Eternal Approach

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled , neither let it be afraid. (John 14: 27)

The peace that Christ speaks of is not of this world.

It is a peace that this world does not understand.

Quite literally, the Lord Himself is our Peace. He is even called, the Prince of Peace, in Isaiah. And He has made peace for us through the blood of His cross.

And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)

The Division Between Flesh and Spirit

The simple fact is that the Lord, in His Person, is the dividing point between this world and heaven. Being the one mediator between God and man, all men must deal with Christ to come to the Father and His salvation. There is no other way.

And this causes friction.

Because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is a product of the sinfulness of man within this realm under the power of Satan. Lucifer, as the prince of the power of the air, is in direct warfare with Christ and His Spirit.

This is why Jesus said, Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)

And, Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: (Luke 12 :51)

We have often been taught by religious leaders that Jesus was a pacifist. There is nothing in the scriptures that say this. At one point, he even tells his disciples to sell what they have and buy a sword (Luke 22:36).

Now, this is not to say that the Lord has ever condoned any militaristic movement. Never.

In fact, He could have destroyed Pilate and this world in the blink of an eye. But He didn’t.

Because, His kingdom is not of this world. And that principle still applies to us today.

As followers of Christ, we are looking for a kingdom whose builder and maker is God. It will not be a kingdom built by the political, religious or military forces of this world nor by any military movement of Christians presuming to create some earthly dominion.

Christ is simply saying that we may need to defend ourselves. Which, thankfully, this country still allows us to do with gun ownership or swords or whatever the law allows. At least for the moment. At least in theory. 

To Make a Clear Distinction

The deeper meaning here is that we are in for a bumpy ride down here. This world is not our home. This world hates Christ, His word, and His gospel. It always has. And it is moving to eliminate all that relates to Him from the surface of this planet.

And that includes the Christian in whom the Spirit of God dwells.

In summation, His truth, while bringing peace to the humble heart, also divides. It creates a division between those who embrace it and those who disobey it. It is a division that occurs not only among the Christian and the unbeliever, but often between Christian and Christian.

The modern Bible church is distracted by many things. It has become accustomed to many areas of bad practice and bad thinking. And, as a result, there is division.

This is a division that the Lord expects to be there when His truth is not placed above all else. It is a division that is by His design to demonstrate the clear distinction between truth and error.

A division which cannot be reduced or eliminated by an emphasis on love or tolerance.

Peace is a gift. It is a supernatural fruit produced by the Spirit of God.

The focus today tends to be centered on unity rather than the word of God. The goal today is the creation of an artificial peace among Christians produced by man’s efforts rather than by the Spirit of God. The unity of the Spirit is produced by the Lord Himself. He is the Spirit of unity. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Unity is never to be put on the throne. It is the Lord who is to be our focus; and the word of God which is the sword of the Spirit. Only in this way and in this order do we experience unity and peace.

All this blessing comes from the abiding presence of the Person of Christ. With keeping His word and knowing Him in faithful obedience.

Any other definition of peace that does not proceed from the Lord Jesus Christ, exclusively as its source, is a false peace.

These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)