Post by Cindy on Jan 31, 2022 12:00:42 GMT -5
“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)
The peace Jesus is speaking of enables believers to remain calm in the most wildly fearful circumstances. It enables them to hush a cry, still a riot, rejoice in pain & trial, & sing in the middle of suffering. This peace is never affected by circumstances but instead affects & even overrules them. The NT speaks of two kinds of peace—the objective peace concerning your relationship to God, and the subjective peace concerning your experience in life. The peace He speaks of here is a subjective, experiential peace. It is tranquillity of the soul, a settled, positive peace that affects the circumstances of life. It is peace that is aggressive; rather than being victimized by events, it attacks them & gobbles them up. It's a supernatural, permanent, positive, no-side-effects, divine tranquilizer. This peace is the heart’s calm after Calvary’s storm. It's the firm conviction that He who spared not His own Son will also along with Him freely give us all things (Rom. 8:32). The peace of God is not based on circumstances like the world’s peace, so it doesn’t always make sense to the carnal mind. MacArthur, How to survive in a world of unbelievers
The word “peace” reflects the Heb. “Shalom,” which became a greeting to His disciples after the resurrection. At the individual level this peace, unknown to the unsaved, secures composure in difficult trouble (cf. v. 1), dissolves fear (Php 4:7), and rules in the hearts of God’s people to maintain harmony (Col 3:15). The greatest reality of this peace will be in the messianic kingdom (Nu 6:26; Ps 29:11; Is 9:6, 7; 52:7; 54:13; 57:19; Eze 37:26; Hag 2:9; cf. Ac 10:36; Ro 1:7; 5:1; 14:17). The MacArthur study Bible
Dark hours come to us all; and if we have no clue to a peace that can pass unbroken through their murky gloom, we shall be in a state of continual dread. Any stone flung by a chance passer-by may break the crystal clearness of the Lake of Peace and send disturbing ripples across it, unless we have learned to trust in the perpetual presence of Him who can make and keep a “great calm” within the soul. Only let nothing come to you which you shall not instantly hand over to Him—all petty worries, all crushing difficulties, all inability to believe. Thoughts for the quiet hour.
Shalom means wholeness, completeness, health, security & prosperity in the best sense. When you're enjoying God’s peace there's joy & contentment. The world bases its peace on its resources, while God’s peace depends on relationships. To be right with God means to enjoy the peace of God. The world depends on personal ability, but the Christian depends on spiritual adequacy in Christ. In the world, peace is something you hope or work for; but to the Christian, peace is God’s wonderful gift received by faith. Unsaved people enjoy peace when there is an absence of trouble; Christians enjoy peace in spite of trials because of the presence of power, the Holy Spirit. People in the world walk by sight & depend on the externals but Christians walk by faith & depend on the eternals. The Spirit of God teaches us the Word and guides us (not drags us!) into the truth. He also reminds us of what He has taught us so that we can depend on God’s Word in the difficult times of life. The Spirit uses the Word to give us His peace (John 14:27), His love (John 15:9–10), and His joy (John 15:11). If that does not calm a troubled heart, nothing will! The Bible exposition commentary
The peace Jesus is speaking of enables believers to remain calm in the most wildly fearful circumstances. It enables them to hush a cry, still a riot, rejoice in pain & trial, & sing in the middle of suffering. This peace is never affected by circumstances but instead affects & even overrules them. The NT speaks of two kinds of peace—the objective peace concerning your relationship to God, and the subjective peace concerning your experience in life. The peace He speaks of here is a subjective, experiential peace. It is tranquillity of the soul, a settled, positive peace that affects the circumstances of life. It is peace that is aggressive; rather than being victimized by events, it attacks them & gobbles them up. It's a supernatural, permanent, positive, no-side-effects, divine tranquilizer. This peace is the heart’s calm after Calvary’s storm. It's the firm conviction that He who spared not His own Son will also along with Him freely give us all things (Rom. 8:32). The peace of God is not based on circumstances like the world’s peace, so it doesn’t always make sense to the carnal mind. MacArthur, How to survive in a world of unbelievers
The word “peace” reflects the Heb. “Shalom,” which became a greeting to His disciples after the resurrection. At the individual level this peace, unknown to the unsaved, secures composure in difficult trouble (cf. v. 1), dissolves fear (Php 4:7), and rules in the hearts of God’s people to maintain harmony (Col 3:15). The greatest reality of this peace will be in the messianic kingdom (Nu 6:26; Ps 29:11; Is 9:6, 7; 52:7; 54:13; 57:19; Eze 37:26; Hag 2:9; cf. Ac 10:36; Ro 1:7; 5:1; 14:17). The MacArthur study Bible
Dark hours come to us all; and if we have no clue to a peace that can pass unbroken through their murky gloom, we shall be in a state of continual dread. Any stone flung by a chance passer-by may break the crystal clearness of the Lake of Peace and send disturbing ripples across it, unless we have learned to trust in the perpetual presence of Him who can make and keep a “great calm” within the soul. Only let nothing come to you which you shall not instantly hand over to Him—all petty worries, all crushing difficulties, all inability to believe. Thoughts for the quiet hour.
Shalom means wholeness, completeness, health, security & prosperity in the best sense. When you're enjoying God’s peace there's joy & contentment. The world bases its peace on its resources, while God’s peace depends on relationships. To be right with God means to enjoy the peace of God. The world depends on personal ability, but the Christian depends on spiritual adequacy in Christ. In the world, peace is something you hope or work for; but to the Christian, peace is God’s wonderful gift received by faith. Unsaved people enjoy peace when there is an absence of trouble; Christians enjoy peace in spite of trials because of the presence of power, the Holy Spirit. People in the world walk by sight & depend on the externals but Christians walk by faith & depend on the eternals. The Spirit of God teaches us the Word and guides us (not drags us!) into the truth. He also reminds us of what He has taught us so that we can depend on God’s Word in the difficult times of life. The Spirit uses the Word to give us His peace (John 14:27), His love (John 15:9–10), and His joy (John 15:11). If that does not calm a troubled heart, nothing will! The Bible exposition commentary
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