Lesson 13 Prince Of Peace

     Isaiah 9:6 says that, "His name will be called the Prince of Peace."
     Under the Law, no man had peace with God because none were righteous; not one.  Romans 3:10 (Amplified) says, "As it is written, none is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no not one."
     Romans 3:19 (Amplified) says that, "Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that (the murmerings and excuses of) every mouth shall be hushed and all the world may be held accountable to God."
     Those who were under the Law couldn't escape the sin that came from the fall of Adam according to Romans 3:20 (Amplified) which says, "For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His (God's) sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For (the real function of) the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin (not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character)."
     Because the continual sacrifice needed to be made over and over for sins, man's conscience was always condemned by sin.  Therefore, man could never be right with God because of the Law's always reminding them of who they were.  The Law commands man to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  But, the Law of sin and death always reminded them of their lack of ability to do so.  In this accord, man always fell short of the perfection of the Law.  Romans 13:10 (Amplified) tells us that, "Love does no wrong to one's neighbor (it never hurts anyone)."  Love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.
     Now we come to the new covenant of grace with a clear conscience in Jesus by the fulfilling of the Law.  In John 3:16 (Amplified) we read, "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost), but have eternal (everlasting) life."  This Love, that is the fulfilling of the Law, was the command Jesus left to the Church.  John 13:34 (Amplified) says, "I give you a new commandment; that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another."
     This love fulfilled the Law by the truth in the Blood of Jesus.  Romans 5:8 (Amplified) says, "But God shows and clearly proves His (Own) love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us."  Because Love fulfilled the Law, those of us under grace are free from the Law because of the Love God showed on our behalf through Jesus.
     This is what ushers in the Prince of Peace.  Because Love set us free, we can now serve God out of a clear conscience by the sacrifice of Love that fulfilled all the Law of sin and death.  Romans 8:1-4 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit."  Verse 2 goes on, "For the Law of the Spirit of Life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being) has freed me from the Law of sin and of death."  Verse 3 says, "For God has done what the Law could not do, (it's power) being weakened by the flesh (the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit) sending His Own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, (God) condemned sin in the flesh (subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice)."  Verse 4 says, "So that the righteousness and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit (our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit)."
     One of the prime ways of the flesh (the standards that dictate the ways of the flesh) is to keep the believer under the guilt and condemnation of the Law of the flesh.  Those who are free from the Law of sin and death are those who receive Love as the fulfilling of this Law and walk in complete forgiveness by the sacrifice offered and received by God for our forgiveness.  Without doing this and walking in the Spirit, we're still trying to fulfill the Law by works and not by the grace of God.  When we receive this grace for forgiveness, then we have "the peace that passes all understanding."  Philippians 4:6-7 (Amplified) says, "Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests) with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God."  Verse 7 says, "And God's peace (shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace) which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
     It's hard to walk in the Love of the new covenant of grace without understanding your own forgiveness.  Without this understanding, we still judge ourselves by the standards of others in order to quiet our own conscience.  We judge the nonbeliever in their sin to make ourselves feel better about ourselves because we won't accept the truth of forgiveness.
     We can never walk in the peace of grace without receiving our own forgiveness by faith.  We read in Luke 7:41-43 (Amplified) that, "A certain leader of money (at interest) had two debtors, one owed him five hundred denari, and the other fifty."  Verse 42 says, "When they had no means of paying, he freely forgave them both, Now which of them will love him more?"  Verse 43 says, "Simon answered, the one, I take if, for whom he forgave and cancelled more. And Jesus said to him, 'You have decided correctly.'"
     For those of us who have been forgiven much (if we receive our forgiveness), we love much because we've seen the love that has freed us when we didn't deserve it.  The only way I can have peace in my conscience and walk with God in peace is to let Love set me free.  When I know what His Love has done for me, then it's easier to love others who have missed it.
     I have peace with God because He declared peace with me.  As one man said, "I almost feel guilty because I don't feel guilty."  I know in my head what I was guilty of, but I know in my heart it is all gone.  Understanding this, I no longer try to atone for my own sins by guilt and condemnation, but rejoice in Him that they are gone.  All I could accomplish by standing in condemnation is that it would stop me from being who God called me to be.  Only one who believes in our Prince of Peace can feel free to let God use him and not feel unworthy to minister to the needs of others.
     Live in His peace and allow that peace to come on others through you.  Be able to tell the world how God isn't mad at them, but He's calling them to peace with Himself.