What does the peace of Christ do? Primarily it gives assurance of - TopicsExpress



          

What does the peace of Christ do? Primarily it gives assurance of acceptance with God ( Rom. 5:1), and the protection of God ( Phil. 4:7). But here Christs peace is to be received into the heart as the arbiter deciding the course and ruling the life. Four imperatives in verses 15-17 identify which precepts (directions; instructions) believers must follow. The first of these is Let rule (the peace of Christ). When Christians need to make choices, the peace that Christ produces in our hearts should be a determining factor. We should choose what will result in peace between us and God, and between us and one another, if such a course of action lies within Gods moral will (John 14:27; Rom. 12:18). This directive forms, with the Word of God and the witness of the indwelling Spirit, one of the most important principles of guidance in the Christian life. When these three indicators line up, we can move ahead confidently. Attainment of the unity of the body of Christ (one body) and the peace of Christ results in a spirit of thankfulness, that should also be expressed in our behavior. The second imperative is: Be thankful. The third imperative is Let dwell (the word of Christ). The word of Christ, used only here in the New Testament, is Christs teachings, not only during His earthly ministry but also in all of Scripture. His Word should permeate our whole being so that we make all decisions and plans in its light. The fourth imperative is implicit here in the Greek text, but the translators have supplied it in the English text: Do. When faced with a question about what the Christian should do?, Paul taught that we should simply ask ourselves what conduct would be appropriate for one identified with Christ. What would Jesus do? is quite similar. This approach is vastly different from the legal one that provides a specific command for every situation. In this contrast we see a basic difference between the New and Old Covenants. What the NT does provide is those basic principles of Christian living which may be applied to all the situations of life as they arise.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 03:05:53 +0000

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