Peace
Mathew 5:9
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
The best way to bring about peace is to find the common between the two parties at odds with each other. Christ came and taught us that we will be blessed if we work for peace. We will be the sons of God.
Eph 2:17-18
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Peace is something that we often talk about, but never truely understand. In many ways looking at the world one would understand why we aren’t at peace. It is a crazy mixed up world, and in many ways God is absent from so many.
Let’s backup and look at what Paul says about peace in Christ, and who Christ came to establish peace between.
Eph 2: 14-16
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
When Paul writes of peace he is talking about peace between the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews being God’s chosen, and the Gentiles those who lack God.
We learn that Christ did not come for just the Jews he came so that All could believe in Him. God wanted peace and therefore unity among all his creation. He wanted all to be at peace with Christ. And through Christ the barrier between the two groups was broken. Remember in Galatians Paul writes about the division of legalism.
Most of the time what separates the people far from Christ from those close to Him are legalistic expectations of the believers in Christ.
In 15 Paul uses the word abolish to describe what Christ did to the law, in other words Christ freed those close to Him and far away from the burden of legalistic religion. Wanting us to become one in Him by ALL being close to him. Then as we see in 16 both will be Reconciled to God, hostility will be broken, and peace achieved by Christ’s atoning death.
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This is the 8th week of the Blogged Bible Study. We are going chapter by chapter through Paul’s letter to the Church of Ephasis. To read the other posts on chapter 2 of Ephesians check out the Blogged Bible Study page.
Philter48 
“It seems that many Christians regard salvation, evangelism, peace, power, holiness, joy, service, church practice, ministry, and doctrine as simply Divine “things”, all detached from the living Person of Christ and made something in and of themselves.
But God never gives us spiritual things. He never gives us virtues, gifts, graces, and truths to acquire. Instead, He only gives us His Son.
He gives us Christ to be all things for us.
Jesus Christ is the embodiment of all spiritual things. He is the substance of all Divine realities. He is the incarnation of all spiritual virtues, graces, gifts, and truths. In short, God has vested all of His fullness into His Son.
In other words, Jesus Christ not only reveals the way to His people, He is the Way. Jesus Christ not only reveals the truth to His people, He is the Truth. Jesus Christ is not only the giver of life, He is the Life (John 14:6). Put another way, Christ is the incarnation of all that He gives. He is All and All. That is, He is everything to everyone who has received His life.
C Jesus Christ is Hope (1 Tim. 1:1).
C Jesus Christ is Peace (Eph. 2:14).
C Jesus Christ is Wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30).
C Jesus Christ is Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).
C Jesus Christ is Holiness (1 Cor. 1:30).
C Jesus Christ is Righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30).
Hope is not a thing to be sought after, it’s a Person.
Peace is not a virtue to be obtained, it’s Christ.
Righteousness is not a grace to be asked for, it’s Christ, and on and on.
One is a spiritual “thing.” The other is the Lord Himself. To put it in a sentence, Jesus Christ is not simply the giver of gifts, He Himself is the Gift.”
“He gives us Christ to be all things for us.”
One is a spiritual “thing.” The other is the Lord Himself. To put it in a sentence, Jesus Christ is not simply the giver of gifts, He Himself is the Gift.”
Amen!!!
My main point being, we can not obtain Peace without Christ. Thank you for expanding on the topic Brian. You insight is truly valued.
As a side note: It is interesting to me how I am now starting to see Christ in all things. I am reading through the book of Kings, and see His hands all over the action that is going on. Each piece of the puzzle has to fit for God’s plan to work. I find myself engulfed in the reading, knowing I am reading God’s plan for Christ in action.
Christ in all things…Changes how you study the bible.
Peace
Isn’t Christ centered reading awesome.
It has really helped me understand the Mission of God.
Brian
The way it is for me right now.. Christ has become the Glue of the whole of Scripture… Every word is there for a reason…CHRIST. Amazing.
You Wrote: Most of the time what separates the people far from Christ from those close to Him are legalistic expectations of the believers in Christ.
And this is true not only with expectations for others, but also personal expectations for one’s self. The more I expect certain things out of my life, the further I move away from grace. ther further I move away from grace, the farther I am from the Lord.
Every word is in there for Christ. Also, the church is His Body. So it all references to us as a whole. Incredible when you read it to find Christ and to find community.. which he is.
Personal goals are great, but do you not think that God wants us to build a wall of living stones together instead of being this great living stone laying out in a field all by yourself?
I look at it as I need to be more community focused and not focused on myself. How do my actions affect the church as a whole, not how can I better my actions to be a better Christian.
Brian