Peace and More
Dearly beloved of God, with all the worldly information that hits us daily, at times it may be difficult to get your mind to believe the true reality in which we live.
John 16:33 ESV
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
As long as we live in this evil age, we will have tribulation, but rejoice, since the Lord Jesus Christ has given himself for us, in him we have peace.
“Tribulation” is mental pressure because of evils; it is affliction, distress. These mental pressures press upon us.
But, beloved, be of good cheer; Jesus Christ has overcome the world! “The world” here is put for the things of this world.
The Lord said to be of good cheer. “Good cheer” means that we are to be of good courage, take courage, or cheer up in the face of these attacks.
Why can we be of good courage, or of good cheer? Because Jesus Christ has overcome the world. He conquered and was victorious over all principality and power in every attack.
Because of the Lord’s accomplishments in his suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension, we can be of good cheer. We can be of good courage.
Colossians 2:13- 15 ESV
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
He triumphed over them in his death and resurrection from the dead and we triumphed over them in him.
Whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world: our believing. Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? See I John 5:4
Ephesians 1:19-22 ESV
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his [His: God’s, the Father of glory] power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Look at that! The immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward us who believe according to the working of the strength of His ability, which He energized in the Christ when He raised him from the dead and caused him to sit at His right side in the heavenly realm.
But that’s not all; keep reading!
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
God made Christ the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all of us. We are members of the body of Christ, and we have all in all.
We are complete; completely filled in Christ Jesus. We are complete in him, who is the head over all principality and power.
Ephesians 3:16 and 20
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
“Spirit” is used here by the figure of speech, metonymy, which refers to the information that the Spirit, God, originates and which He communicates to us.” Read II Corinthians 4:16.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
The power that raised His Son from the dead is the power that strengthens us and is now at work in us and He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.
Beloved, this is why we can be of good cheer in the face of our troubles in this evil age.
Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
“Power of his might” in the Greek is “kratos + ischus,” and may be translated, “strength of ability,” which refers to the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ’s ability to prevail, which he gets from his Father’s ability to prevail. We read about it in Ephesians 1:19.
This is why we can be of good cheer. This is why we can be courageous. This is why in Christ we can have peace in the face of tribulations. Not only is that true, read this.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus Christ we have been justified AND we have peace with God. This is now a reality. See Philippians 2:13.
Now we peace with God, and He is in us and He is for us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Now He works in us by the new birth spirit, to will and to do of His good pleasure. He does this by the manifestations of His spirit.
Every believer in Christ receives the gift of holy spirit in the new birth. The gift is spirit ability, and when it is energized it produces the manifestations of the spirit.
Every believer in Christ is equipped with both the gift of holy spirit, and the manifestations of the spirit. These were given to us to produce the profit that God desires us to have.
This is how God’s power works in us, dearly beloved of God, the same power that raised Christ from the dead and caused him to sit at God’s right side far above all principality and power.
We are members of his body, and we are filled with all in all.
When we pray, we must realize that we are at peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. He hears and answers our prayers. See I John 5:14 and 15.
We must also realize that He works in us by energizing the spirit in us by the manifestation of the spirit. See I Corinthians 12:7-11.
We can be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ’s in the strength of his ability to prevail.
In the world we will not have peace, but through Christ we have peace with God, and not only peace; we are more than conquerors through him in the face of all the tribulations of life we face because of the spiritual realities that are ours in the new birth.
Take God at His Word and believe Him. New things have come, and all of the new things are from God.
We live in this new reality. Do not get talked out of these new things by this evil age. Be of good courage and stand in the tribulations of life though the power of God that is in you.
In the world we will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world, and we overcame it in him.
We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Peace!