The Gift of Peace

It’s like the angels of long ago foretold and thousands of years later, it remains true: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14 (NIV) 

As we join the saints of old and those around the world in remembering Jesus’ first coming, I’m celebrating the peace of Christ with you this week of Advent. The Lord has been kind; He steadies our hearts. And in this time nearing Christmas 2020, I share below some aspects of peace I've been meditating on and learning experientially that have helped to steady me. 

1. Peace is a gift as is God Himself (John 14:27).

God is precious.
He is steady.
His Word remains true.

The steady, unchanging nature of God in contrast to the chaos of the world has brought much peace lately. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). There’s something to seeing the insecurity of things ahead of you and then being stripped of the “faux security” we find in these things. This forces us to cling to and treasure the steadiness of God in new ways. As I think about moving to a new state – where will we live, how will we get there, when can we leave, etc., etc. – the questions can be overwhelming. The take-home message is that our God is precious. He is steady. His Word remains true. Though the mountains give way, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1-2). 

2. Peace is an effect of a relationship with Jesus (Isaiah 32:17).

We celebrate Jesus during Advent. He is the Prince of Peace who makes righteousness possible, and righteousness brings peace. 

Apart from Him, we lack peace, through and through.

There is no peace for the wicked; all of us are sinful and separated from God (Romans 3:23). Apart from Him, we lack peace, through and through. We lack peace with ourselves, peace with others, peace with anything in creation, and we lack peace before a holy God (Isaiah 48:22). Outside of Christ, peace is only an illusion. But the Good News and the gospel of peace is this: Christ brings salvation and declares us righteous, and the byproduct of righteousness is peace. 

Through Jesus’ work on the cross, we can now be at peace with God, with ourselves, and with others. Additionally, when we receive salvation, we become indwelled by the Holy Spirit who gives us the fruit of peace (Ephesians 5:22). As the Holy Spirit wages war against our flesh, He uproots sin struggles which brings peace. Sinful living is living outside the way in which we were created to live, which results in (among other negative things) inner tension and anxiety. This anxiety robs us of our peace. So peace is a gift given by God through salvation in Jesus and is a result of righteousness, enabled by the Holy Spirit. 

The Holiday season can be trying enough, let alone the Holiday season in 2020. Praise be to God - the One who has come. The baby wrapped in swaddling clothes has not only come near but has brought us near (Ephesians 2:13). The result is peace. 

It’s a grace to us and a testament to his glory. So we echo the angels’ song and say: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests…”