GOSPEL OF PEACE



Before Christ came to the world, we were enemies of God.  Jesus Christ came to bring us peace with God.  When we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God raised him from the dead, we receive righteousness, justification, and peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14:27
  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ brought peace to those that believe in Him, perfect peace, not as the world gives.
John 16:33
   These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
   Jesus Christ did not bring peace to the wars of the world.  Jesus Christ did not bring an end to tribulation in the world.  Jesus Christ brought man peace with God!  We are no longer enemies of God.  In Christ we have peace.  We have that which he had; a peaceful relationship with the Father.
Ephesians 2:13-18
   But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
   For he is our peace [peace offering], who hath made both [Jews and Gentiles] one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
   Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
   And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
   And came and preached peace to you which were afar off [Gentiles], and to them that were nigh [Jews].
   For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
 We are no longer at enmity with God or one another as believers in the body of Christ.  Jesus Christ got rid of the separation between man and God.  We ALL have access to God by the work of Christ.  We all have peace with God.
Romans 10:8-10, 15b
   But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach:
   That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
   For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. . . .
   . . . How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
   The good news that we preach, the gospel of peace, is that if a man or woman confesses with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believes in their heart that God raised him from the dead, that person gets saved.  That person is at peace with God.  That person has the same access to God as the Lord Jesus Christ.  Now that is certainly glad tidings of good things!
   Each of the epistles written to the church, and each of the leadership epistles written to individual believers begin with a greeting reminding us of the grace of God given us in Christ and of the peace we have from God and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2
   Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ;
Galatians 1:3
   Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Colossians 1:2
   To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
   Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 1:2
   To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 1:4
   To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
 1 Timothy 1:2
   Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Philemon 1:3
   Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
    God does not just repeat words.  Each time a greeting is sent to the believers as a group or to individuals in the church, the Word of God records grace and peace from God and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  It must be important to God that we recognize the peace given us in Christ.  Now, we can share the gospel of peace every place we go.
Ephesians 6:15
   And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
   There are many other scriptures in the church epistles written to us that tell us about peace in action in our lives.  Galatians and Philippians talk about peace as one of the fruit of the spirit that guards our hearts.  Colossians talks about peace ruling in our hearts.  And Ephesians talks about endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the binding of peace. As we accept our Lord Jesus Christ, may His peace continually reign in our lives.