The Peace of God

Today the small group that I participate in begins a focus on the peace of God in preparation for our virtual meeting next Tuesday morning. Below is our passage for today:

This week we want to ponder “peace”. How can we have the peace Christ? How can we share the peace of Christ? In the midst of the pandemic and economic and social uncertainties, people are looking for peace and if they can’t find it they are looking to deaden the pain through a number of ways.

 

The foundation for knowing, experiencing, and sharing the peace of Christ is knowing who Christ is in us, and who we are in Him – it goes back to the question, “What’s in your wallet?”

 

Tuesday, August 4: Philippians 4:4 – 9.

 

This is one of those passages that is so familiar that we miss its meaning and we miss its action items. We sometimes think that the Scriptures are some kind of treasury of magic sayings; if we say them over and over enough, or if we memorize them, then fairy dust is going to fall on us and things will be just fine. Lots of folks know something of this passage and seem to think that if they read it, or memorize it, that they’ll have peace – but is this true?

 

I verse 7 Paul writes of the peace of God which passes all understanding, or comprehension – in other words, God’s peace is so “other” than the peace of the world, that even when we experience it we just don’t understand it – it is, after all, God’s peace.

 

But we don’t experience God’s peace just by wishing for it, we experience God’s peace as we live in relationship with Him as His sons and daughters; living in relationship includes responding to Him and His Word in obedience and trust.

 

You might want to consider spending some time in this passage for a few days, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you through it, to reveal Jesus Christ to you through this passage. You might want to think about memorizing it, don’t be in a hurry, take your time, a few words a day is good – even if you forget the memorization in a few weeks or months you’ll “see” things you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

 

What do we see in this passage that requires our obedience? In other words, by God’s grace, what are we supposed to be doing, how are we supposed to be living?

 

v. 4: What do you see? What does this look like in your life? Is this something you need to cultivate? Those who follow Christ are called to be joyful in Christ! Do others see you rejoicing in Jesus Christ? Your family? Your friends? Are you having a bodacious life in Jesus Christ? When we rejoice in Christ we open ourselves to experience God’s peace.

 

v. 5: Paul says that our gentleness is to be known by everyone, and then he reminds us that Christ is present and near all the time – we are to live in that awareness. Take a look at Galatians 5:22 – 23; gentleness is an element of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes to Titus (3:2) that we are to malign no one, we are to be peaceable, and we are to be gentle. While we’ll look at gentleness again this week, because it is closely linked to the peace of God, let’s consider the common sense principle that someone who cultivates anger and vitriol and talks maliciously about others isn’t likely to put himself in a position to experience God’s peace.

 

Are we known for our gentleness? Are the people we associate with known for gentleness? Are the people we listen to and watch on media, people who radiate peace and gentleness? Do we talk critically about others? Do we malign others? Do the people we read and watch and listen to speak respectfully of others? Let’s remember that we are sons of the Living God and brothers of Jesus Christ – is the family likeness radiating from us? I’m reminded of the following quote (I don’t know who first said it); “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

 

v. 6: Our Father wants us to talk to Him all the time about everything. What else do you see in this verse?

 

v. 7: God’s peace guards both our hearts and our minds – both our emotional and intellectual health. God’s peace “guards” us – He builds a wall around us.

 

v. 8: Boys, if we expose ourselves to violence, lust, greed, vitriol, gossip, slander, hatred; if we are always looking for the bad in others, if we have a habit of believing the worst about others, if we are not looking for things that are excellent and things worthy of praise – then we can’t expect to live in the peace of God. People who are pretty much always looking for a reason to be mad, to find fault, to impute impure motives, to uncover deep and dark secrets in others can’t expect to live in the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are sons of Light, not of darkness – we’re to be focused on the Light, not on darkness and evil.

 

v. 9: Now this verse is really a wake–up call to me. I read this passage for decades and never paid attention to this verse. Paul says, “…practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” If we don’t practice what Paul has been writing we can’t expect to experience the peace of God or the God of peace. If we aren’t willing to, by God’s grace, learn and practice rejoicing, gentleness, thanksgiving; thinking and meditating on the pure and honorable and excellent – then we can’t expect to experience the peace of God.

 

As sons of God we are to live as our Father and Lord Jesus – no matter what other people, or what society and culture, are doing.

 

Are there things that need to change in our lives in order for us to obey this passage and experience the peace of God which passes all comprehension?