Peace – 2 Corinthians 1 Part 3 is a continuation of the last post that concentrated on the first word in verse 2 which was Grace. Although this study into the book of 2 Corinthians is moving along at a crawl, and has become more of a word study than a dive into the chapter, I promise, we’ll soon be moving along beyond the first few verses soon!

Quite often I start a post having something particular in mind, but the Lord takes that opportunity to lead me to do something different. Honestly, I have been excited to get into the meat of this chapter, but the Father impressed upon me to slow down to a crawl and examine Paul’s introduction. If I’m not mistaken, God interrupted Jude’s plans as well. Have you ever had that happen? I’ll bet you have!

We’re going to do something I haven’t done in quite awhile. As the Lord has been leading me, keeping up with this online ministry, staying in touch with others and ministering to people through a variety of media, doing whatever I can to spread God’s Word into the world, and typing up fresh articles and studies for this site, I’m also writing another book behind the scenes that I’m very excited about and anxious to get out to you! It’s going to be called Resisting the Kingdom of Darkness.” It’s not too close to completion yet, but it’s coming along. The reason I’ve brought it up is because there just so happens to be a spot in there discussing the topic of Peace, so I have decided to include it here as an excerpt from the new book.

I pray that it is a blessing to you, and that there is some revelation tucked in here for you! Peace is a big deal, and we only realize that when it’s too late, and our peace is taken from us for one reason or another. There are a handful of different kinds of peace. Some from the Lord, and some from this world. It’s on us to distinguish between them.

2 Corinthians 1: King James Bible

2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

The fact that we are traversing through this world, while being not of this world, and working out our salvation to stay free from the stains of this world, should make it clear that as far as the world’s concerned, we’ll not find peace as the Body of Christ so long as this world belongs to Satan.

Fleshly Peace

At least here in the United States, personal peace is a much bigger deal to people than it may be elsewhere. Personal peace is sought out in the manner of quiet, stability, no disruptions in one’s life, no unpleasantness, and if possible no negative surprises, and is most often experienced when all is well and things are going our way. We don’t want anything to tip the apple cart and disrupt our peace.

In effect, we cater to the flesh, not wanting to disturb it in any way or create waves. In order to find peace in this world, you need to be at harmony with the world. Unfortunately, it may be far too easy to ignore that to be friends with the world is to be an enemy of (or at enmity with) God.

James 4: King James Bible
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

Why is God speaking about adultery here? Could it be that it would be seen as cheating in his eyes, seeking worldly peace over the peace that comes from Christ Jesus? I would feel safe in saying so. In fact, from the Old Testament all the way through the New, that’s how the Lord feels about us leaning on anything or anyone before leaning on him. In all of the rest of creation, the Father is the first and the last. But in the busy lifestyles that we have been plunged into, the Lord becomes the first to be last.

It’s not wrong to want to have some peace in your life. An argument could be made that you’d go insane without it. But if striving for peace causes you to become an ineffective or lukewarm member of the Body of Christ, your personal idea of peace has become more important to you than the one you’re supposed to be serving.

The world has it’s own way to grant us peace that is easily corrupted, and can actually be addictive and cause one to become apathetic. Personal peace is more circumstantial than anything else. With the right combination of circumstances, or the absence of negative circumstances, we can be at peace on a fleshly or a mental level.

Predictably, many of the different ways that this world offers us peace can be sinful, selfish, fear driven, or will lead to some sort of spiritual ineffectiveness. Either of which is giving license for the enemy to run amok, and do the things that we should be making a stand against as the Body of Christ. As always, there’s nothing that this world has to offer that compares to what the Lord has designed and prepared for us who love him. What he’s got for us is far better than worldly peace that quickly vanishes away with even a thought.

But there is another peace that is made avail-able to us in Christ. This other way will not corrupt, decay, or cause for you to become lukewarm.

A Special Peace from Jesus

Jesus promises us a special peace that comes directly from him. It is a peace that he calls his own, and it comes to us in a different manner than what the world has to offer. He speaks about it to his Apostles in the Book of John chapter 14.

27 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.

Here we see without a doubt, that Jesus gives us his peace, not like any peace that we can experience without him. This is something that is not available to those outside of Christ, and is something personal that he has given to us who are called by his name. All this said, the peace of Jesus is offered to us, and we should all welcome that with open arms!

But make no mistake, that is in no way to imply that we in the Body of Christ will not face adversity or calamity. It is not a promise of lack of trouble by any means. And it certainly doesn’t mean that if we are going through extremely tough times, that God must be mad at us.

Tell me, which one of the Old Testament Saints enjoyed an uneventful life? Which one did not face all kinds of troubles from the world? Alright, now which one of the New Testament Saints didn’t face any troubles or persecution from all over the place?

When I think of the steps that Jesus took while he walked the face of the earth 2,000 years ago, the last word I would use to describe what the Gospels talk about would be peaceful. Look at all of the arguments and confrontations he took part in almost everywhere he went. Think of the crowds circling around him day in and day out, having to sneak away at times to pray or meet privately with his disciples. And also (what should go without saying), look at all of the different obstacles, insults, and threats on his life that took place, and eventually his scourging, humiliation, and crucifixion.

At least to me, that doesn’t sound like a peaceful existence. Perhaps what we should take from his walk so long ago concerning peace, is that the circumstances that surrounded him did not dictate the level of peace he enjoyed. His peace came from the Father, not from peaceful circumstances offered up by the world.

The same connection between Jesus and the Father that kept his peace intact, is available to us today through him. A good representation of that special peace that comes only from Jesus, would be the ability to keep cool under great pressure. We get it these days from all sides; spiritually, physically, financially, mentally, etc…

The peace that Jesus offers us doesn’t rescue us from troubling circumstances, but causes for us to have peace amidst the storms of life, wherever they originate from. When he and the disciples were traveling across the sea and the wind and the waves were causing the disciples to panic and fear for their lives, Jesus was the only one at peace enough to be sleeping. He was awoken and immediately dealt with the problem. That’s the peace that Jesus offers us, and has made available to us in him.

The peace of Christ causes us to be still and know that God is God, even when the world seems to be falling on our shoulders. The peace of Jesus helps for us to see past circumstances, and to remember the report given to us from the Lord, not evil or ill willed thoughts or imaginations that come from ourselves or from others. The peace of the Lord allows for us to think under great pressure that constantly presses in on us from all sides. His gift of peace allows for us to grow spiritually as we walk through and out of the seasons of trouble, being all the better and stronger for it.

The Peace of Christ is a Stockade

Without that peace, there is no shortage of bad decisions, stress, panic, depression, fear, anger, all kinds of sin, etc., when the storms come. All of which becomes a demonic playground as your state of mind is constantly throwing doors open, unlocking and opening windows wide, planting a welcome sign in the spirit for all kinds of undesirables to come and set up shop.

Yes indeed there is a spiritual legal system that impacts us spiritually and winds up bleeding through to the physical. And when we break a spiritual law that has been established, demonic forces can pick up on it akin to a great white being attracted to blood in the water. And one of the best ways for Satan to persuade us to say, do, think, or believe something that would open the floodgates of demonic oppression into our lives, is to take away our peace. Or at least try to cause for us to give up the peace that comes from the Lord, because he can’t forcefully take it from us. Instead, he causes things around us to become so bad, that we forget, thus slipping in faith, concerning the Lord’s gift of peace amidst the storm.

But whether we can see trouble on the horizon, or slamming us from out of nowhere, staying well rooted in the Word of God ahead of time and already being a partaker of the peace that Jesus gives, provides a rock to be before us, on which the waves break and recede. Jesus gave us his peace, and that is truly a stockade that our spiritual enemies have a difficult time with. It’s on them to find a way around it, because there’s no going through it.

Verses to Meditate on Concerning the Lord’s Peace

Our Father is the God of Peace! It is his, it belongs to him, and he distributes it out as he sees fit. Here are some verses about who peace really belongs to.

Romans 16: King James Bible

20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5: King James Bible

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3: King James Bible

16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

Hebrews 13: King James Bible

20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Peace comes from the Father, and he gives it to us as a gift and a blessing.

Numbers 6: King James Bible

24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 

Leviticus 26: King James Bible

5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. 7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

Psalm 29: King James Bible

11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

Psalm 85: King James Bible

8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

Proverbs 16: King James Bible

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Isaiah 45: King James Bible

7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.

Isaiah 57: King James Bible

19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.

Jeremiah 29: King James Bible

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Not just from the Father only, but also Peace with God through Christ Jesus

Romans 5: King James Bible

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

So through these verses (and there are many more), we can get a glimpse of the Lord’s heart toward us who seek him out and love him. Peace, his peace he gives unto us. Not as the world gives peace, but as the Father who shed his peace upon Christ Jesus throughout the days of his life before and up to the cross, so does Christ shed that same peace to us. My recommendation would be for us who are called by his name, to grab hold of that gift with both hands, and allow the Lord to lead you peacefully through all trials.

Conclusion

That is the end of the excerpt from the book Resisting the Kingdom of Darkness. I hope that you’ve enjoyed it and have been blessed by it! If you have been blessed by it, please consider making a donation to the ministry to help me out paying the bills, and to be able to get these messages out to as many people who can read! The Lord will certainly remember you and bless you for it.

Share this message via the social media option in the tab below, or click that big plus sign over to the right hand side of your screen. Feel free to leave a comment down below, and keep your eyes peeled for the next addition to this study into 2 Corinthians 1! Thank you for reading Peace – 2 Corinthians 1 part 3, and God bless you all in Jesus mighty name!

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