When God had the angels announce at the birth of Jesus, "Peace on earth, and good will toward man," this was the entrance of what Isaiah foretold in Isaiah 9:6, "The promise of this time of peace between God and man, has been established."
Until this time, there had been the separation that was brought about in the Garden of Eden. Because of the sin of Adam, there was war declared in the spirit realm that encompassed all of humanity. The promise of peace was to come when Jesus, the Prince of Peace, would come.
Most of us think that all things happened at the resurrection. But, peace began when Jesus was born. All through the four gospels we see this peace of God working. As Jesus forgave the woman taken in adultery, we see this peace of God tell her, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."
We watched as the Prince of Peace stopped the storm on the Sea of Galilee when He commanded, "Peace, be still." This manifest peace of God, in the form of flesh, brought comfort and peace to all who would receive it. Jesus sat on the Mt. of Olives and said about the city of Jerusalem, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how many times I wanted to take you under My wings as a mother hen with her chicks, but you would not."
This Man of peace came to declare that God was no longer upset or angry with man. Jesus said in John 10:10(Amplified) that, "I come that you have life, and have it to the fullest." In John 12:47 (Amplified) Jesus proclaimed the purpose of His coming when He said, "If anyone hears My teachings and fails to observe them (does not keep them, but disregards them) it is not I Who judges him. For I have not come to judge and condemn and to pass sentence and to inflict penalty on the world, but to save the world."
When peace was made with mankind, it was now up to man to accept it. It's difficult to walk in peace with someone who rejects your efforts. Even as God's Love was poured out on mankind in John 3:16 (Amplified) "So that none should perish, but have everlasting life," there have been millions of people since that time who have rejected God's offer of love and salvation and have perished anyway. If you don't respond to His love, it has no benefit to you because you don't believe. His Peace (God's peace towards me) must be believed on my behalf in order for me to ever enjoy it in my life. Even though God's peace is there and even though it's real and even though it's God's Own will for me, I can still walk in fear of His judgement and punishment if I don't believe.
It's not God Who breaks the covenant despite what we may think, hear or feel. God's covenant of peace is ironclad and sealed by the Blood of Jesus. Even when we fail to walk in this peace with God, His peace will still be there for you always. No matter what happens in the life of a believer, God will never turn loose of the truth of His peace towards you.
We've been taught and have believed throughout the years, that when things go wrong in the Christian's life, that it's God Who is punishing them for their wrongdoing. But, according to Jesus in John 12:47 (Amplified), "He didn't come to judge or inflict penalty on us, but to save us." If Jesus punished us for wrongdoings, then we would have been destroyed before we ever got saved.
Romans 8:6-7 (Amplified) tells us that, "Now the mind of the flesh (which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit) is death (death that compromises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter). But the mind of the (Holy) Spirit is life and (soul) peace (both now and forever)." Verse 7 goes on, "(That is) because the mind of the flesh (with its carnal thoughts and (purposes) is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot."
Did you notice how in this scripture, that it wasn't God Who was hostile towards us, but the carnal mind that's hostile towards Him? How many Christians do you suppose we have who are still carnal minded? We need to renew our minds as the Word instructs us to do in Romans 12:2 (Amplified) which says, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age) (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs) but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude) so that you may prove (for yourself) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, in His sight for you."
Without understanding what the meaning of "renew your mind," we still think the same as the world does about peace with God. So, even a believer (one who is saved)will still walk hostile (not going with God) to the covenant of peace if he doesn't renew his mind. He isn't against God in his heart, but his mind (by not believing the Word) will be and actually is against God's Word and covenant.
The end result will be that this child of God will still walk in fear of his heavenly Father and won't be able to enjoy the liberty of the peace in his heart. He will always be accusing God of things that have nothing to do with God because he doesn't believe what this Prince of Peace came to do. You can find yourself not in peace with God even though He is still at peace with you all the time.
Peace of heart and mind are priceless blessings in the believer's life. Without peace, you will never enjoy the liberty that the Holy Spirit came to establish for the child of God. This liberty is the grace of the covenant. Just receive it and walk at liberty with the Father.
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