*PEACE*

PEACE=lack of conflict and freedom from fear of violence; a state of tranquility and calmness between 2 sides

*1. ETERNAL PEACE WITH GOD:*

-Rom5:1 ”Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST”
-You can have this peace with God by accepting that Jesus Christ died to pay for your sins; the state of conflict between God and man started in the garden of Eden when man sinned and this state of sinfulness is passed on ever-since: we are all born sinners;
-Jesus has taken upon himself the sin of the whole world (Jn1:29) so that now anyone who accepts Jesus as Savior is reconciled to God (Eph.2:16).
-Example: imagine man and God are back-to-back in total enmity because of sin: d b ; the sacrifice of Jesus (symbolized by the animal sacrifices since Eden until the cross) allowed God to turn toward man: d d; when someone accepts Jesus as Savior, he turns to God: b d; again: db – dd – bd

d b:
-Is.59:2 sins are a wall of separation between man and God;
-Habakkuk 1:13 God can’t look upon sin

d d:
-Is65:2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people
-Luke19:42 if u knew the things which could have given u peace…
-Rom.5:10 ”For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

b d:
-2Cor.5:17 God has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ
-Col1:20-22

*2. PEACE WITH GOD IN OUR DAILY LIFE*
A Christian has eternal peace with God through Jesus (Rom.6:23) but in his daily life he can be ‘at war’ with God through a natural thinking, though without losing his eternal standing with God (Rom.8:6,7).

*3. PEACE BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES*
Eph.2:14 HE (JESUS) IS OUR PEACE, he has made both one, he has broken down the middle wall of partition
-In the Old Testament Jews had a special position before God compared to the gentiles, not in terms of call to salvation but in terms of call to ministry; Jews and gentiles were all saved the same way: by faith; however God had chosen the Jews to be distributors of the mysteries of God, the tools of God’s revelation; at the temple there was a middle wall of partition: on one side were the Jews (with access into the temple) and on the other side gentiles (without access into the temple). Jews were not allowed to marry gentiles or even to eat with them: the cross has removed this separation;

*4. PEACE IN LIFE SITUATIONS:*
-Luke24:36 peace unto you; Jesus reminds us that He is with us: this gives us peace (rest) in the middle of difficult life situations;
-Phil.4:6-7 peace comes as result of prayer
-Jn16:33 in the world tribulations but I give u my peace

*5. PEACE WITH OTHERS*

-Rom12:18 ”live in peace with all men as much as lieth on you”;
-you purpose in your heart that you will not start conflicts but you will manifest Christ to others, including to those who start conflicts with you; Mat.5:44 ”bless those who curse you and pray for those who despitefully use you”.

*6. WHAT ABOUT…PEACE AMONG NATIONS?*
-a nation might have to righteously go to war against another nation, as for example a number of nations went to war against the Nazi Germany in the 2 world wars last century;
-can a Christian be a soldier? Yes; John the Baptist told soldiers to not abuse people, he didn’t tell them to quit the army, see Luke 3:14; army, (police also), are tools of the government, government being the method God has ordained for the functioning of a nation, see Rom.13. Same about Cornelius, a centurion in Acts 10.

Pastor Daniel