All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (Jn 14:25-27)
I think I can safely say that most of us would like to have peace, we would like to have great peace, all the time. Jesus has said that He has given us this peace, so how do we appropriate it into our lives?
First of all , through the Holy Spirit. If we belong to God, the Holy Spirit is within us, and Romans 14:27 says “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” This is a relationship that must be developed through time spend with God, through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor:13:14).
Also as we do this the fruit of the Holy Spirit will begin to develop and mature in our lives and “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal 5:22-23)
Secondly, through applying ourselves to the Word of God, and applying the Word of God to ourselves. Psalm 119:165 says “Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.” This is not just reading the Word of God, but also letting it speak into our lives and change us and our behavior, being obedient to it, and speaking it over our lives and circumstances.
Thirdly through prayer. Philippians 4:4-7 says “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Fourthly, this is followed very quickly with what we choose to think about. Paul suggests in Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
And let’s not forget Isaiah 26:3 AMP “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
Fifthly, it take faith. Hebrews 11:65 says “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
If we think our faith is too small, the doing of these things will bring about increased faith, and it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to get a mountain into the sea or to do the impossible. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] (Jn 14:27 AMP)
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel (Ps 103:7)
The people of Israel were content to know God by what He did. Moses was not satisfied with that level of knowing. Moses wanted a more intimate relationship with God. He requested of Him “teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you”. God’s answer to Moses is the same as to any who request to know Him, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
The choice is ours as to the depth of our relationship with God. Some have no interest in nor desire to know God. Some have a shallow knowledge Him, not being rooted and grounded in love, and fall away at any resistance. Some have lives crowded with worry, are attracted by the lure of wealth, or desire other things more than God and have an unfruitful acquaintance with Him. Some fully embrace God’s call, submit to the transforming power of His Word and His Spirit, are passionate about their relationship with God, and pursue Him.
As we begin to nurture our relationship with him we will hear the call to come away, to spend time with Him, in fellowship, worship, prayer, adoration and the Word. We will a enter into intimacy with Him.
God not only desires that our relationship with Him have first priority in our lives, He wants to have intimate communion with the believer. The Amplified Bible words Proverbs 3:32 as … His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him). (Prov 3:32)
A secrete life with God will empower a daily life lived for Him. Prov 3:32 in the NASB says "... He is intimate with the upright." God both desires and enables us to have an intimate relationship with Him, but we must spend time with Him for it to be developed.
One of my daughter’s projects for school this year was to make a notebook on the state of North Carolina. I was quite taken by the NC State Motto which is found at the bottom of the State Seal. It is Esse Quam Videri which is latin for “To be, rather than to seem”. I was quite taken with it.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia says of this motto: It is found in Cicero's essay "On Friendship" ("De amicitia", chapter 98). ("Virtute enim ipsa non tam multi praediti esse quam videri volunt." roughly "Many are not so endowed with virtue as they wish to seem.")
We do have a tendency to want to appear more virtuous than we really are, and for the sake of this post, we also, but not limited to, like to appear to be better, more spiritual, more in touch, more together, farther along, than we in actuality are.
God says we are play actors when we pretend to be something we are not. Actually, He uses a stronger word … hypocrite.
Dictionary.com defines a hypocrite as a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
Mark 15:7-8 says: You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
These folks were saying one thing but living another. Their mouths said one thing, but their hearts another. They said they were in allegiance with God, but their lives said they were in allegiance with another. Their mouths said they belonged to God, but their hearts belonged to another, and their lives proved it.
The oblivious message for us as Christians is don’t be a hypocrite, don’t put on an act, be sincere, be who you appear to be, be real, be in reality who you are in presentation, don’t be a pretender, a play actor. Our hearts, our affections, are to belong to God and are to be evidenced in our lives.
All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (Jn 14:25-27)
