At Peace With God

Jesus Promised Peace

Book of John 16:16-33

If we remember all the wonderful things of last week’s lesson, then we will continue knowing those this week.

We know that having "faith" in the work that the Lord Jesus did to provide our salvation then we know we will not get to Heaven without this knowledge.

Act 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

Act 4:9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

It is now Thursday where at 6 PM Friday will begin.

Here we are less than a day before Jesus was to be crucified and Jesus was talking about having the peace of God by making peace with God!

Jesus takes this time to proclaim His resurrection and the effect His resurrection will have upon this world.

*****Joh 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

In this lesson we will get to see the humanity of these 11 men. As Apostles they were mighty warriors for the Gospel and began the early church.

This day they were humans who did not understand what the Lord is saying, like many of us when we try to understand what God is saying.

If we hold on and pray, the same Scripture that caused confusion will be explained in another Scripture.

The Lord never tries to leave us with doubts!

Jesus Christ just revealed to these men that it was just a day before He would be taken away from them and He would die upon a cross.

Jesus had talked of these things but now they were about to become a reality.

Joh 7:33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

Joh 7:34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

Before these words even settle in, Jesus says and a little while after His death, they would see Him again.

This would be the three days He had taught them earlier!

Mat_12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

We know that these 3 days were from Friday to Sunday, the way that the Jews counted their days.

Then Jesus goes on to say that because they will see Him after His resurrection, our best information says for about 40 days, then He will go home to His Father who sent Him!

Obviously, this was a lot of information for them to digest at this point in their relationship with the Lord.

Many of us had these same thoughts when the truth of Christ Jesus was revealed to us!

These 11 men confessed that these were things that they could not understand.

*****Joh 16:17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

Joh 16:18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

Notice they were first too embarrassed to confront Jesus, so they talked among themselves. As we know, nothing can be hidden from the Lord!

We need to understand what puzzled these men.

In a little while, really just a few hours, the Lord Jesus Christ would take on all the sin of the world, past, present and future and He would take this sin to Hell where it belonged.

In another little while, 3 days by Jewish time, Jesus would raise from the dead, and these men would see Him and be with Him for about 40 days.

In fact there were more than 500 witnesses that saw Jesus after His death and His resurrection.

The theme of this passage may be that we all understand, that it is only a little while by Heavens time that the Lord will return, and we should be looking for His return!

Jesus not only triumphed over sin and Satan, but He also triumphed over death!

You see, we need to concentrate on our future and not our sinful past!

When we go to sleep at night, we can rest knowing our future is bright.

When did we know these things? Just like these 11 men, not until we received the Holy Spirit to live within us.

The main thing we need to understand is Jesus Christ did resurrect from the dead. His tomb is empty just like He said it would be!

If there was no resurrection, there would be no church!

The Holy Ghost has taken some time in the "Gospels" not only to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, but also to show us the skepticism of these 11 men.

When we compare them before the resurrection to what we see after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit has awakened them to the truth, we see much difference.

They were fishers of fish who became fishers of men! The Gospels allow us to see this transition. They were "Born Again" just as we must be to understand the Word of God!

Mar 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men

Of course Jesus knew their thoughts.

*****Joh 16:19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

What we see next is that Jesus would not wait until they had enough courage to ask Jesus to clarify Himself.

Jesus never wants us to be confused in the Scriptures, so if will study we will see that best commentary of the Bible is the Bible itself!

Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Then Jesus explains Himself:

***** Joh 16:20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

We must also not miss the patience of the Lord.

Jesus knows the only question that is not answered is the question that is not asked!

Besides these 11 men who would be the Apostles there were about 500 more who would weep for the Lord Jesus during His passion and His death.

1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

The rest of the world rejoiced that Jesus had been murdered!

At this point in all their lives they had accepted Satan!

In the death of Jesus, these men lost their most dear, and most trusted friend!

They had still not realized what the Lord had taught them, and they were most disappointed in their own hopes.

They had looked forward to the Messianic Kingdom but when the time is right, they will not realize so much time has passed.

Just like when we meet our own loved ones already in Heaven, they will not realize that so much time has passed because they live in the land of no time.

When the resurrection of the Lord takes places joy will return to these men. At the ascension of the Lord they will begin to understand what the Lord was saying. When the Holy Spirit comes upon them at Pentecost, they will know why the Lord did all the things that He did!

The Lord Jesus gives us an example:

*****Joh 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

There is a great contrast between sorrow over death and the joy of the resurrection.

Because of the curse placed on women, because of the disobedience of Eve, a woman suffers greatly for the biggest part of 9 months.

Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Eve had been disobedient to the Word of God given to her husband Adam and Adam had allowed her to do it!

At child birth she suffers the most and there is great pain but when that child appears all that sorrow and pain disappears!

The joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ can only be poorly compared to the joy at the birth of a child!

Now Jesus did not say that the mother's sorrow and pain was replaced by joy but that it was transformed into joy.

The same baby that caused the pain also was the same baby that was the cause of joy!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the one greatest event in world history!

1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

How is all this sorrow overcome, the Lord Jesus Christ did rise from His death, The Lord Jesus Christ did rise in His ascension and though world says no, the Lord Jesus Christ will return, first to get His Church and next to bring judgment on those who have rejected Him!

*****Joh 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Joh 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

We go through a lot of things upon this earth, some good but much bad, but the day we meet Jesus in the air will be a day of great joy knowing our earthly life is over and we will be going home.

In fact, we must never think we will see the sorrow of these 11 men and some others. In fact we should never lose our peace, or love, know that we are the children of God.

Even now since Jesus went back to Heaven, He is our High Priest, but He is also our Mediator between us and God.

In fact Jesus is so confident that we are the Father's children that He says, Just ask your Father in the name of Jesus, and He will provide.

These things must be in the will of God for us, but to be in God's will is to be obedient to the Word of God and the Words of His Dear Son!

When we think we have not heard from God we must first see if we have been obedient children!

Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

You see at the death of Christ Jesus, the veil was ripped into in the Jewish Temple signifying that only the High Priest could go beyond, the veil.

When Jesus ascended back to Heaven, He became our own High Priest and assumed the duties of the Jewish High Priests, not just for the Jews but for the Church.

1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

1Jn 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

I particularly like that part about; that wicked one(Satan) cannot touch us!

What else did Jesus say to these 11?

*****Joh 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

We just do not realize how much we have gained since Jesus Christ went back to Heaven!

There is an open door into the throne room of God that has been given to us!

1) The death of Christ has told us things that Jesus could not tell the Apostles.

2) The resurrection of Christ has cast His light upon all the dark places in this world.

3) The ascension of Christ has opened the door to Heaven for all God's children.

Jesus has already said that we know where He went, and we know how to get there!

These Apostles had been going directly to Jesus because He was with them, now they needed to go directly to the Father but through the name of Jesus Christ.

This is not so hard to understand, yet so many refuse to do it!

You cannot get to the Father in any way, form, or fashion, without going through the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Joh 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

A proverb was an eastern method of teaching by similitudes and figures and parables because the people could connect to what was said.

A similitude is speaking of one thing that will awaken in you the meaning of a far greater thing.

Jesus used this method a lot to teach these disciples.

Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Mar_4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

You see there is coming a time when we will not need parables and proverbs to teach us because we will get to see the real thing.

We should know the importance of what Jesus is saying!

*****Joh 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

Joh 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Joh 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

Maybe the greatest gift Jesus has given to us, while we are yet upon this earth is "Prayer".

We can walk boldly into the throne of God and make our request be known of Him!

God wants us to pray because a prayer means we trust our Father.

Without faith we will never please our Father in Heaven and it is certain we will never get a prayer answered.

In its simplest fashion, prayer is having a conversation with our Creator!

The truth is that prayer can change the way God acts!

We can never change the plan of God in any way, but things that have no effect on the plan of God, He is willing to change!

Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Besides "faith" that God can do as we ask, if we ask right, it is still out of reach if we do not end our prayer by saying in Jesus name!

We should also understand that God knows everything about us and everything we may need. We cannot hide anything from God and we are fools to try to. We need to describe our sin, so our Father will know that we understand what sin is.

The main thing to understand is, that our Heavenly Father loves us much more than we will ever understand while we live upon this earth!

Again Jesus emphasizes that all these things begin when we accept the fact the Jesus Christ is the God-man. Jesus Christ is God come down from Heaven to provide a plan of salvation so great that it could not have been conceived by man!

What does the world believe?

The world believes that God is an angry God and Jesus has to beg Him to save us.

The world believes that God is just moving around in outer space and really does not care for us.

The world believes that maybe God exist or maybe not, but it is good to pray anyhow.

We can see why most of the prayers of the world go unanswered.

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

How did the disciples react to these words? They knew what Jesus was saying!

*****Joh 16:29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

Joh 16:30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that Jesus was the true Messiah!

Jesus came from our Heavenly Father and Jesus returned to our Heavenly Father!

Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

We can look back on History and see that these disciples did not really understand what Jesus was saying at this time.

These disciples may have had great faith that Jesus did come from the Father, as the Messiah, but they had not grasp all of what Jesus had said!

They were still lacking "faith" in His Words!

It is like the wise man said: "no one is interested with the life boats until the ship is sinking!

The truth is you cannot keep the mouth shut in a true believer!

Christians are quiet when they do not have the faith, they say they do!

And Jesus said: You do not really know what your faith says!

*****Joh 16:31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

Joh 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

It is easy to see that even when the Lord was surrounded by those who said they were believers, He was still standing alone!

It also can be said that down deep in our own souls we know we will die alone just as the Lord did!

It is sad that so many say they believe, and they do not know why!

We should also remember that it is getting late on Thursday and at 6 o'clock Friday would begin.

Jesus shook their beliefs when He said to them they would turn and run and Jesus would have to defend Himself alone.

Jesus was not questioning their "faith", but He was questioning the intensity of their "faith".

This is where we get in trouble especially in our prayer life.

We can say we have faith and we do, but just how great a faith do we have?

Jesus said just a little faith could move mountains!

Mat_17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

You see it is the existence of faith that we all must have.

Those who have great "faith" must help those who have little "faith"!

Jesus would die on the cross the very next day, so the time was very short, and Jesus knew they would scatter but He also knew that they would come together to change this world.

It would be at the cross where Jesus would find Himself totally alone because, He took upon Himself the sin of the entire world, that day and everyday future.

Mar_15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

You see this is what sin does it separates us from our loving God!

With sin removed we can be at peace with God.

*****Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Six times Jesus uses this phrase.

It is in the death of Jesus Christ that we receive the atonement!

This is the work of Christ that we must believe to be saved and at peace with God.

It is the love of God that brought this about by God the Son (Jesus).

Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

God could not have saved us in any manner and we should consider that God did not have to save us at all, which is another proof of His love.

This death had to take place for there to be a resurrection.

Luk 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Luk 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

The resurrection had to take place before there could ever be a glorification.

Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

We already know by now that we indeed see the tribulation of this world against Christians and we must know that these things will get worse.

But it is that peace of God, without understanding that allows us to feel the joy of the Lord that will carry us through till the time to go home.

Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Amen

Let's Pray!

Peace in the Christian Family

Increasing in the Knowledge of the Peace of God

Book of Colossians 3:12-4:1

Last week we saw that the Christian Life is not very easy. If we live in these bodies of flesh we will find it very hard to be like the Lord Jesus Christ.

This should still be our goal!

The Lord knows that this is impossible for us to do every day because in our heart we would be like Christ, but we find that our flesh is weak and cause us to give in to temptation. We need watch out for things that are not good for us and pray for the strength to overcome our weaknesses!

Mat_26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, "but the flesh is weak".

We must base our faith on the knowledge that once we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, we have a new life and we are to hate all the things of our old life.

Rev_2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

It was these Nicolaitans the Lord hates and we are to hate this doctrine also.

We see this in our world today more than ever before.

These were professing Christians who brought a false freedom to sin into the Church.

They brought licentiousness into the church which is, an excessive indulgence of Christian liberty!

The modern-day church has become this way and licentiousness is the god of fools!

If we have removed the old man and put on the new man, then we know we do not have the freedom to sin in any case!

If we are at peace with God, then we have become the elect of God and this should be noticeable to all the world!

*****Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

We could say, what are the essentials of Christian character?

Those who are the elect, are those who have chosen to follow in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ. God knows we will not be perfect and God knows in fact, we will make many mistakes, but God will always defend His Church.

Luk 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

Luk 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

It is also a fact that when the Lord returns, He will have already called the church out of this world and He will not find any of faith but those who see Him will certainly realize everything they have said of the church was wrong and some of them may then become believers but for most who have already rejected the truth, it will be too late!

It is mainly the Jews and the strangers that help them, whose eyes will be opened.

Rom_11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

We may not realize it but there are also elect angels who have stood by Christ rather than follow Satan!

1Ti 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

When we get to Heaven, we will be surrounded by just those who have chosen Jesus Christ and rejected the world and all the angels who have also rejected Satan (Lucifer)!

So, while we are still here on earth to serve the Lord, let us be blameless!

Let us be the moral standards for this immoral world!

Let us show true affection to all our brothers and sister in Christ!

Let us pity the lost enough to still love them and witness Jesus to them if the opportunity arises.

Let us express gentleness in our way of life.

Let us be modest in all our life style.

Let us be meek in our demeanor.

Let us be patient Christians, busy for the Lord, knowing He will be returning soon, or at any time!

Let us bear with and endure one another in a loving way! As the Lord commands!

Let us forgive just as the Lord has forgiven us, because there are consequences to all these things but to this one especially.

Mar_11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

The Lord says even if we are in a quarrel with someone and we are the ones who are right, we must still forgive that other person.

Christ said to forgive!

Peter asked: Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Jesus said we are to forgive every time, period! Another sin is in holding a grudge!

All these things are covered by the "garment of mercy" which resembles the mercy of God.

Even with all these things, there is still something of greater importance in the way we are to treat all others.

*****Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

How does the Bible explain Charity?

1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth:

How does the dictionary explain charity?

The dictionary says charity is love that compares to the supreme love of God. A giving, affectionate love.

It is easy to see that the English dictionary just does not have enough words to explain charity as well as God does.

The only perfect One that we know of is the Lord Jesus Christ, charity is the bond of perfectness, when we love others the way that the Lord loves us and gave Himself for us!

Gal_2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Charity can resemble God's "grace"!

When we wear the "garments of mercy" and put on the cloak of "Grace" and these things rule our heart, then we can say we are at peace with God.

A tall order for any of us but the Lord will help us be these things and more, if we will just follow His example and get up close and personal with Him!

*****Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

When we are saved we have become at peace with God.

Rom_5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Only as we grow in Christ, are no longer babes in Christ but, mature Christians will the peace of God rule in our hearts.

The truth is, those who are at peace with God and have the peace of God are the same ones who will show the love of God, not only in their own heart but toward all others!

The peace of God may be the greatest blessings we can receive from the Lord!

True peace comes only to those who know Jesus Christ personally and as their Savior!

If we notice that word "rule" in this passage, this means that this is a commandment.

Notice this is a commandment for each saint of God but also for the body of the Church!

And above all we are to be thankful for the great benefits for serving the Lord.

Psa_68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

We must make a choice as the elect of God, are we going to be obedient to all the Word of God or not?

If God has allowed us to be in harmony with Him and in true peace, then surely, we can give these pitiful temporary bodies to Him for His use!

These are things we are called to do and if each one of us including myself, would be obedient in these things we could alter the course of this world.

We can blame the world for many things, but we cannot blame the world for the laziness of the church!

God has only one body of true believers and they are scattered in all denominations and it is time for us to unite on the truth of God!

It's time to leave those who reject the truth of the Scriptures behind, they made their choice!

There will be no strife’s and no divisions where the peace of God rules in the heart of the believer!

*****Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

What is the Word of Christ?

The entire Old Testament will lead us to Jesus Christ our Savior.

The entire New Testament was written from the words of Jesus Christ as given to the apostles.

All Scripture is given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

So, all these are the Words of Christ!

Jesus Christ is the Author of salvation!

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus Christ is the "subject matter" of the entire Bible!

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

We are to dwell in the Word of Christ!

We are to live in it as a home, we are never to be a stranger or a visitor, or as an acquaintance.

We are to allow the Word of Christ to dwell in us!

It is not enough that it is our home, but it must be our heart, it must become our spiritual nature.

It must control our life and our conduct in this life!

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

To dwell richly means we are to have an intimate knowledge of the Words of Christ.

We must seek to understand all that God has to say to us!

We must teach and admonish one another!

God has chosen the church to be the greatest place for this but, there must also be some personal study time.

We must be joyful enough to sing the Words of Christ.

We must be engrossed with Jesus Christ!

Act_17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

What so ever we do in deed, we must do it in the name of Christ Jesus!

*****Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

We see that in all these things we have a choice we can be a Christian or we can be part of the world. There is no in between!

As Christians, we are responsible for all the things we do, we cannot blame others!

As Christians, we know that the name of Jesus Christ is the only name God will accept in His presence.

We are to do all things in His name!

We cannot approach God without Jesus Christ!

The world hates us, and the world hates us for this one thing, they hate the Lord Jesus Christ!

God will only accept a life that comes to Him in the name of Jesus Christ, all others will find death!

When we speak we should speak Jesus, this is our new language!

1Pe 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

So far, we have seen what the Lord commands each individual Christian and now let's see what Jesus speaks of the family.

*****Col 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

We must understand that the Christian home is the first place we are to practice all the commands of God.

We know that God is a God of order!

Wives are to submit themselves to the Lord because God created man first and woman second. The wife was created as a helpmeet to the man.

She is the weaker vessel physically in most instances.

The woman is to never to submit in such a way to a husband who thinks he is a king.

The husband is honor his wife as his helpmeet or their prayer life will suffer greatly!

1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

This husband and wife union is to be as two Christians submitting to one another but as the wife submits to her own husband and the husband to his own wife.

Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

The Husband to wife relationship is to be as the relationship as the Lord Jesus Christ is to the church!

Eph_5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

As Christians this obligation of these two Christians should be until the death of one or the other.

1Co 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

And now the husband.

*****Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Husbands also are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and remember Christ gave His life for the church, we should not be afraid to give our lives for our wives.

The husband is not to have dominion over his wife. Dominion is not about love.

The husband is not to be a tyrant!

The love of the husband for the wife is to be as the "agape" love of God toward His children.

This is a love that is selfless and unselfish.

This is a giving and sacrificial love, remember the word "Charity".

This is a love of the will as much as a love from the heart.

This a love of commitment. The husband must be committed to this relationship as well as the wife.

And get this husbands, this is a love that works for the highest good of the wife! Besides the Lord she is to be the most important person in the life of the husband.

The truth is, the husband does not seek a wife to fulfill his needs but just the opposite, the husbands desire is to meet, nourish and nurture his wife, all their days.

A husband is to love sacrificially, regardless if his wife is not perfect in her commitment.

The example here is the Lord and the church. The Lord is perfect, but the church, (the bride) is less than perfect!

The Lord does not give us commandments He is not true to, Himself!

Above all these things, both the husband and the wife are to obey Christ Jesus regardless, this is the will of Jesus Christ and the Father!

And next the children:

*****Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

Col 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

We know we have been using the Christian family as our example and all these things of the families that do not know Jesus Christ struggle the most with their children.

In the Christian family that has the Christian father and the Christian mother then the children should obey their parents in all things.

God is well pleased with all these things!

In fact, Christian children who obey their parents can even extend their years of happiness.

Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

That word obey means for the children to respect the authority of their parents because their parents have respected the authority of our Father who is in Heaven.

When the children disrespect the parents, they have disrespected God!

There is only one, "only one" limitation for the children in these things.

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

If both parents or either parent go against the Word of God, then the children are certainly not to follow!

The child must be very careful in this thing but anything that causes the child to renounce the Lord "should not be observed"!

The most important task of the parents is to follow the Lord and give this example to the children.

The next most important task is to raise the children in a godly manner according to the Word of God.

The child must understand that though the parent is not always right, he or she must still have an opportunity to observe discipline and order.

A good rule of thumb for all children is in a passage from the Book of Ephesians.

Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Being obedient to parents is just the right thing to do and God loves righteousness!

As a Christian father the bulk of responsibility will always aimed at him but raising children is the equal responsibility of both parents.

1Ti 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

The children must never be provoked to do ungodly things.

The children must be prepared to serve the Lord first!

The children must next be prepared to be godly parents themselves.

If we as parents anger our children, then teaching will stop until that anger passes.

Children should never be pampered but it at all possible parents should meet the needs of the children.

Children on the other hand must realize that both parents have duties and they must be given the time to do these things.

Children must realize the world we live in and accept that the parent has more knowledge than they might have.

The children should submit to the parents but again not as tyrants but as loving parents trying to do the right thing.

We all still live in these bodies of flesh, so problems will arise but as it is in all our lives, Jesus Christ is still the answer, even when dealing with children!

The parents must observe that there is a proper way to discipline children and the worldly way for the most part should be ignored, and the Word of God followed!

Even when parents have made mistakes, the Scriptures still say to honor the parents!

Deu 27:16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

God is very strict because we all as the children of God have a Father in Heaven that always knows what's best for us even when we disagree!

There is a great Scripture that meets the standards God has set for us all!

Pro_22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

In the times of the Bible many families had servants. Remember it was illegal for the Jews to have slaves.

We can also relate this next today in our jobs and other places.

*****Col 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Col 3:25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

We know these Scriptures were written in Bible times. These Scriptures deal as much with today and the work place of today as they did in the day of Paul.

In the day of Paul, if a master of men embraced Christianity then what was he to do with his slaves. God provides him the answers.

A Christian master, in Paul's time or today is place in a precious position.

As Christian workman we are to put forth our best effort no matter our circumstances.

If the work we do conflicts with the Word of God, we should find a new profession if possible, but this may not always be the case.

A Christian worker should never be just an average worker but always better than average.

This means we must be obedient workers no matter who our master or what they believe.

The Christian Master is to be no different from the Christian worker because he or she knows they also have a Master!

Eph 6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

The Christian worker to has an obligation to be a witness for the Lord as best he or she can.

The Christian master and the Christian worker are to consider themselves working for the Lord!

Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

Keeping in mind that the Christian will still have to obey the unjust commands of their masters.

1Pe 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

1Pe 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

It is the reverence for the Lord that should be the mark of the Christian worker.

As Christians we are not to be disappointed with the service we give to an unjust master because our aim is to please the Lord in everything we do!

Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

We sometimes get confused when we talk about the "Judgment Seat of Christ".

Certainly, our salvation will not be in questioned.

Many think we will only be judged for the work we have done for the Lord and we will.

We will also be judged for how we served in our workplace. We will be judged for all our activities while being a Christian.

It is very important that we shine bright as Christians and not as any part of this world in all we do!

Masters and Management certainly will face a harsher judgment than the servant or the employee!

*****Col 4:1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

As Christian Masters we are to treat all those under us, no matter if they are Christian, equally and just.

We know the Lord provides for the saved and the just!

That word "knowing" is very important because the Christian masters should know according to the Word how to perform his or her job, knowing the Lord is observing as He sees all things everywhere!

We can only serve one Master in all the things we do, and we must serve knowing that He has His eyes upon us always.

Again, not so He can just beat us down for our failures but, so He can reward us for our goodness!

One of the first steps in righteousness is to respect the relationship!

It does not hurt to know somethings about the people you work with but demanding such knowledge is also wrong.

Pro 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

All in all, a friendly relationship works out to be the best!

Pro_18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

We can see that the Lord had a lot to say about our economy of today!

Amen