Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be you thankful. There are here four pieces of advice. I. POSSESS THE PEACE OF GOD. Many persons have peace but it is a false peace, the peace of ignorance, stupidity, indifference — the followers of the false prophet who cried "peace, peace,"' when there was no peace. Woe to the man whose peace of mind is like the deadly smoothness of the current just as it nears the cataract! The text refers to — 1. Peace with God. If you are reconciled through Jesus Christ, don't act as though it were doubtful (Romans 5:1). Growing out of this there is peace with God in all His providences which can only come through an entire submission to the Divine will. If thou canst not change thy place change thy mind till thy mind shall love thy place. If forgiven why raise minor points. It is like quarreling on small points of law when the great case has been decided. 2. Peace such as God commends. Perfect peace with Himself and then with all men. What are men's offences against us compared with those which God has forgiven? And what can men do to us at the worst that we should fear or revenge their injuries? "Peace on earth: good-will toward men." 3. Peace which God works in the soul. We cannot create this. To take the wild-beast heart out of us and to put a new heart in us is a Divine work. 4. The peace of God — a Hebraism for excellence, as great mountains and trees are called hills and trees of God. It is greater than any other peace. It is the holiest, deepest, one which passeth all understanding, and eternal. II. LET THIS PEACE RULE IN YOUR HEARTS. 1. In order to peace there must be a ruler. Those people who are for putting down all governors may bid farewell to peace. The worst king is better than the despotism of the mob, the carnival of misrule wherein every man doth what is right in his own eyes, and all eyes love darkness rather than light. See how it is in a house! Where the head is not the head, the hand is not the hand, and nothing is itself. You must have a governing faculty somewhere; and if nothing governs within your heart the devil governs. 2. It is a blessed gift of grace when the peace of God rules in the heart. If it is in your heart at all, it must rule, for it has power to put down all rebellion. When a riot arises we appeal to the lawful power to come and put down the uproar. So in our hearts we can say to the master principle, the peace of God, "Come, put down my murmuring, arrest this bad temper, help me that I may not break out into anger." 3. Yield yourself to the blessed umpireship of the peace of God. Resolve to judge all things by it, and do nothing that would upset its government. If you do — say by getting angry — you harm yourself physically, but much more spiritually. In such a case you cannot pray as you did, nor read some scriptures as you did, nor look the Well-beloved in the face and say "I am acting in a way that pleases Him." It is therefore a serious thing for a believer to break this peace. 4. If a man has this peace he may go down to any meeting, however turbulent — and yet he will be wise to answer and be silent, to do or not to do, for it will keep him quiet. But if his mind be unhinged before the Lord he will be weak as another man, and say and do what he will wish to wipe out with tears. III. STRENGTHEN YOURSELF BY GOD'S SPIRIT WITH ARGUMENTS. Remember — 1. Only can you be happy in heart and healthy in spirit as long as you keep the peace of God. 2. Only then can the Church prosper. A Church disputing is a Church committing suicide', and most disputes are about little points? 3. Only thus can God be glorified. If you are always fretting and anxious how can you promote that; or if you are finding fault with everybody. 4. God calls you to this. If you are not a peaceful man you have not inherited your true calling. He called you to be a peacemaker. 5. He calls you in one body. What would you think of the hand if it should say, "I will have no peace with the eye," or the foot if it should say, "I will not carry the heavy body about"? What is to become of the glory of Christ if the members live in contention? IV. OCCUPY TOUR MINDS HEALTHILY — "Be ye thankful." 1. That is the way to keep our peace with God. Bless Him for all your miseries as well as for all your mercies. 2. That is the way to keep our peace with men. Be thankful in the home. society, etc., for benefits received. (C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. |
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