Bible League: Living His Word Grace and peace be yours.— 1 Thessalonians 1:1 ERV "Si vis pacem para bellum," the ancient Romans said. "If you want peace, prepare for war." In the Apostle Paul's days, the Pax Romana prevailed: "a state of comparative tranquillity throughout Classical antiquity and the Mediterranean world" (Source: Brittanica.com). That "Roman Peace" was based on the dominion of one power over other powers. It was a peace attained by battle and maintained through heavily armed legions. Paul starts all his letters (and concludes some of them) by wishing his readers peace. He uses the word "eirene" for peace which (in Greek mythology) was the name of a goddess. The Latin equivalent of that deity was "Pax." History shows that, the Pax Romana didn't last longer than a few centuries. The power of Pax, the goddess of peace, turned out to be very limited. Did Paul refer to the Pax Romana? I don't think so. In 1 Thessalonians 5:3, Paul even warned against any form of peace that is man-made or coming from man-made idols: "People will say, 'We have peace and we are safe.' At that time destruction will come to them quickly, like the pains of a woman giving birth." Let us take to heart Paul's warning never to expect lasting peace from human initiative. Psalms 146:3 says, "Don't depend on your leaders for help. Don't depend on people, because they cannot save you." In 1938, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, returned from a meeting with Adolf Hitler and declared, "Peace for our time! Go home and get a nice quiet sleep." One year later, the German army invaded Poland, marking the start of World War 2. Indeed, "Don't depend on your leaders..." Yet, the Latin adage I started with does apply, in a way, to the peace Paul writes about. Even in God's plans, conflict had to precede peace. For us to obtain the peace of God, Jesus Christ had to fight His decisive battle with devil, death, and sin. Spiritual warfare in its ultimate form! Jesus fought the battle that was ours—which we never would have won—and came out victoriously. "He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace" (Isaiah 53:5). Paul could only wish his readers peace, because he knew and lived by Christ's atoning work. It is not just the absence of conflict; it is the reassurance that our lives and souls are eternally safe in Christ. No matter how troubling and disturbing our sins and sorrows are, we can always have peace of mind in Christ and His forgiveness. Don't try to fight your battles on your own; but trust God, who said, "I will fight for you!" Receive that peace that's a foretaste of eternal life with Christ. May that peace be with you today! By Anton de Vreugd, BLI global staff, the Netherlands Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading2 Samuel 7, 8, 9 2 Samuel 7 -- David Plans a Temple; David's Prayer NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Samuel 8 -- David Defeats the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Samuel 9 -- David by Ziba Sends for Mephibosheth NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 19:1-28 Luke 19 -- Zacchaeus Converted; Parable of the Ten Minas; Triumphal Entry; Driving Traders from Temple NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion So don't go to war without wise guidance;victory depends on having many advisers. Insight In any major decision we make concerning college, marriage, career, children, etc., it is not a sign of weakness to ask for advice. Instead, it is foolish not to ask for it. Challenge Find good advisers before making any big decision. They can help you expand your alternatives and evaluate your choices. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law for power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Take your sins to Christ's cross, for the old man can only be crucified there: we are crucified with him. The only weapon to fight sin with is the spear which pierced the side of Jesus. To give an illustration--you want to overcome an angry temper; how do you go to work? It is very possible you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way. It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, "Lord, I trust thee to deliver me from it." This is the only way to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world entangle you? You may struggle against this evil so long as you please, but if it be your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it in any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell him, "Lord, I have trusted thee, and thy name is Jesus, for thou dost save thy people from their sins: Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!" Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification. Your prayers, and your repentances, and your tears--the whole of them put together--are worth nothing apart from him. "None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good;" or helpless saints either. You must be conquerors through him who hath loved you, if conquerors at all. Our laurels must grow among his olives in Gethsemane. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 18:8 Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.Jeremiah 3:23 "Surely, the hills are a deception, A tumult on the mountains. Surely in the LORD our God Is the salvation of Israel. Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Isaiah 12:6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Psalm 34:7,17 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. • The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. Deuteronomy 33:27 "The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, 'Destroy!' Hebrews 13:6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?" Psalm 18:31,32 For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God, • The God who girds me with strength And makes my way blameless? 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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