Sanctified by the God of Peace – Sermon 14 December, 2014

Sanctified by the God of Peace
Is. 61:1-4, 8-11 & 1 Thess. 5:16-24
What is Peace?
In the New Testament, the word “peace” is found at the beginning or the end of every epistle except for James and 1 John. The extent of its meaning is apparent when it is linked with “grace”, “life”, and “righteousness”. It is used in benedictions like 1 Thes. 5:23; Heb. 13:20; 2 Peter 3:14.
Webster dictionary defines “peace” as:
l. Freedom from war. 2. A treaty or agreement to end war or the threat of war. 3. Freedom from public disturbance or disorder. 4. Freedom from disagreement, harmony. 5. An undisturbed state of mind; absence of mental conflict, serenity, peace of mind. 6. Calm; tranquillity.”
The Greek word which is translated “peace” is defined by Thayer Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament as:
1. A state of national tranquillity; exemption from the rage and havoc of war. 2. Peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord. 3. Security, safety or prosperity. 4. The Messiah’s peace. 5. The tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ.
Shalom is the OT equivalent of peace and a typical form of greeting among Hebrews and Middle Eastern community.
Peace with God
Our first priority should be to find peace with God. Sin brings unhappiness, conflict, and chaos into our lives. It causes fellowship with God to be broken. If we want to avoid eternal condemnation, we must make peace with God. This cannot be accomplished on our terms; obedience to the Lord’s will is the key!
The Old Testament prophets spoke of the Messianic age as a time of peace. The New Testament reveals the fulfilment of this hope. Peace expresses the reconciliation that was made possible through the shed blood of Christ.
Peace with Self
Today, peace of mind is a quality which is hard to find. The evidence is around us: crime, divorce, drug abuse, alcoholism, and suicide. Witness the physical signs of stress: hypertension, ulcers, heart attacks, etc.
Peace of mind cannot be found in drugs or alcohol. The secret is not found in reading self-help books. We achieve peace of mind by applying the gospel to our lives and letting the God of Peace rule our hearts. Inner tranquillity is the result of faithful submission to the Lord.
Christians should be the happiest and most well-adjusted people in the world. We may face difficult problems, but the peace of God enables us to maintain balance. Through Christ, we can overcome any adversity. We can have rest of soul that comes from the establishment of a right relationship with God and living in harmony with His will.
What was Christ’s peace?
It was the peace of spirit that came from his oneness with God, his complete harmony with the will of the Father. Harmony with God was the secret of his peace. He declared that He was here to do the will of God.
Paul in his concluding words of his epistle urges the believers of the church in Thessalonica to be sanctified and made holy by the God of peace. He wishes this for three simple reasons.
1. Pursuit of peace
As we look to life from any standpoint we see the lack of peace; inner peace and peace with others. Unrest, tension, confusion, frustration, violence and distress are widespread in our world. It is clear that sin has separated and alienated people from God. We cannot be in rebellion against God and have peace at the same time. Unrest prevails in every heart that is not in harmony with the will of God. People search for peace in many places where it cannot be found. Some think having wealth and fortune give them peace. Solomon tried to find peace in the things of the world; even he pursued wisdom and knowledge on the human level and came to the conclusion that everything is vain.
As we pursue for peace, we should be convinced that God is the only source of real, satisfying and abiding peace. And as Paul suggests we should try to sanctify ourselves through and through by God himself.
2. Provision of peace
Not only we should desire and pursue peace, but we should know that it is available and it is free. The basic fact of the Gospel is that Christ has made “peace through the blood of his cross” (Col 1.20). When Christ was biding his farewell to his disciples, he did not promise them an easy life, free from all burdens and temptations. On the contrary he made clear to them that they will face hardship, persecution and even death. The only thing He promised to them was His peace. This promise of peace could have only helped them to persevere in their endeavour.
In other words He gave them the provision of peace, which could be theirs if they followed in His steps.
3. Possession of peace
To have the peace that Christ has promised is attainable only by faith. With our personal trust in and reliance on Christ we come into possession of the wonderful peace that God has provided. Only Jesus can convey this peace to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour. The world can neither give nor take from us Christ’s peace. Not even distressing circumstances can ever take away it from us.
Many people possess this peace because they accept it as a gift from the Lord.
Do we possess this peace in our hearts?
Do we pursue this peace?
The only way to pursue and possess this peace is by the simple faith that He is our Saviour. Salvation and peace are ours to take.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify us through and through, in order our whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We need the peace that God provides to us through His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The one whose birth we are going to celebrate once again shortly. He is the king of kings and the prince of peace, our peace. Amen.

Krikor Youmshajekian