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The Lord of the universe gives us peace, HIS peace. No longer at enmity with Him, we possess peace in our heart and fear is dispelled.
Poetry by Kay Cude. Used with permission.
Tag: peace
The Attributes of God: Peace, Righteousness, Perfection
By Elizabeth Prata
Sundays are a good time to ponder who God is. He is worthy of service and worship. We have been taking a look at God’s attributes each Sunday. Links to previous weeks are below. Most definitions are taken from Tim Challies’ visual theology chart of the attributes of God.
Remember, God’s attributes are not parts that make up a whole. Everything good that there is, is 100% contained in God. He is 100% beauty, 100% aseity, 100% omniscient, etc. He is complete in Himself.
Tim Challies explained: “To study God’s attributes is to study his character, to answer questions like, Who is God? and What is God like? A typical classification of God’s attributes divides them into those that are incommunicable (those that he does not share or “communicate” to anyone or anything else) and communicable (those that he shares with other beings). Like most theological classifications, this one is imperfect but still helpful as we seek to understand what is so far beyond ourselves. God’s communicable attributes can be further categorized into: attributes of God’s being, mental attributes, moral attributes, attributes of purpose, and “summary” attributes (attributes that, in a more particular way, modify each of the others).”
PEACE
Moral attribute. God, in his being and actions, is separate from all confusion and disorder.
Jonathan Edwards on peace: “My peace I give unto you.” Christ by calling it his peace signifies two things,
1. That it was his own, that which he had to give. It was the peculiar benefit that he had to bestow on his children, now he was about to leave the world as to his human presence.
2. It was his peace that he gave them, as it was the same kind of peace which he himself enjoyed. The same excellent and divine peace which he ever had in God, and which he was about to receive in his exalted state in a vastly greater perfection and fullness.
John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”
RIGHTEOUSNESS
Moral Attribute
God is the final standard of what is right and he always acts in accordance with what is right. (This is also known as God’s justice).
RC Sproul on God’s righteousness: “His righteousness is of two sorts. We distinguish God’s internal righteousness from His external righteousness. What God does is always consistent with who God is. He always acts according to His holy character. God’s “internal righteousness” is the moral excellence of His character. It is rooted in his absolute purity. There is no shadow of turning in Him. As a holy God, He is utterly incapable of an unholy act. Only unholy beings commit unjust and unrighteous acts.“
Psalm 11:7, “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will see His face.“
PERFECTION
Summary Attribute
God fully possesses all excellent qualities and lacks no qualities that would be desirable for him.
Charles Spurgeon on God’s perfection: “Perfection, indeed, seems to be the sole prerogative of God. He is perfect in everything. In all his attributes there is no lack; from whatever point of view we regard him, he is without blot or blemish; and no man, speaking truthfully of God, can say that there is aught of imperfection in him.”
Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Previous entries of the Attributes of God-
1. Attributes of God: Aseity, Beauty, Blessedness
2. Eternity, Freedom, Glory
3. Goodness, Holiness, Immutability
4. Invisibility, Jealousy, Knowledge
5. Love
6. Mercy, Omnipotence, Omnipresence
Previous weeks-1. Aseity, Beauty, Blessedness
2. Eternity, Freedom, Glory
3. Goodness, Holiness, Immutability
4. Invisibility, Jealousy, Knowledge
5. Love
6. Mercy, Omnipotence, Omnipresence
7. Peace, Righteousness, Perfection
8. Will, Wisdom, Wrath
Jesus left us with the gift of Peace
By Elizabeth Prata
God is love. God is Justice. God is holiness. God is unwavering. God is mercy. Think of the quality of Jesus as being peace, and offering peace as He left us in person.
“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.” (John 14:27)
Not man-made peace which doesn’t last. That kind of peace is fleeting, as when someone offers you a raise, or pays your debt, or after a refreshing nap, or when a project is completed or a meal is good. That kind of peace is surface, shallow peace.
That kind of peace can be disrupted by mundane and ridiculous things. A car horn, a baby’s cry, a shove in line, traffic, a missed deadline. Peace that is man-made can also be taken away by man.
The peace that Jesus gives us is a permanent peace. It drenches every molecule of us with its truth and comfort. As Charles Spurgeon wrote in his sermon on the John 14:27 verse, titled, Spiritual Peace,
“The donation, the blessed legacy which our Lord has here left, is his peace.”… There is a peace of God which reigns in our hearts through Jesus Christ, by which we are bound in closest ties of unity and concord to every other child of God whom we may meet with in our pilgrimage here below.”
“Our peace then, is God’s own child, and God-like is its character. His Spirit is its sire, and it is like its Father. It is “my peace,” saith Christ! not man’s peace; but the unruffled, calm, the profound peace of the Eternal Son of God. Oh, if we had but this one thing within our bosoms, this divine peace, a Christian were a glorious thing indeed; and even now kings and mighty men of this world are as nothing when once compared with the Christian; for he wears a jewel in his bosom which all the world could not buy, a jewel fashioned from old eternity and ordained by sovereign grace to be the high boon, the right royal inheritance of the chosen sons of God.“
Kay Cude poetry: Peace
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The Lord of the universe gives us peace, HIS peace. No longer at enmity with Him, we possess peace in our heart and fear is dispelled.
Poetry by Kay Cude. Used with permission.
Week’s recap, & Calming-Down Techniques
By Elizabeth Prata
This has been an interesting week, hasn’t it? I’ve watched political events unfold at lightning speed, my mouth metaphorically hanging open. In my 60 years I’ve been witness to some of the most amazing events in history, but this past week, rather since November 3, 2020, has left me speechless.
If the Big Tech Oligarchs have their way we conservatives & Christians will be left literally speechless soon, right? I’ve tried to write essays this week that encouraged, that referenced some events obliquely without delving. I read a tweet from a missionary friend who wrote, “Husbands, guard your wife against information overload. She may not want to hear you constantly talk about how the US is falling.” So true.
I have to guard myself against that, and I LOVE information. The relentlessly bad news, coupled with near-impossible ability to assess its credibility, means I have to push away and do some calming techniques. I’ll lay those out below, but first ICYMI, a recap of the week’s essays:
Continue reading “Week’s recap, & Calming-Down Techniques”Christ’s glorious name is upon us, let us show why we’re different
By Elizabeth Prata
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:15-17)
Christ called us to be different. To be salt, which is a preservative, and light, which is shining to show our works in His name and give Him glory. We cannot be hid. Though you may have lost your job and want to hide, you cannot. You must not. Though your brother may have wronged you, you cannot hold a grudge and hide from fellowship. You must not.
NOW is the time for which we have been put on the earth, for just such a time as this. We should be seen singing praises, hosannas, psalms to Him and about Him with all joy! We need to have peace with each other and in our hearts. Everything we do, let us do for Jesus, He who became sin and died for ours. Even now, especially now, the kind of Christians Paul was urging the Colossians to be, let US be!
Guest post from younger sister: The Amazing Exchange
By Elizabeth Prata
I’d mentioned in yesterday’s blog post that some of the younger people were seeking answers to the mayhem that is everywhere today. They want to sort out what is happening. Their consciences are tender and their heart moves easily. So I’d compiled a list of theologically solid podcasts so that anyone seeking answers would hopefully be steered to good resources.
Yesterday I was contacted by one of the younger sisters in my church asking for a review of a post she intended to publish. She wanted it looked over to see if it contributed to the discussion, was absent any virtue signaling, and was faithful to scripture. She’d also listened to the recommended Just Thinking podcast. My heart immediately soared. There are still young people who care deeply about being a dew drop of grace in His name, and not a clamoring, shouting secular rioter, and who proceed with caution before speaking. Continue reading “Guest post from younger sister: The Amazing Exchange”
Seeking His face as the solace for turbulent times
By Elizabeth Prata
We live in scary times. This isn’t anything new…the ’60s were scary, a civil & societal revolution took place between generations. Plus, there was the Viet Nam war. The 40’s were scary, WWII. The Great Depression and the Great Migration in the decade before that. And before that, the Great Influenza. And so on. Any times we have of peace and prosperity are illusions that exist between the turbulence. It’s the turbulence that’s normal. Continue reading “Seeking His face as the solace for turbulent times”
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace
By Elizabeth Prata
The other evening I was standing at the edge of the hayfield, and the blue cornflowers gave a wonderful tinge that mirrored the sky, and the burnt sienna hay tips rustled in the breeze, showing where the wind had been. The birds swooped over the field looking for insects and I thought, how peaceful, how peaceful. This is my life, and it is wonderful.
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16) Continue reading “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace”
I don’t want to go back to my normal life
By Elizabeth Prata
These days are certainly strange. Mandated home sheltering, no going out except for minimal and pressing reasons, economy shuttered, the world staggering from a virus that sweeps through a population like wildfire.
For many people, it’s strange to be at home for these lengthy times. No school, no work, being apart from extended family, uncertain financial future.
People say, “I want my normal life back!” Continue reading “I don’t want to go back to my normal life”
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