Articles
The Author of Peace
The Messiah who was to come was prophesied to be One whose “name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). Not long before He was born, Zacharias foretold of his soon-to-be-born son, John, who would prepare the way of the Lord and “give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (John 1:79). That “way of peace” was the way of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And after Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples began teaching “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea” (Acts 10:36, 37). The heart of the message was “peace through Jesus Christ” — a message of God's plan for reconciling us to Him, though we were His enemies (Rom. 5:10). But it was also a message of peace in that it eliminated the distinction between Jew and Gentile and broke “down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace” (Eph. 2:14, 15).
This peace was not the kind of peace men were looking for in the prophesied Messiah. Many of the Jews of the first century were looking for a Messiah and King who would overthrow the reigning Roman government and bring peace in the form of military might enough to defeat the world's most powerful empire at the time. But the Messiah's kingdom was not as they expected. When asked by Pilate if He was indeed a king, Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). As was made clear by His command to Peter to put away his sword (cf. Matt. 26:52), the Kingdom was not about physical warfare, but one of peace — and a peace no man could promise.
Some men today have apparently not learned what Jesus meant by those words, and still seem to be looking for a Messianic, earthly, physical kingdom, and others who look for answers to earthly enemies by physical warfare. Some are still looking for Jesus to come and set up an earthly kingdom that will root out evil and establish peace on earth. Again, such ideas are based on a misunderstanding of Christ's kingdom, and of the peace He brought to man.
While man looks for some kind of peace here on earth — freedom from wars and conflicts, and peace between men, nations, races and religions — the peace Jesus brought, and the peace taught in the gospel message, is peace between man and God. It is this peace Jesus brought, where “having now been justified by His blood,…when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:9, 10). This is a peace no man could conceive or achieve of his own doing or ability. Remember, it was “when we were still without strength…Christ died” (Rom. 5:6); we had no spiritual strength to save ourselves, so God authored the plan by which reconciliation could be achieved!
In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he addressed the disorder that was present in their assembly and admonished them, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40); to make the point of the necessity of an orderly assembly, Paul earlier noted, “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:33). Now, while the context pointed to the peace and orderliness of the assembly, let us not overlook that God is also author of the peace made possible by His plan for our salvation.
It was God who “according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Tim. 1:8-10), determined that we would be saved by His grace through Christ; it was He who established Christ as Savior “before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:20). This peace is that which was missing from the first sin [Adam and Eve in the garden] until Christ's blood was shed and the first believers obeyed the gospel message. God was the author of this peace, for no man could conceive it, much less achieve it, of self.
Furthermore, God had as His co-author of this peace none other than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by His death on the cross. As the writer of Hebrews noted, “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:8, 9). Friends and brethren, the peace God brought to man — our reconciliation to Him after so many years of separation because of sin — has as its ultimate result “eternal salvation.” The very purpose of God establishing this plan by which we can be reconciled to Him is our eternal salvation!
While this term [author] has meaning of originator or, more literally, cause, let us not lose sight of the fact God, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was also the cause [author] for the written record of this plan, beginning with Genesis and ending with the apocalyptic vision of John in Revelation. From beginning to end, the Bible is a collection of historical events that are all tied together by the common theme of our salvation and the Savior, and God is — quite literally — its author. It was written for us, and it was meant for us to read it, learn it, believe it, apply it, and obey it. God did not write this all for our entertainment, or as simply a 'good read'; it is meant for our spiritual good.
Like any book worth reading, we will only get out of it what we put into reading and understanding it. As with any instructional book, we will only benefit from it if we read it, understand it, and apply it. This requires of us a desire to read it, a desire to understand it, and a desire to apply it appropriately and correctly. This book of salvation that contains “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68) and “words by which you…will be saved” (Acts 11:14) must be taken as seriously as the content demands.
Let us be clear on this matter of peace with God: If we do not seek to achieve this peace, thinking we don't need to worry about it, thinking it's 'no big deal,' or thinking "God is too loving to send anyone to hell,' please think again. Paul admonished the early disciples, “in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath” (Rom. 2:5-8). Are you willing to ignore the words of the author of peace? If so, please know that you will face His wrath after Judgment, and only because you refused His words that could have saved you.
And please don't think you will somehow muster the courage to defy Him and challenge His authority. As one man wrote long ago, “Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?” (Nah. 1:6). But there is no reason to have to face His anger. He wants peace between us. It's now up to you.
—— Steven Harper
