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Transcript 210D — The Meaning of "Peace" [Jn 14:27]
CALLER: In John 14:27, I wonder if you would explain that verse to me. I think it means more than I'm getting out of it.
HC: The question that is raised is concerning John 14:27. There we read, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give it to you. Let not your hearts be troubled. Neither let them be afraid."
Now Jesus is talking to the disciples about the fact that He is going to leave them, and He has encouraged them by saying that the Holy Spirit will come, and "He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." And then He says, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled. Neither let them be afraid."
Now the peace that God brings is the peace that results from reconciliation between man and God. Before we are saved we are enemies of God. We're at war with God. And this is the peace that God has left with us. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. We are the heralds of peace. We are the peacemakers, as we bring the Gospel. This is the peace that God is concerned about.
Now that's a peace that the world does not understand. The world can understand peace between nations. The world can understand peace between shooting Martins and McCoys. The world can understand peace between husband and wife, and between quarreling children. The world can understand that kind of peace. But that isn't the peace that God has in view.
The peace that God has in view, and that God has left with us, is an eternal peace. It is infinitely more glorious and important than any of the peace that the world is interested in. And once we have that peace with God, once we are reconciled to God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we're no longer enemies of His, so that we're no longer at war with Him, then indeed our hearts need not be troubled, nor must we be afraid.
Afraid of what? Well, we first of all don't have to be afraid of the wrath of God any longer. We're no longer under judgment. We have become a friend of God. Our sins have all been paid for. And so we don't fear God's wrath any more.
Secondly, we don't have to be afraid of Satan. Before we were saved when we were an enemy of God, we were his slave. And he was a cruel and bitter taskmaster over us. He is the very essence of self-destruction and deceit and all manner of bad things. But now that we are saved, we don't fear him any longer. He can't hurt us anymore. Oh yes, he can kill us. He can persecute us. But that isn't really any way that he can hurt us, because death for us is simply a change of residence. We go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven.
So we don't have to be afraid of the wrath of God, coming as a result of our sins. We don't have to be afraid of Satan. We no longer are under his control. We are no longer his slaves. What a marvellous, marvellous salvation God has provided, isn't it?