In these days of harshness and cruelties of all kinds. With sons raising up against mothers and fathers and sisters with sisters raising up against sisters and brothers moms and dads, husbands against wives and wives against husbands. This very world seems to be up side down as many claim evil as good and good as evil. The madness comes at us from every which way even from the church of mans religions taking part in all the madness with all kinds of blasphemes and sin calling Sodomites as being acceptable. To the point of even ordaining to ministry and today's political correctness good, when in fact it is evil. There is no peace with GOD or with their fellow man no none at all. Nations have turned against those they had been at peace and in partnership with. But against all of this are the few who have Peace with GOD and even though they are few in number they remain virtually unknown because their Peace is within them. Returning to Pastor Hoekstra's writing on Grace and Good works. With the aid of the ESV translation, I will begin a looking to the Spiritual Peace as Promised by GOD to His heirs.
"Once More on Grace and Good Works"
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)
In examining Grace and good works we are again seeing GOD's Grace is not only HIS Willingness to forgive us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but it is also HIS Resource for shaping and using our lives as receiving believers.
GOD desires that we become amply engaged in good works, to glorify HIS name in the Edifying of HIS people and the reaching of the lost. Although we are not saved by good works ("not of works, lest anyone should boast" — Ephesians 2:8-9), we are saved unto good works ("created in Christ Jesus for good works").
Our hope of abounding in good works rests upon the gracious working of GOD on our behalf. First, HE remakes us through New Birth One in HIS Son: "created in Christ Jesus." Then, HE continues to work on us. We do not shape ourselves into an instrument that the LORD can use. GOD Willingly takes that responsibility upon Himself. "For we are HIS Workmanship." GOD as our Husbandman wants to shape our lives like a work of art, thoroughly crafting us in Relationship to HIS Purposes for each of our lives.
GOD's gracious work extends beyond New Birth and subsequent fashioning. HE even prepares the good works in which HE wants us to eventually be engaged. "Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which GOD Prepared beforehand." Think of it. The LORD has already arranged the acts of service in which He intends for us to be occupied! Then, why are we not always involved in such good works? The answer is related to this phrase: "that we should walk in them." We do have a strategic responsibility in this process. We are to humbly and dependently to walk with the LORD, Christ Jesus every day. Jesus addressed this matter. "Then they said to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of GOD?'
Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of GOD, that you believe Him Whom HE sent'" (John 6:28-29). Exercising trust in the ascended LORD, Who exercised faith in the Faithfulness of GOD is what brings us into the workings of GOD for our lives. This involves believing in HIS plan, as revealed in HIS word. This includes trusting that HIS Will is best for us. This comprises walking in reliance upon HIM, allowing HIM to guide us each day into the appropriate good works. Such a response brings service empowered by Grace, as seen in the early church. "And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And Great Grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:33)."
General references to Spiritual Peace:
Psalm 4:6-8 "There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!" You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
Luke 1:68-79 (Zachariah's prayer of prophesy over his son John) "Blessed be the LORD GOD of Israel, for HE has visited and Redeemed HIS people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of HIS servant David, as HE spoke by the mouth of HIS Holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember HIS Holy covenant, the Oath that HE Swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve HIM without fear, in Holiness and Righteousness before HIM all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender Mercy of our GOD, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Luke 2:8-14 and John 20:19 (Jesus' birth) "In the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the LORD appeared to them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the LORD. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising GOD and saying, "Glory to GOD in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom HE is pleased!"John 20:19-23 "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When HE had said this, HE showed them HIS hands and HIS side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the LORD. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent ME, even so I am sending you." And when HE had said this, HE breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."
Romans 8:1-8 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in (have become One with the LORD) Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death (it is this law which Paul speaks most about as I myself just came to release yesterday, not the Law of Moses as before presumed). For GOD has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending HIS own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, HE condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh (in the knowledge of good and evil of mans own religion of being self-willed beasts), but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is Life and Peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to GOD, for it does not submit to GOD's law (the Royal Law of Faith and Love restored within the soul of man and impressed on his mind, Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 11:19); indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please GOD."
Romans 14:13-23 and Galatians 1:3 "Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the LORD Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of GOD is not a matter of eating and drinking but of Righteousness and Peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to GOD and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of GOD. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and GOD. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."
Galatians 1:1-5 "Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and GOD the Father, Who raised Him from the dead—and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and Peace from GOD our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the Will of our GOD and (true) Father, to Whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
Galatians 5:16-24, 25 and 2Thessalonians 3:16 "I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the (penalty of sin and death) law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of GOD. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."
2Thessalonians 3:14-15, 16 "If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Now may the LORD of Peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The LORD be with you all."
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