The following letter was addressed to a dear boy, about ten years of age, who had found “peace with God” through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. This circumstance may account for any peculiarity there is in the style.
My dear young Brother, For some time past I have had a desire to write you a line. Your joy and peace in believing have indeed been gladness to my heart. The Lord be praised for His precious grace to your soul..........And now, I do pray, “ the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Rom. 15:1313Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13).
It is no small mercy clearly to see the ground of peace in the presence of God. Comparatively few Christians rightly understand it. Therefore, settled peace is but little known. Many think of peace as something more connected with their own state of soul, than with the work of Christ.
This is a common mistake. If they are comfortable in their own feelings, they conclude that all is right; if uncomfortable, that all is wrong. But the conscious enjoyment of a calm, peaceful, comfortable state of soul, and the ground of peace, are widely different things, though often confounded. The finished work of Christ is the only ground of peace before God, and not our own feelings. He “made peace through the blood of his cross.” He only could make it, and, blessed be His name, He has made it. It is not now to make. This is the only foundation of peace—“THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS.” All others are false, let them be what they may. Jesus crucified is the “ Rock of Ages! cleft for me.” When this precious truth is really believed, the heart will be at perfect rest, and filled with gratitude and praise.
Peace has reference to victory over enemies. When we hear from the scene of warfare that our foes have been conquered, and a complete victory gained, we know that peace will follow; and our fears and alarms cease, as to the enemy reaching us. We may have been in a state of great anxiety while the conflict lasted, but when it is decided in our favor, we are at rest. Why? Because the enemy is vanquished—the triumph is complete.
The application of all this is plain and easy. “The Captain of our salvation has triumphed gloriously.” The Bible, from beginning to end, is filled with the records of the victories of Christ. But the grand, final victory was accomplished on the cross, when He exclaimed, “It is finished!” “Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 2:1515And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)) He, who was on the cross for us, and charged there with our sins, and surrounded with our enemies, is now on the throne for us. Every one of our sins He put away, and every enemy He overcame, thereby making and securing eternal peace, for every believer. Peace flows to us from the complete destruction of our enemies. The Conqueror’s place at God’s right hand in heaven, is to us, the soul-satisfying proof of this, for we are ONE WITH HIM. His place is our place, as He says Himself: “I go to prepare a place for you.........that where I am, there ye may be also.”
It is interesting to observe how frequently Christ speaks about peace. Just before He went to the cross we find Him saying to His disciples, “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.” (John 14:2727Peace 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. (John 14:27).) And then, at their first meeting after His death and resurrection, His first words to them were, “Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side.” (John 20:19, 2019Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19‑20).) The blood that flowed from His pierced hands and wounded side had washed all their sins away, and established their peace with God forever. “His own self,” says Peter, “bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” The sins of every believer were on Him, when He was on the cross. There He bore them all. But when His blood flowed—when it was shed—they were all washed away, every one, He “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Heb. 9:2626For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26).
If, then, I am a believer in Jesus, I know, from God’s word, that all my sins were laid on Him, and that He put them all away by the blood of His cross, and made my peace with God forever.
And now—Ο blessed truth!—having made our peace, He becomes, HIMSELF, our peace in the presence of God. “For HE is our peace.” (See Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20); Eph. 2:14-1714For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having 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; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. (Ephesians 2:14‑17).) You will now see, from these scriptures, four things about Christ and peace.
1. Christ gives us peace.
2. Christ made our peace.
3. Christ is our peace.
4. Christ preaches peace.
He is also the glorious center of peace in heaven.
1. For Jew and Gentile with one another. “Who hath made both one.”
2. For both with God.
“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 (Gentiles) which were afar off, and to them (Jews) that were nigh.”
This is the grand, practical truth to learn, my dear young brother. May the good Lord Himself be your teacher as well as your lesson. It is the only truth that will lead you out of yourself, and wean your heart away from present things. In place of judging of the value, or possession, of any spiritual blessing by your own feelings or experience, you will count on what you have in Him, and rejoice in its perfectness and security there. “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him.” Col. 2:2, 102That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; (Colossians 2:2)
10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (Colossians 2:10).
Take an example of this precious truth. Suppose, now, you ask me, “Have you always peace?”
“Yes, through grace, always perfect peace in the presence of God.”
“Do you mean by that, that you always feel perfectly peaceful and happy?”
“Not exactly. What I mean is this: Christ Himself being my peace, and He being always the same in God’s presence, my peace in Him is always the same.”
It is not a question about my feelings, but entirely about what Christ is, and where Christ is; for “He is our peace.” At the same time, observe, the more simply we feed on this blessed truth, the more fully will it be enjoyed and manifested.
Now, this is what I understand by a Christian saying he has perfect, settled peace in the presence of God. He has it in Christ, not in himself; and he can only enjoy it in Him.
And it is on the same principle, that every other spiritual blessing is to be entered into and enjoyed. Oh, what an important lesson to learn! The value of it is this: it will keep you looking away from yourself and up to Christ,—going to Him, counting on Him, feeding on Him, delighting in Him—reckoning up all your mercies in Him, and being wholly and ever occupied with Him.
Let us look at a few more of our spiritual blessings in this light, that you may fully understand what I mean.
Our Life in Him can never be Forfeited.
Our Righteousness in Him can never be Tarnished.
Our Pardon in Him can never be Reversed.
Our Justification in Him can never be Canceled.
Our Acceptance in Him can never be Questioned.
Our Peace in Him can never be Broken.
Our Joy in Him can never be Diminished.
Our Rest in Him can never be Disturbed.
Our Hope in Him can never be Disappointed.
Our Glory in Him can never be Clouded.
Our Sun in Him can never be Darkened.
Our Happiness in Him can never be Interrupted.
Our Strength in Him can never be Enfeebled.
Our Purity in Him can never be Defiled.
Our Comeliness in Him can never be Marred.
Our Wisdom in Him can never be Baffled.
Our Inheritance in Him can never be Alienated.
Our Resources in Him can never be Exhausted.
And now, my dear young friend, I will not attempt to say anything more at present, but shall leave you in the calm, peaceful, and happy contemplation of your adorable Saviour, and your infinite portion in Him. It is all true, perfectly and eternally true. It is all as real as God Himself.
You may keep up your meditations on this blessed theme, by turning to the passages which either state or prove the various illustrations given of our portion in Christ.
And may God the Holy Ghost lead your mind along these several lines of divine truth, until you can only worship in the sanctuary of His holy presence, and adore Him, from whose heart it has all come forth, to enrich the once-poor children of His grace.
So prays, yours, most affectionately in Christ,
High, in the Father’s house above,
My mansion is prepared;
There is the home, the rest I love,
And there my bright reward.
With Him I love, in spotless white,
In glory I shall shine;
His blissful presence my delight,
His love and glory mine.
All taint of sin shall be removed,
All evil done away;
And I shall dwell with God’s Beloved,
Through God’s eternal day.