves when we are at peace with God through Jesus Christ. (John 16:33) These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (Romans 8:5-7) For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. Amen.

Pastor

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