The Peace of Christ

Colossians 3v15

14^th May 2021

Colossians 3v15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Peace is not the absence of war, pain, grief, loss, stress, poverty or sickness. Peace is a gift from God that enables us to live through these things. Peace derives from relationship with God, and therefore true peace is impossible for the non-Christian. What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts? I have six answers.

Firstly: it means be at peace with yourself, by being at peace with God.

Peace comes from actually believing the Gospel. God loves you, so love yourself. God forgives you, so forgive yourself. God accepts you, so accept yourself. God has adopted you as His child, so live like a child of the perfect, loving heavenly Father. God doesn't beat you up, so don't beat yourself up. God knows all your faults, even better than you do, and He still loves you. So love yourself. When Jesus died on the cross, God did everything necessary so you didn't have to pay for your wrongdoing, so don't pay it. Jesus has already paid. You're free from guilt, so be at peace.

However, peace is impossible if we're doing something that we believe God doesn't want us to do, so don't. Peace is impossible if we refuse to forgive those who sin against us, so don't. Peace is impossible if we neglect to invest time and focus in our relationship with God, so don't.

To let the peace of God reign in your heart, then, is to really believe that the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ works, and to walk with God.

Secondly: it means be at peace with other people.

Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Forgive those who sin against you. Be patient with those who annoy you, or disagree with you, or stop you getting your own way. In fact, give up on getting your own way. Peace is better than your own way.

Often the best way to promote peace is to stop talking. Apparently, Pythagoras said, "Meaningful silence is better than meaningless words". I agree. And peaceful silence is better than an argument. If somebody wants to argue with you, but you don't argue back, there can be no argument. Let the other person say unkind and untrue things about you. He probably wouldn't listen if you tried to correct him. If he's a reasonable person, speak to him quietly, later, when you've found a peaceable way to do it.

Thirdly: it means do whatever you can to bring peace to other people.

Matthew5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

If two brothers, or sisters, or neighbours are in conflict, what can you do to bring peace to them? The answer is not to work out who's right and slap the other one. Find a way they can be at peace with each other. Don't choose a winner. Don't choose sides. Love them both.

Fourthly: it means let peace be the determiner of your actions.

Some say a good translation of these words is "Let the peace of Christ act as umpire, or referee, in your hearts". When you decide what to do, in church or out of it, and when you consider how to do what you're going to do, look for what will most promote peace and least promote discord.

Some people think there's a conflict between truth and peace, that sometimes we need to speak the truth even though it will cause conflict. I used to think that. Now I don't. I now believe that we can speak truth so lovingly and gently, that it doesn't cause conflict. I also think that this verse is in the Bible, and therefore true, and it tell us to let peace reign. So truth and peace don't have to be in conflict. To insist on truth in an unpeaceful way is to deny the truth.

Of course, some people will react unpeaceably no matter how lovingly you speak to them. But as we've read, if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. You can't make the other person react peaceably, but so far as it depends on you, you can speak peaceably, even when speaking the truth. You can do your best to promote peace.

What actions, what words, what body language, what tone of voice, can you employ to promote peace? Consider these things before the conversation. Ask yourself, "How can I bring peace to this person who disagrees with me?" although you have to be secure in God to do that. Let the peace of Christ reign.

Fifthly: it means promote peace in the church at all costs.

Paul says, "as members of one body you were called to peace". In our fallenness and weakness, we sometimes put our own desires, our own ideas, our own sense of justice, our own friends or family, above peace. But the very gospel is the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). I'm not speaking too strongly when I say that any church, or any Christian, who acts or speaks in a way that reduces the peace of the church is acting against the Gospel of Christ. What good is a church that's torn apart by arguments, factions, opinions or ambition?

Here's a challenging passage:

1 Corinthians 6:1-7
If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? ... Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court – and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

Why not rather be wronged or cheated than embarrass God by bringing His church into disrepute?

"How unjust!" Yes it is! "I've been hard done by!" Yes, you have! But isn't that better than jeopardising the peace and the reputation of the church?

In this world, God's reputation, which is of course unimpeachable, is nevertheless damaged by the church's reputation. Isn't it better that you or I are lied about or cheated than the church gets humiliated? When the church is humiliated, God's reputation suffers (even though it's not His fault). And we can't have that. How many non-Christians have thought, "Well, if these are God's followers, I don't want to become one!"? It's better to just suck up the abuse, for God's sake, and for the sake of peace.

What promotes peace in the church is sometimes costly, sometimes unfair. But let the peace of Christ reign, regardless of the cost to you or to me.

Sixthly: it means one way of knowing what God wants you to do is to listen to your heart, and see which of the possible paths forwards brings peace to your heart.

God in His mercy will give you peace about His path, and will not give you peace about other paths, if you will listen.

Sometimes, you may feel that God might be calling you to do something that others might consider unwise. Even you may consider it unwise, humanly speaking. But God sometimes calls people to do things that the world, or even the average sanctified Christian, would consider foolish.

That great missionary Gladys Aylward studied with the China Inland Mission (CIM) in London, but three months after she began her studies, the chair of the CIM committee reported: "It is with great regret that I have to recommend to you that we do not accept Miss Aylward. She has a call to serve God—she is sincere and courageous — but we cannot take the responsibility of sending a woman of 26, with such limited Christian experience and education, to China." They withdrew all support, and she had to work to raise the funds herself. She paid her own passage to China, where she did wonderful things for God.

Paul's friends advised him not to go back to Jerusalem. The Baptist Union told William Carey not to go to India. My church in London told me not to move to Stubbington.

Common sense is a good thing, and I often wish I had more of it. We're right to advise each other, giving each other the benefit of our experience and our Biblical wisdom. But sometimes – just occasionally – the common sense answer is not God's answer.

If you will let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, then you'll be very gentle and respectful to the friends – and sometimes elders – giving you good but wrong advice. And you'll do what God is saying. If your friends and church leaders advise you against a course of action but you feel compelled by the Holy Spirit to do it anyway, then you can't blame them for not supporting you; they're just trying to be wise. You can't complain that they should have been more persuasive; you wouldn't listen, because you felt sure of what God was saying. Of course, you're then completely responsible for the consequences. You took the decision alone with God. And the future is now for you and God alone to sort out.

But if we don't let the peace of God rule, then what kind of disciples are we?

And finally, Paul urges us to be thankful.

We always should be thankful. As we began by saying, God loves you. God forgives you. God accepts you. God has adopted you as His child. God knows all your faults, even better than you do, and He still loves you. Jesus has done everything necessary so you didn't have to pay for your wrongdoing. He's set you free from guilt. He's given you peace. He's promised you an eternity in glory with Him. So whatever happens, we really, really, ought to be thankful. Who are we to grumble at almighty God?

But here's one last thought. If you're struggling to find the peace that God has given you, choose to be thankful. If we will thank God despite our circumstances, we will be more at peace. If we go further, and thank God for our circumstances, we'll know yet more peace.

Everything that happens to you, and everything that doesn't happen to you, is for a good reason. Usually, only God knows what that reason is. But God has given us faith. He's taught us that He's infinitely loving and infinitely powerful. Of course no painful thing happens without there being a good reason. And God is infinitely wise. Of course we usually can't understand His reasons. And, of course, He feels no obligation to tell us His reasons. Usually, He just reminds us to trust Him.

I don't just believe this because it's the truth, although it most definitely is. I believe it because I'd go crazy if I didn't believe it. There's no other way to reconcile the terrible suffering of some Christians with the amazing wisdom, power and grace of God.

So: promote peace. Peacemakers are blessed. Be at peace with God. Be at peace with yourself. Whenever possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with other people. Help others to be at peace. Listen to your heart. Where is the peace of God? Where is it leading you? What is it saying? Act in accordance with the peace of God, without using that as an excuse to ignore other people's advice. It's not a "Get out of jail free" card. It's costly. And always give thanks to God. He deserves it and it will do you good.