John 14:27—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.
Peace Is The Result Of Facing, Not Fleeing, The Risks And Responsibilities Of Life!
Where was Jesus when he said that? Not in an ivory tower of detachment. Not in the presidential suite of the Hilton Hotel. Not at the wedding of Cana. He said that the night before He was to be crucified. Jesus is saying in this verse that His peace is greater than the storm…greater than the trial…greater than our understanding. It cannot be stopped by the demons of hell. It has been battle tested. His peace really works.
There is a sloppy, sentimental, spineless notion in the church that the peace of God means tranquility. There is an idea that the peace of God means total security—absence of risk and a life without tensions. That is purely unscriptural. The Bible says, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” 1 Peter 4:12. If you’re out of the will of God when you go through a trial, then Jesus died out of the will of God. Paul died out of the will of God. That’s just nonsense. The Bible says, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” 2 Timothy 3:12.
The Bible is a book about trials to face, giants to whip, battles to fight, mountains to climb, seas to go through; it’s about putting your hand to the plow and not looking back. It’s a book about enduring to the end…about being faithful unto death. So stop running from responsibility. Stop running from risk. Face life with your hand in the hand of God.
Source: Twelve Sunday Morning Part 3
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