Peace is something everyone wishes to have at some point in their life. I mean, really– who wants chaos? Who wants stress? Does anyone want to worry?
I think you'd agree with me that the answer to all of those questions is an emphatic No.
Yet, all of these things plague our lives from time to time. Some of them are due to our own actions and decisions, and some because of hard circumstances and trials the Lord allows us to go through.
Peace is a topic that runs deeply through the Bible and for good reason.
What is Peace?
Peace is defined by Merriam-Webster as a state of tranquility or quiet; freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.
Most people think of peace as having no issues, no bad circumstances, good relations with others, and 360-degree positivity.
But that is earthly peace. And, that kind of peace is unrealistic, at least long-term.
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What does the Bible say about peace?
The Bible has a lot to say about peace. In fact, according to Quora, the word “peace” appears over 420 times in the KJV! We can’t possibly cover everything the Bible has to say about peace in this post, but here are a few thoughts to get you started:
Ultimate peace with God is made possible by Jesus’s death on the cross.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1:19-20 ESV).
Because peace is given to us by God, true peace is not possible without God. Jesus’s death on the cross to atone for our sins (and our acceptance of this free gift) is the only thing that provides us with a way to be in right standing with God. It starts here.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Peace ultimately comes from God. The Lord is peace, and we are called to seek Him. Therefore, peace is something believers should pursue (Psalm 34:14) and desire.
Peace is one of the fruit of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)
The Holy Spirit dwells in those who are truly in Christ and have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. The Spirit works in our hearts and our lives, with the goal of transforming us to be more and more like the Lord. So, if we are truly walking in the Spirit and allowing Him to lead us, we will exhibit peace in our conduct.
“The Lord is peace, and we are called to seek Him.”
Will You Accept the Peace Jesus Offers?
What I've shared about peace is just the tip of the iceberg of what could be a very in-depth study! I encourage you to take the time and search the Scriptures for more Bible verses about peace (I’ve listed a few at the end of this post to get you started!), and what else the Lord has to tell you about pursuing peace, seeking peace, and letting peace rule in your heart (Colossians 3:15).
The fact of the matter is-- peace is offered to us, but we have the choice as to whether or not we will take it.
John 16:33 speaks of such peace, so I want to take a look at what Jesus has to say in the context of verses 25 through 33, and why it's in our best interest to accept the peace He offers. Grab your Bible, sister, and read along!
It starts with God’s love
In verse 25, Jesus, as He continues in His conversation with His disciples, says that “these things” He’s told them (namely, what we read in the previous verses), He spoke in figurative language. Yet, soon a time would come when He would no longer speak to them this way, but He would speak plainly.
He assures them that the time is coming when they will be able to (as we can) personally approach God and ask for things, as well as pray in Jesus’s name (John 16.26).
Why can we do this (ask and pray directly to the Father)? Because “the Father Himself loves you” (John 16:27). In Christ, we have full access to God. Jesus does not have to persuade the Father to be gracious to us. He doesn’t have to persuade Him to be LOVE to us.
God’s Love leads to our faith
We typically describe our state prior to being saved as being separated from God, living under God’s wrath, and children of the prince of the world (see Ephesians 2:1-3 and Romans 5:8-9).
Although this is true, God didn’t send Jesus into the world because he hated us so much. He sent Jesus because He “so loved the world” (John 3:16).
Let me say it another way: Jesus’s death didn’t cause God to love us. God already loved us. Christ’s death on the cross tells us and shows us that God is love. It fixed the separation we once had from Him.
When Jesus says in John 16:27, “for the Father Himself loves you because you have loved me,” it’s not saying God’s love for us is conditional on whether or not we love Jesus. Just as Jesus’s death didn’t change God into love, our love for Jesus doesn’t change God into love for us. Our love for Jesus is evidence of the Father’s love for us.
“We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 NKJV).
It’s important to understand what part of the equation we are, especially in a world that preaches “I”-- I need to do something, I need to make this happen, I can do it on my own. We don’t cause the effect. We can do nothing without the Father (John 15:5).
In John 16:29-32, we see some light bulbs go off. The disciples felt like they finally got it now. They understood. They believed that Jesus knew what He was talking about, Who He truly is, and that He “came forth from God.” Because of what Jesus proclaimed in verse 28, they felt He was now speaking plainly. They felt confident in their faith in Him.
Our faith and its connection to His peace
We have to understand God’s love in order to have faith; otherwise, all God has done and continues to do just doesn’t make sense to us. Things feel like a bunch of “figures of speech” as they did with the disciples.
But, do we truly believe?
We see Jesus ask His disciples this very question in John 16:31. When He asked, “Do you now believe?”, I don’t think he was necessarily doubting or questioning their faith, as much as He was asking because He was about to warn them of things to come-- troubling events that would scatter them and make them question their faith.
He wanted them to contemplate just how solid their faith was. We should do the same.
How solid is our faith? Are we like the disciples, in one moment expressing our confident faith in the Lord; and in the next, scattering and leaving Him during hard times (John 16:32)?
In Jesus’s case, when His disciples retreated, He knew He was not truly alone. The Father was with Him. Jesus put His stock in His close relationship with the Father, not in man. And, the same should be true for us because this is how it is when we truly abide in the Father.
When our total reliance is on Him, even when everyone leaves, we aren’t alone.
“Jesus put His stock in His close relationship with the Father, not in man. And, the same should be true for us.”
John 16:33 — the choice we have
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NKJV)
When we understand the string of truths mentioned above, we will desire to make the decision to accept His peace.
Notice how the text says, “that in Me you may have peace.” He offered them peace. He wanted them to know that no matter what was about to happen, especially as they decided to scatter on their own, His peace was there for the taking.
We have to choose his peace and accept it.
This peace is in Christ alone. Simply following Jesus does not guarantee us this peace. It's a guarantee that He has it ready and willing for us, yes-- but, we must choose to seek it. We find this peace in Him, by relying on and abiding in Him. But, whether or not we will rely upon and abide in Him is our choice.
We could live our whole lives as Christians and deny ourselves his peace— or, choose the wrong "peace.”
Christ’s peace is alive even in the midst of bad circumstances, conflict, and tribulation. The kind of peace the world offers means everything is calm and perfect, and it's false. Contrary to what “they” say, we don’t find peace in anything else the world offers, such as money, fame, careers, or relationships.
his peace is powerful.
True peace in Christ is so powerful that it can exist along with tribulation and still hold us steady. It’s not rocked or weakened by outside circumstances. And, we know tribulation is promised-- so why not take the peace He offers?
So, Sister: Be of good cheer!
The phrase “be of good cheer” in Greek means to have courage, or be of good comfort. Jesus commonly said this phrase at times when people were afraid (such as when He walked on water and approached His disciples’ boat), or when He was healing someone. These words brought comfort to the hearer and signaled the onset of some sort of good news to follow.
In this case, the good news to follow was literally THE GOOD NEWS-- the Gospel. Christ’s death overcame. He wasn’t telling them, “Things will get better if you only do this or that, so cheer up.” This wasn’t a victory to be won by themselves. It was Christ’s victory. He overcame the world. There is no strength or comfort in the things we do. It’s Christ alone.
BUT, Christ’s victory is our victory. We are joint-heirs with Christ, so we share both in His sufferings (tribulations) and in His victory.
Hallelujah.
Bible verses about peace
Looking for a few Bible verses about peace? There are TONS in the Scriptures. Here are a few to get you started!
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15 ESV)
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. (2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 ESV)
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