"My Peace I Give Unto You"      

John 14:27

 

     Here is a peace that transcends all others,a peace that "passeth understanding." It is the peace which the man Christ Jesus enjoyed perfectly and fully when he lived upon this earth. And it is a peace which he freely bestows upon his believing people in this world.

     WHAT IS THIS PEACE? (1.) It is the peace of a conscience that never felt a shadow of a sense of guilt; the peace of a man who knew no sin. (2.) It is the peace of a man who was always perfectly submissive and obedient to the will of God, one who could always truthfully say, "I delight to do thy will, O my God!" (3.) It is the peace of a man who was assured of both his sonship and his immutable acceptance with God the Father, the peace of one who heard God declare, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (4.) It is the peace of one who was assured of everlasting life and eternal glory, while living in this world. And (5.) it is a peace that could never be destroyed, or taken away. It was tempted in the wilderness, but not destroyed.It was subjected to poverty,pain,persecution, sorrow, and bereavement, but not broken. It was tried in the garden of Gethsemane, but not taken away.

     This is the peace of the man Christ Jesus. Ands this is Christ's gift to his own. What a priceless treasure! And it is the earnest of an even greater peace to come. Great as this peace is, it cannot even  be compared to the peace that our Savior now has in heaven, the peace that he holds in store for his own elect.

     HOW CAN I HAVE THIS PEACE? It is a peace that only Christ can give. But it is a peace he has promised to give to all who come to him in faith (Matt. 11:28). Horatius Bonar wrote, "The result of our `receiving Him,' or `believing on his name,' is to bring us into that same state of conscience and that same kind of peace which He who knew no sin possessed. Our vessels are indeed small, and can contain little. His was large and could contain much. But the kind, or quality of that peace which fills them is the same. He has made peace by the blood of His cross. Indeed, He is our peace. And as soon as we come to know this and take Him as our peace, we are made partakers not merely of peace, but of that which He here calls, `my peace!'" What a blessed gift of grace!

 

Don Fortner