Topical Bible: Spiritual Peace: The Wicked: There is None For

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical context, spiritual peace is often associated with a state of harmony and reconciliation with God, characterized by inner tranquility and the absence of spiritual conflict. However, the Scriptures make it clear that such peace is not available to the wicked—those who live in opposition to God's will and righteousness.

Old Testament References

The prophet Isaiah speaks directly to the absence of peace for the wicked. In Isaiah 48:22, the Lord declares, "There is no peace for the wicked," a statement that underscores the spiritual unrest and turmoil that accompany a life lived in rebellion against God. This theme is reiterated in Isaiah 57:20-21, where the wicked are compared to a "tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud." The passage concludes with the emphatic statement, "'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'"

The Psalms also reflect this understanding. Psalm 28:3-5 describes the wicked as those who "speak peace with their neighbors while malice is in their hearts." Their duplicity and rejection of God's works result in divine retribution rather than peace. Similarly, Psalm 37:37-38 contrasts the "blameless" who have a "future" with the wicked who will be "destroyed" and have "no future."

New Testament Insights

The New Testament continues this theme, emphasizing the spiritual consequences of wickedness. In Romans 3:17, Paul, quoting from the Old Testament, states, "the way of peace they have not known," referring to those who have turned away from God. This lack of peace is a direct result of their estrangement from the divine source of true peace.

James 3:16-18 further contrasts the fruits of righteousness with the chaos sown by wickedness. "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice," James writes, highlighting the discord that accompanies a life contrary to God's wisdom. In contrast, the "wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable," leading to a harvest of righteousness.

Theological Implications

The absence of peace for the wicked is not merely a temporal condition but a reflection of their spiritual state. Biblically, peace is a gift from God, often associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit and the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. The wicked, by rejecting God's authority and living in sin, cut themselves off from this divine peace.

Proverbs 13:21 succinctly states, "Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous." This proverb encapsulates the biblical principle that peace and prosperity, both spiritual and often material, are tied to righteousness and obedience to God.

Practical Considerations

For believers, the understanding that there is no peace for the wicked serves as both a warning and a call to evangelism. It underscores the urgency of sharing the gospel, which offers reconciliation and peace with God through Jesus Christ. It also serves as a reminder to live in accordance with God's commandments, seeking the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

In summary, the Bible consistently teaches that spiritual peace is unattainable for the wicked, whose lives are marked by turmoil and separation from God. This absence of peace is a direct consequence of their rebellion and serves as a stark contrast to the peace promised to those who walk in righteousness and faith.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 48:22
There is no peace, said the LORD, to the wicked.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 57:21
There is no peace, said my God, to the wicked.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Peace
... A spiritual peace, which is twofold; peace above us, or peace with God ... A wicked man
is insensible ... the angels out of heaven, they could not speak peace without God ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/7 peace.htm

"And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up ...
... because there is no real and spiritual conviction of sin ... prayers are abomination,
Proverbs 28:9. The wicked may have ... Our peace hath put us asleep, and the word ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xviii and there is.htm

Letter xxi (Circa AD 1128) to the Abbot of S. John at Chartres
... is loss of charity, surely no spiritual advantage can ... dissension, the troubler of
unity and peace, except the ... He, then, the most wicked one, opposed to charity ...
/.../some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter xxi circa a d 1128.htm

Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace ...
... And lo, there was an assembly of the wicked[406] to ... at peace, began to think also
of his own peace. ... a new recruit of Christ, for the spiritual conflict; again ...
/.../chapter iv being made archbishop.htm

The Wicked Man's Life, Funeral, and Epitaph
... There was nothing spiritual in him ... Peace to his ashes Wait, O John Bunyan, till thy
Master sends his ... voice?" And now, are there any here who are so wicked as to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the wicked mans life funeral.htm

Desolation of the Earth.
... saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." "With lies ye ... He will give them that
are wicked to the ... those who have professed to be the spiritual guardians of ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /41 desolation of the earth.htm

Desolation of the Earth
... saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." "With lies ye ... He will give them that
are wicked to the ... those who have professed to be the spiritual guardians of ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 41 desolation of the.htm

Peaceable Principles and True: Or, a Brief Answer to Mr. D'Anver's ...
... by a public renunciation of so wicked and horrible ... there is none Its large dimensions
can comprehend ... a carnal mind, injurious to spiritual peace, and abominable ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/peaceable principles and true or.htm

Twenty Fourth Sunday after Trinity Prayer and Spiritual Knowledge.
... they who exercise themselves in these spiritual graces by ... liberated from this service
of the wicked, condemned world ... are no longer opposed, but at peace with us ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/twenty fourth sunday after trinity.htm

The Wicked Servant
... the things which belonged to their peace were hid ... readily confess that religion is
a spiritual matter, and ... a very terrible way:- 'Thou wicked servant, unworthy ...
/.../the water of life and other sermons/sermon xviii the wicked servant.htm