We want to see peace as a link between righteousness and faith. After we are in Christ Jesus in the atmosphere of his personality, where we are made righteous in him and we have come to a realm of faith where we draw from God. There is another thing that is so important, it is called peace and we will be looking at that peace this morning, and leadership as the Holy Spirit will be helping us. I want us to start by looking at the book of Romans chapter 14 verse 14-19
14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
Romans 14:14-19
‘Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace’, ‘Therefore..’, because of these, because if we serve Christ, which is our pursuit, which is our goal, to serve Christ, He said, If we serve Christ in these things, what are the things that he mentioned? The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. So he said, if we can serve God in righteousness, if we can serve Christ in righteousness, if we can serve Christ in peace, because you see that ‘and’ there means that peace is another thing, righteousness is one thing, peace is another thing and joy is another thing. That’s why you see the joining word of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
And he said in verse 19 “19 Therefore let us pursue… so it is a race. Let us go after the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. I’m going to read that verse 18 and 19 in the Amplified version. It says:
18 He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable and pleasing to God and is approved by men.19 So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one another.
Romans 14:18-19
‘He who serves Christ in this way’, in the way of righteousness, in the way of peace, in the way of joy in the Holy Spirit. He says is acceptable. Last week we were looking at Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6, it said without faith, it is impossible to please God. So without faith, you are not acceptable before God and he is saying here also, the same thing in another way. He said He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable and pleasing to God. He did not stop there. Without faith it is impossible to please God, that’s faith and he said concerning righteousness, peace and joy, it’s not only that you are acceptable, it’s not only that you are pleasing to God, He now added something, "and is approved by men." So, this does not just give you an acceptance with God, it gives on approval with men. That’s peace.
Verse 19, He said so let us then, I love this word, the word used in this amplified version, it said so let us then definitely aim for, in the New King James version, it said "pursue", here it said let us definitely, so we are making it a goal, it’s an ambition. It’s something we have set before us. "Let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue." So it’s a race. "Let us eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding, edification and development of one another. Let us definitely pursue it."
So, one of the things we realized there is that peace is an important factor for the acceptance of our service in Christ and our pleasure of God so a man without peace, just like a man without faith cannot please God. So we are talking about something important here. So what is this peace that we are talking about? Why is this peace so important? Why is this peace so central? I want us to see John chapter 14 verse 27, one of the reasons why this peace is important,
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.
John 14:27
He said, Peace I leave with you, these are the words of Jesus. My peace, you know as Bible students and as leaders, let’s look at why is this peace so important to Christ. He didn’t say faith I leave with you. He didn’t say my faith I give to you, He didn’t say love I leave with you, He said peace. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you so you can have peace, peace is a possession. "He said not as the world gives do I give to you."
Jesus made us to understand from this verse that the world also has its own peace and the world gives its own peace. But He said ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace..’, Now He makes it definite, He spells it out, that don’t think it’s a general peace, it is my peace, the peace of Christ Jesus, I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you and He now gives us the definition of peace. He said, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Let not your heart be troubled." That means if your heart is troubled, you don’t have peace, if you are afraid, you don’t have peace.
He said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives" because the peace of the world will still make you troubled, the peace of the world will still make you afraid but my peace, because of what I have given you, let not your heart be troubled. So the peace of Christ is the absence of trouble in your heart, not in your life and I will show us the difference.
The peace of God, the peace of Christ Jesus is the absence of trouble in your heart not the absence of trouble in your life. They are different. There can be trouble in your life, circumstantial; your body, things happening around you. But when there’s no trouble in your heart then you are at peace. He said "neither let it be afraid." Did you see it? Let it be afraid so the fear must not be in your heart. Things might happen and it looks as if there is fear in the atmosphere. Jesus is saying, for you to say you have my peace, there must not be fear in your heart, that’s the peace of Christ. The peace of Christ is the absence of fear and trouble in your heart. So, peace is internal but it produces external works. Peace is internal. Peace is of the heart.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it (your heart) be afraid. That’s peace. So peace is about the state of your heart par time. Is your heart troubled? Is your heart afraid? If your heart is troubled, if your heart is afraid then you are not at peace. You don’t have the peace of Christ. You don’t. So Jesus defines for us what peace is here so when we look through Scriptures, we should carry on with us this working definition of peace, absence of trouble and fear in your heart is the peace of Christ.
And in Luke chapter 1 verse 78-79, this is Zechariah’s prophesy and he is saying here,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet in the way of peace.”
Luke 1:78-79
So, there is a way that leads to peace and we will be examining that, the way that leads to peace, what is that way that leads to peace? He guides our feet on the way that leads to peace. Look at this, this Scripture affirms the Scripture that talks about the whole armor of God, He said have your feet shod with what? Good news of peace. So, there is a way of peace, there is something about our feet going in the direction of peace. Remember where we read in Romans chapter 14, he said that we should pursue. When you are pursuing something, there is a direction. So there’s a direction you follow in your life that leads to peace.
So peace is also a destination. Peace is a destination. He said, to guide our feet into the way of peace, that means on that way, where you are going to get to, is peace. So, peace is a destination. Our feet must be guided on the way that leads to peace, in every area of our lives.
Some of us, we are at peace in our marriage, but we don’t have the peace of Christ in our finances. Some of us are at peace over our children but we are not at peace over our husband. Some of us are at peace over our ministry but we are not at peace over other areas of our lives. But there’s a way that leads to peace because in your heart because when there is absence and trouble and fear over your husband, then you have the peace of Christ over him. When in your heart, there is absence of fear and there is no trouble in your heart concerning your children, then you have the peace of Christ over them. That’s what God is saying to us.
In Luke chapter 2 verse 13 to 14, this was an account of when Jesus was born and He said
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:13 -14
I am trying to build a foundation, we are still going into it, on earth peace, why did the angels make that declaration? I want us to see Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, because we are talking about the way that leads to peace. When the name of Jesus was being mentioned, what was the prophesy concerning his birth that gives us an idea of who he is and what he has come to do for us?
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born, I know that we know without any shadow of doubt that this prophesy was talking about Jesus. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name, his identity, His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, that means he will do wonders, he would counsel, Mighty God, He would show the might of God, and it said Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
I am sure we remember when Daniel was praying and Daniel had an encounter in his prayer and he prayed to God, God had delivered the answer through an angel and when the angel was coming to deliver the answer to Daniel and he said a force withheld him, and he called that force the prince of Persia. That means that ‘prince’, it talks about the authority he had over Persia. So when we hear the word ‘prince’, don’t look at it like just a child of a king, that prince talks about authority, he has authority of peace. He produces peace. Peace is his domain. He rules in peace. That’s who Christ is.
So, when the Bible talks about the way that leads to peace, he is talking about the way that leads to Christ. So the peace is synonymous with the personality of Christ. It said: His name will be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, prince of peace, that’s what he will be called. And we see from there that Jesus domain of reign is peace and the angels declared it in Luke chapter 2, they said peace on earth, peace, good will towards all men because that’s what He has come to give. Peace.
So, if peace is absent in your life, remember our definition of peace, stop looking at Federal Government peace, peace keeping mission. No! If there is no trouble or fear in your heart then you have the peace of Christ. If there is a lack of it in every area of your life, then you should start making sure that your feet is guided over that area, your feet must be guided to Christ because he reigns in peace, in Him is peace. There is peace in Him
So there is trouble in your heart over an issue. Do we see the link between righteousness, faith and peace? We are still talking about the personality of Christ. Righteousness is the atmosphere of Christ on your life, the rulership of Christ on your life. Faith is the realm with which you receive from God, of the fullness of God in Christ Jesus and peace is the absence of trouble or fear in your heart and the place where you can get that is in Christ because He is the prince of peace. So, you know there is something that is troubling you, you know your heart is not settled over that issue, you know sometimes your heart just skips, there’s fear over that matter, then let your feet be guided to Christ. And how does it start, peace starts from your inside.
An event happened when the disciples of Jesus Christ were with him in a boat and they were going to the other side and the Bible records that Jesus was asleep. The Bible records that there was a storm and there was a great tempest. The boat was rocking and the disciples were afraid, they had lost their peace, they were troubled, they had no peace. And the Bible said Jesus was sleeping, the only man in that boat that had peace. It showed in his disposition. He was sleep. In fact he used a pillow. He was sound in his heart. He knew it was just a distraction because peace comes with maturity. The state of peace is a state of spiritual maturity. And when Jesus arose from his sleep, the disciples came to meet him, ‘Ah! Master, do you care less that we die?’ You are sleeping and Jesus arose, unruffled and he came out, what did he say? Because they were troubled and afraid, he restored their peace. Because this is what happens, the devil manipulates you from the inside out. Once he gets your heart to the place of trouble and fear, there will be storm in your life.
When your heart gets to the place of peace and quietness, He said "in quietness and confidence lies your strength." Quietness and confidence is a characteristic of peace. Quietness is the opposite of trouble. Confidence is the opposite of fear. That’s the definition of peace. In quietness and confidence lies your strength meaning that in peace lies your strength. So, you are wondering, why is the boat of my life rocking? You have lost your peace. Peace is like a compass. When you lose direction, find your compass, find peace. When you are troubled, find peace, pursue it. Aim at it because once you are settled on your inside, it’s just a matter of time, you will be settled on the outside.
And Jesus said "peace be still", and the people marveled and they said who is this man that even the winds obey him? They didn’t know who he was. He is the prince of peace. That’s his domain and he released of his fullness into that atmosphere, peace be still. And it happened. So what is that thing rocking your leadership, rocking your life, rocking your ministry? What you need is the peace of God. When you enter the zone of peace, you have entered the zone of rest and you will see that the Scripture talked about the children of Israel, he said, there remaineth a rest for the children of God, they could not enter the rest because of their unbelief so faith produces peace. The absence of faith is the absence of peace. If you don’t have faith, you can’t have peace. They walk together. They could not enter their rest because of unbelief.
So they would have entered their rest, if they have believed. So, the reason why you don’t have peace in that area of your life is because there is absence of faith, your faith has been suspended, you have left the realm of faith in that area. You will realize that the areas of your life where you have peace are the areas where you have faith, you are believing. I want us to see it in the Scriptures, Psalm chapter 119 verse 165.
165 Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.Psalm 119 :165
Great peace have those who love Your law, who love your words, who stand in faith, He said And nothing causes them to stumble. Nothing! So, in faith comes peace.
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.Psalm 4:8
That’s the posture of peace, ‘I will lie down in peace and sleep’, that was what Jesus was doing. He was sleeping in peace but the disciples could not.
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, having been justified by faith, what did he say we have? We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, I just want to show us the link between righteousness , faith and peace. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through, through what? Our lord Jesus Christ, you can replace that with righteousness, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Listen to Podcast: PEACE AND LEADERSHIP
Do we see peace is so important and it comes via faith? Whatever we are doing, when you pursue faith, you get peace so when the Bible was talking to us in that Romans chapter14 verse 19, he said So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes, what makes for peace. That’s what he asked us to pursue not peace itself. What makes for peace? What did we say makes for peace? Faith! Love the law of the Lord, be excited about what God had said because in it, you have peace.
