Topical Bible: Peace: God Bestows Upon Those Who: Obey Him

◄ Peace: God Bestows Upon Those Who: Obey Him ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical narrative, peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a profound sense of well-being and harmony that God grants to those who live in obedience to His commandments. This peace is a divine gift, reflecting a state of spiritual tranquility and alignment with God's will.

Old Testament Foundations

The concept of peace, or "shalom" in Hebrew, is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. It encompasses completeness, welfare, and harmony. God promises peace to His people as a reward for their faithfulness and obedience. In Leviticus 26:3-6, God outlines the blessings of obedience, stating, "If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments, I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce... I will grant peace to the land, and you will lie down with no one to frighten you."

The Psalms frequently associate peace with righteousness and obedience. Psalm 119:165 declares, "Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your instruction; nothing can make them stumble." Here, peace is directly linked to a love for God's law, suggesting that adherence to divine instruction brings about a stable and unshakeable peace.

Prophetic Promises

The prophets also speak of peace as a divine blessing for those who walk in God's ways. Isaiah 32:17 proclaims, "The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever." This verse highlights the intrinsic connection between righteous living and the peace that follows.

Isaiah further emphasizes this in Isaiah 48:18, where God laments, "If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea." The imagery of a river suggests a continuous, flowing peace that results from obedience.

New Testament Fulfillment

In the New Testament, the theme of peace continues, with Jesus Christ as the ultimate source of peace for believers. In John 14:27, Jesus assures His disciples, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid." This peace is distinct from worldly peace, rooted in the presence and promises of Christ.

The Apostle Paul reiterates the connection between obedience and peace in Philippians 4:9, where he instructs, "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Here, the practice of godly living invites the presence of the God of peace.

Peace as a Fruit of the Spirit

Peace is also listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, indicating that it is a natural outcome of a life lived in accordance with the Holy Spirit. This peace is cultivated through a relationship with God, characterized by obedience and submission to His will.

Conclusion

Throughout Scripture, peace is consistently portrayed as a divine blessing bestowed upon those who obey God. It is a multifaceted gift that encompasses spiritual, emotional, and communal well-being, reflecting the harmony and order of God's kingdom.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 26:6
And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Folly and Danger of Parting with Christ for the Pleasures and ...
... there must be a fitness in us before God bestows his grace ... should speak peace, and
then there is peace indeed ... When God first awakens us with a sense of sin, and ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the folly and danger of 2.htm

Eighth Sunday after Trinity Living in the Spirit as God's Children ...
... grace, without any merit on our part, bestows upon us the ... terror and fear of sin
and given peace, and the ... supplication which in faith expects of God an answer ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/eighth sunday after trinity living.htm

The Fifth Commandment
... the dove, with an olive branch in the mouth; they preach glad tidings of peace;
their work ... And that you may see how well it pleases God, he bestows a reward ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 5 the fifth commandment.htm

Thou Shalt Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother.
... protects, and defends us, and bestows so much ... as health, wife, and children, livelihood,
peace, good government ... For on this God insists peremptorily: Either if ...
/.../luther/the large catechism/thou shalt honor thy father.htm

Prayer and Obedience
... ways are ways of pleasantness, and their paths peace. ... agency of the Holy Spirit,
bestows enabling grace ... to be impossible to keep God's commandments strangely ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/ix prayer and obedience.htm

God in the Covenant
... I cannot call him mine; but when I have peace with God ... Though he is our God, we apply
ourselves less to him, than ... or any of his mercies, which he bestows upon us ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/god in the covenant.htm

Letter i. --Temptation to Despair.
... When God bestows this grace on a soul, it has hardly anything ... of feeling is the
principle of your peace." Yes, certainly ... that I look upon it as a gift of God. ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter i temptation to despair.htm

The Will.
... The blessings and joys the Lord bestows upon us are the rewards of willing service ...
Should God always keep us soaring aloft on the wings of peace and joy and ...
/.../orr/food for the lambs or helps for young christians/the will.htm

The Consolation
... He Himself performs in them, and bestows upon them ... including every desirable blessing;
pardon, peace, adoption, protection ... the favour and love of God, with the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon i the consolation.htm

Entire Sanctification Obtainable.
... truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed ... was not so in reality,
now bestows upon him a new ... and regenerated believer into the family of God. ...
/.../clark/the theology of holiness/chapter ii entire sanctification obtainable.htm