Peace that Passes All Understanding - Ben Bailey
Peace is one of the most treasured commodities for any society. For many, many years’ people have prayed, died and lived for peace. Jesus often spoke of the idea of peace. Yet, it was a little different than how we think of peace today. Today, we think of peace as military safety. Or, we think of it as financial security. Sometimes, we even feel like we have peace when the home security alarm is working well and the stock market is soaring.
Peace that Passes All Understanding
Peace is one of the most treasured commodities for any society. For many, many years’ people have prayed, died and lived for peace. Jesus often spoke of the idea of peace. Yet, it was a little different than how we think of peace today. Today, we think of peace as military safety. Or, we think of it as financial security. Sometimes, we even feel like we have peace when the home security alarm is working well and the stock market is soaring. This was not the kind of peace Jesus spoke of. Jesus spoke of a peace that transcends the physical. He spoke of a kind of tranquility that regardless of whether or not we were at war, financially broke, or even our lives were at stake would allow us to overcome and be victorious. To His disciples Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). How does one have this kind of peace?
Christian peace comes through a right relationship with God. Paul said, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). When sinners have the faith to obey God’s commands, then we can truly have the peace that passes all understanding (Rom. 1:5). You see, dear friend, you can only have spiritual tranquility when you can say to yourself, “The Bible says I’m right with God.” Nothing else can give you greater satisfaction and joy than this.
Christian peace comes through living a spiritual minded life. The Apostle Paul said, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). This idea find exact accord with what Paul said later to the church in Philippi (Phil. 4:6-8). The only way to maintain Christian peace is to know that you are living according to the commands and wishes of God found in the Bible.
To sum up the idea of Christian peace we could say, the only way to get it is to get right with God and the only way to keep it is to stay right with God. When I do both of these, then truly I can say, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me” (Heb. 13:6). Do you really possess this kind of peace in your life? Are you sure you have done what the Bible says and not what some other person told you to do? If so, are you living the Christian life every day? If so, then you know the joy of Christian peace. If not, it’s not too late to know the Christian peace. We would love to help you have a right relationship with God and learn how to live the Christian life. Please contact us and we would be glad to help you. May the peace of God rule in your hearts through Jesus Christ (Col. 3:15).
Five Rules For Prosperous Bible Study
Have you ever wondered how to be successful with Bible studies? While every study cannot end with the desired result, we have to start with the basics. Here are five rules for a prosperous bible study…
Study the Bible Prayerfully. Before a person ever opens his Bible, he should fall down on his knees and ask for God’s blessings. Paul reminds us of this principle as he prays for the Christians at Colossae: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9).
Study the Bible Carefully. One must never study the Bible with a flippant and irreverent view of God and His Word. Paul taught Timothy to, “Study to show yourself approved unto God a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
Study the Bible Practically. For the Word of God to do us any good in this life, we must apply its’ teachings to our daily life. Paul reminded the Christians in Phillipi of this when he said, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:9).
Study the Bible Impartially. To study God’s word correctly a person must put aside all prejudice, bias and preconceived notions of God and His Will. We must have the attitude of Samuel who said, “Speak Lord, for your servant hears” (1 Sam. 3:10). We must remember the words of the Proverbs writer; “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death (Prov. 16:25).
Study the Bible Expectantly. For a person to receive the full blessings of Bible study, he must study it expecting several things. For example, we should study the Bible expecting to understand it (Eph. 3:4). We should study the Bible expecting its principles to bless us as they are applied to our life (Ps. 1:1-3). We should study the Bible expecting to learn how to be set free from sin (John 8:32). We should study the Bible expecting to learn how to be saved (Acts 2:38).
May God bless each one of us as we apply His will to our lives!