IN Rom. 5:1, Rom. 8:6, Eph. 2:14,15, we have peace put before us in three different aspects. The first is the result of our justification before God, through Christ having been delivered up to death for our offenses and having been raised from the dead for our justification. Knowing God as the one who has done this, we have peace towards Him in regard to the whole question of our sins. We have no longer enmity towards Him, but peace through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made peace by the blood of His cross.
The second is the result of God having in grace given His dear Son, who has met at the cross all the results of the one offense of Adam, who brought sin and death on all connected with him, and risen triumphant over the whole power of sin and death. We have Christ given us in consequence as God's positive gift of righteousness and eternal life, so that we get a new position before God in Him dead and risen, outside all condemnation, and delivered from the whole power and dominion of sin, sin as a principle having been condemned on the cross.
The third is the result of Christ having been raised from the dead, and set above all principalities and powers in the heavenly places, and of God having in His counsels put everything under His feet, and given Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, which is composed of believers who were dead in trespasses and sins, but are now quickened together with Christ, raised up together, and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ. The world up to Christ had been composed of Jew and Gentile, the Jew inheriting the promises, circumcision, and the law, and the covenants, outwardly nigh; and the Gentile far off, without God, and without hope in the world. But now in Christ Jesus the believing Gentile, far off, had been brought nigh by the blood of Christ, the middle wall of partition which was the law of commandments contained in ordinances, had been broken down by the cross, and Christ was the peace who had made both one, and created the believing Jew and Gentile into one new man, the body of Christ, so making peace. Thus, Christ as head of His body, the church, is the believing Jew's and Gentile's peace, and all united to Him are in the bond of peace united together by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, all enmity between man and God, and between man and man having been put away by the cross.
In John, 20:19, 20 we see the first aspect practically exhibited. In John 20:21,22 we see the second. In Acts 2:44; 4. and 32, we see the third.
Besides these three aspects of peace in regard to our standing before God, we have two other aspects connected with our walk. The first in Phil. 4:6,7, where the peace of God should garrison the believer's heart as the result of his being careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, making his requests known unto God.
The second in Phil. 4:8,9, where the God of peace should be with the believer, if he was occupied with what was good, and if he should do those things which he had learned and heard and received and seen in Paul-Paul being the minister of the gospel of the glory of Christ, and of the mystery of the church, which was hid in other ages and generations, but now revealed by Him to the other apostles by the Spirit. All the practice resulting from the knowledge and confession of these truths, by believers who had received them, would result in the God of peace being with them.
Released from all cares and troubles by telling their requests unto God, the peace of God would garrison their hearts. Walking positively occupied with God and following of Paul's doctrine in their practice, the God of peace would be with them. May all the dear saints be led into the consideration of the things that relate to their peace.
A. P. C.