Tag: bible

What is True Peace?

PEACE
What is peace? Is it just the absence of conflict? No. Peace extends more than just the mere absence of conflict. Peace means tranquility, quietness, freedom from war, etc… It is pretty much the most desired state of mind along with happiness. All humans in this world invariably are in pursuit of peace. Peace is a basic, fundamental human right. But does everyone get peace? No.
There are three types of peace:
1)Inner peace
2) Peace with God
3) Peace with Others
Inner Peace:

Our world is becoming far less peaceful with each passing day. People individually are more restless. They are void of peace and they undertake various means, some radical means even to fill that void and attain peace. But to no avail. What does the Bible and especially the Lord Jesus say about this indispensable commodity? Let’s find out. The Bible says,

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times, in all ways. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”. Isaiah 26:3.
1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your worries on him because he cares you”.
Romans 16:20
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you”.
The Lord Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” . John 14:27.

These are the verses that underscore the value that the Bible places on inner peace. Now let’s delve into the second type of peace; Peace with God.

2) Peace with God:
Because of the fall of man( Adam’s sin), we lost our peace with God. The Bible tells us we were once His enemies.(Romans 5:10). But God the Father Made a way for us to have peace with Him. He sent His One and Only Son JESUS, and whosoever put his or her trust on Jesus would be reconciled to the Father and His wrath was satisfied as the Lord Jesus Himself bore that on the cross. This belief in the Gospel ensured friendship with God. Now that we have put our faith in Christ, God views us as though all of us lived the life of Christ. That’s the power of the Gospel and the resulting consequence is the peace we enjoy with God.

3) Peace with others
In the beatitudes(Sermon on the Mount),the Lord Jesus Christ says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Sons of God”. Matthew 5:9.
Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all”.
We as Christians must be peacemakers. That is what our Lord commanded us to do. We should be the first ones to reconcile, to forgive and forget and overlook a mistake made by others. CS Lewis put it this way, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you”.

Christ must be our role model. He was full of love. He did turn the other cheek, but at the same time he boldly resisted and admonished the Pharisees and other religious leaders when necessary. So my beloved, let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us adopt a peaceful lifestyle and walk like Christ, leading a self less and peaceable life. Shalom.

Overcoming Fear with Faith: A Biblical perspective

The Lord Jesus and one of his prominent disciples, Peter.

FEAR NOT
What is fear? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it “as an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger” . Firstly, I will lay down some of the characteristics of fear, and then I will proceed forward to combating it and taking it head on. Fear is a crippling emotion. It is quite possibly the most negative emotion one can experience. The person who has fear can’t think well and his functionality gets paralyzed. Fear clouds our judgment, it brings us heaviness and debilitates our rationality. There are many forms and types of fear termed as phobias where people fear different things ranging from the common fear of heights to a quite unusual fear of being out of mobile contact.

Fear, for sure is terrible, but not all fear is bad. A reverential fear towards God, a healthy fear before an important exam are some examples of good anxiety. The enemy uses fear to his advantage. He attacks our mind with negative thoughts, fearful speculations and endless doubts. But know that though those thoughts look like they are permanent, they are one hundred percent temporary and they fade away soon. The Lord Jesus Christ encourages us to not feel intimidated by anything. He says, “Which of you can add an hour to his life by worrying ?”( Matthew 6:27). Worry is worship to the devil. We are called to worship the LORD alone and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. By being fearful, anxious and worrying over things we can’t control, we inadvertently lose our ability to worship God in spirit and in truth. We ought to fear God only, and not worry or fear about anything or anyone else. We human beings fear something or the other. We feel threatened by one thing or the other. This is where our God and man are different. God cannot feel fear. Nor can He feel intimidated, for He is El- Shaddai(All-Powerful). The Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ was revealed in flesh in the earth and though He was fully human, there isn’t one instance recorded in the Holy Bible where He felt fear. He was totally fearless.

Yes, my beloved, God is beyond fear and that’s the reason only he can help us. God is love. His perfect love drives out fear ( 1 John 4:18).

Fear is indeed ubiquitous among humans, but the good news is we don’t have to continually live in fear. There is redemption and hope. Fear indeed can be defeated, pinned down and won over. Yes, the antidote to fear is faith. And that kind of faith is found in the Living Word of the Living God. We need to speak faith, speak life, speak God’s word, and His Unstoppable Power will do the rest. The Holy Bible emboldens us not to fear 366 times, which is exactly the number of days in a year inclusive of the leap year. God says in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.

The Holy Bible is replete with examples of God helping fearful people come out of their fears and anxieties. Gideon was fearful, God delivered Him; Peter walked on water, but suddenly fear gushed into his heart and God delivered him; Mary was afraid when she saw the angel Gabriel and the angel said “Fear not”; The same with Daniel and Zechariah who were also visited by angels and they both were given the same words, “Fear not”. Yes, though these two words appear redundant in the Holy Bible, they carry such weight and power and God reiterates and reinforces us that He is in full control. Nothing escapes His notice. Yes, my beloved, God reminds us and encourages us to live with freedom without fear. We ought to fill our minds with the Word of God and put on the armor of God and boldly resist the devil. If we resist him, he will flee and no fear is necessary.

Finally, I would like to conclude with a powerful verse which adds more impetus to the topic we are discussing. It consummates and encapsulates the entire topic. That is,” For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self- control(2 Timothy 1:7)”. So, let us bear in mind this verse and always acknowledge this fact and rely on God knowing that with Him on our side, nothing can shake us. Shalom.