Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…Colossians 3:15-16

Peace is a central concept in the New Testament. It is such a mark of the kingdom of heaven that Jesus left us his peace as our inheritance. The world is in need of peace. Most of the people I know, including believers, are in need of peace. We all are in need of peace. The Greek word for peace is eirene. In the New Testament it is the equivalent of the Hebrew concept of shalom which can be defined as prosperity of body, soul, and spirit. Biblical peace is the idea of an inner tranquility that nurtures every other part of our life – our health, our relationships, and our work. We all hunger for peace, but the question is how do we attain that peace.

The passage above from Paul’s letter to the Colossians gives us a hint. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. The word translated as “rule” is interesting. It is an athletic term that means to sit as an umpire and to judge what is within the rules and what is an infraction of the rules. The peace of Jesus is to umpire our thoughts and our actions. His peace should direct our thoughts, our decisions, and our actions. His peace should let us know when we are within God’s will and when we are beginning to stray from his will. Paul goes on to say that we should let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly as well.

The peace of Christ is peace that belongs to Christ. In John 14, Jesus gives us his peace or, at least, makes it available to us. What was the secret to the peace that Jesus maintained in the face of his massive stressors: the daily density of his disciples, the demand of the crowds on his time and energy, the opposition of the Pharisees, the cross that had to always nibble at the edge of his thoughts, and the demand to remain sinless in the face of constant temptations from the enemy?

In the midst of demands and opposition, Jesus seemed to navigate it all with an absence of anxiety and a constant confidence in the outcomes of heaven in his life. All of that undoubtedly flowed from his relationship with the Father and from his Father’s words stored up in his heart. How often did Jesus quote scripture to quickly and simply settle an issue?

I believe that the peace or inner tranquility that was his came from an absence of internal conflict. He had settled it in his heart long before he spoke the words, “Your will be done, not mine.” When Paul instructs us to “let the words of Christ dwell in us richly,” he gives us a clear step to the peace we seek. The word translated as “richly” means both abundantly and extremely. The Word is to live in us, be active in us, and to have power and life within us – not minimally but abundantly, not moderately but extremely. We are to give the Word of God lordship over our thoughts and decisions.

I believe that the heart of Jesus was so aligned with the Father than no internal debate ever broke out about what to do in any given situation and no debate ever broke out about which of the promises of God were true for him and to what degree. Our doubt about those things, create worry and uncertainty in our lives and rob us of peace. Jesus said that his peace is available to every believer. His peace comes from an extreme commitment to doing it God’s way without question and without hesitation.

When we have that commitment within us, the Spirit of God will direct us.   When Paul tells us to let the peace of Jesus Christ rule or umpire in our hearts, two things are implied. One is that whenever I have internal conflict about a thought or a decision, the Holy Spirit will give me peace when I have settled on the one most aligned with the Father. The experience of peace in my heart becomes an umpire that directs me to play within the mindset of heaven. Secondly, I also am to pursue peace in my heart and in my relationships because that is the atmosphere of heaven. When I am at peace in my heart and relationships, I can hear God most clearly.

When I am aligned with the Father, I can have perfect confidence that he hears every prayer and will care for me in every circumstance. When I am sold out to his Word, I obey his words. When I obey his words, I test them and find that they are true. When I find that they are true I have confidence in all of his Word and all of his promises for me. Then I know that he will be my sword and my shield; he will supply all my needs; he will go before me into battle; he will never leave me alone; and his love for me is unfailing. If I am confident of those things, I have no need to worry. I have peace.

Jesus had perfect confidence in all those things. Therefore, he had a peace that passes human understanding and he offers us the same peace. In one sense peace is a gift from God and a fruit of the Spirit. As a gift it is not something I can conjure up in my own heart in any lasting way. On the other hand, we have a part in receiving that peace. Peace rests on a foundation of single-minded devotion to the Lord and an unshakable trust in his promises for each of us. Seeking God’s peace through constant alignment with him, letting the Spirit guide us as his peace points us to God’s will and his ways for our lives, and letting the word of Christ dwell in us abundantly and extremely are all foundational to the peace we are seeking. Those are things we can pursue through obedience to the Spirit, study in the scriptures, and obedience to his Word.

Jesus had made all this possible for us because he is our peace. He has made peace between us and the Father. He has restored our relationship with the Father and we can rest in that relationship. We all want peace. Even Miss America contestants want “world peace.” But the truth is that there will be no peace without Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Peace will come when every man knows Jesus. Our personal peace will increase, as we know him better. Blessings today and shalom.