Lesson 15 Prince Of Peace

     Isaiah 9:6 (Amplified) tells us that the Prince of Peace is one of the many titles given to portray Jesus Christ in the Word of God.  Revelations 19 says that on His head were many crowns.  One of these crowns is Prince of Peace.
     Though we are free from the Law because by grace you are saved, the Law had and still has a place in the unsaved portion of the world.  Romans 2:14 (Amplified) says that, "When Gentiles who have not the (divine) Law do instinctively what the Law requires, they are a Law to themselves, since they do not the Law."  Verse 15 says, "They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts and are operating there, with which their consciences (sense of right and wrong) also bear witness and their (moral) decisions (their arguments of reason, their condemning or approving thoughts) will accuse or perhaps defend and excuse (them)."
     Without the Law being written in our hearts, we would never have realized we were sinners and needed a savior.  Some people know they are wrong and excuse their sin by public opinion.  With others, we find ourselves in a place of no escape and realize that we need Jesus.  This is according to God's plan for us Gentiles and it works perfectly.
     The obstacle has been that once conviction comes and we realize we need Jesus, we fail to go from convicting Law to saving grace.  We allow the same sin consciences that brought us to Jesus to keep us from fellowship with Jesus.  We fail to acknowledge that once you receive Jesus, you are free.  Now, this same conscience that convicted you to salvation still works and convicts you in you salvation.
     2 Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says that, "For our sakes He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him, we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right standing with Him), by His goodness."
     Because Jesus became our sin bearer and we've become His righteousness, our hearts and consciences that once was our friend and brought us to Christ now has become our enemy and keeps us in condemnation and guilt.  Romans 12:1-3 (Amplified) tells us that "We are now to renew our minds to think as we have been approved unto God. Not to be conformed to the world and its external and superficial customs, But to be transformed (changed) by the entire renewal of our minds."
     We must learn to think according to what the Word says about us and not what the world or our consciences say about us.  Romans 12:3 (Amplified) goes on to say, "We're not to think of ourselves more highly than we should, with an exaggerated opinion of ourselves."  We've been taught for years that if we declare we're righteous and children of God and sinless, then that implies we're thinking more highly of ourselves than we should.  Actually, the opposite is true.  When you declare that you're still old sinners who are saved by grace and that none are righteous, no not one, then you have an exaggerated opinion of yourself.  You are actually saying that Jesus wasn't enough to make you rgihteous before God even though He died for your sin.
     No wonder there's very little peace in the hearts of God's people.  If this is the opinion you have of yourself, then you can never be at peace in your heart.  Jesus, whom you have received, did His work so perfectly that there isn't even a stain of sin on you.  Jesus' sacrifice was so complete that God views you as righteous.  Not only are you no longer a sinner in God's eyes, but Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) says that, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit, (assuring us) that we are God's children."  Verse 17 says, "And if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him) only we must share His suffering if we are to share His Glory."
     This suffering isn't the suffering Jesus bore on the cross that could make us free.  Jesus' suffering came from the religious people who wouldn't receive Him and the Truth He taught.  They preferred the old way and rejected Jesus' teaching on grace. Jesus said that you cannot put new wine in an ole wine skin and that you must be born again in order to even begin understanding the covenant of grace.
     This new covenant isn't based on our performance anymore, but on His.  It's not based on what your neighbor thinks about you or worldly people's attitudes of "I remember you when..."  This new covenant is based on whether you believe that Jesus was enough to cleanse you completely.  Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10 (Amplified), "So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities (weaknesses), insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak (in human strength) then am I (truly) strong (aable, powerful in divine strength)."
     In all of Paul's sufferings for the gospel, none was something that God had done to him, but what people did to Him because of the gospel.  People have been taught for years that God knocked Paul down for his being too proud and boastful.  Verse 17 of this same chapter in 2 Corinthians 12 (Amplified) says that it was God Who gave Paul the revelation that I'm teaching now.  It was a "messenger of satan" who caused all the persecution in an attempt to stop the preaching of grace.
     Satan did everything he knew to do trying to stop the "light of this glorious gospel" from being preached.  He still works at it by clouding the minds and consciences of God's children and keeping them from receiving peace with their Father.  Every epistle Paul wrote began with the same greeting of "May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ reighn in your life and heart."  In one way or another, this is his greeting of Peace.