Peace To Those Who Believe

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” [Luke 2.14]

Most of the English translations of Luke 2.14 use the phrase "those with whom God is pleased" or same variation of it. Peace is for those who please God.

This brings up the importance of faith.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

There will be no peace apart from pleasing God. There will be no pleasing God apart from faith. So, there will be no peace apart from faith. 

Our best example of peace might be seen in whom we call the father of faith: Abraham. 

Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. [Genesis 22.1-8]

There is no indication from the text or context of Genesis 22.1-8 that Abraham was in any kind of dilemma or turmoil from God's command to sacrifice his son. He was in perfect peace.

Why?

It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. [Hebrews 11.17-19]

 Abraham knew God well and therefore knew and was fully convinced of God's character. Nowhere is this kind of relationship more on display than when life is on the line. 

Peace in the face of death is a rare commodity in the earth today. Why? Because peace is reserved for those who please God. There are few who please God because there are few with genuine faith. Jesus told us it would be this way:

But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.14]

The overwhelming absence of peace in the earth today (the Church included) is an indictment to humanity's gross deficiency of faith and therefore the impossibility of humanity pleasing God (in that condition). Should we not be concerned? How would we know if we are pleasing God? Because we are happy? No, but because we are not paralyzed with fear, but instead, look death right in the face with complete peace as we do God's will.

Truly the Advent of Jesus confronts man with his faithlessness and consequent lack of peace. Only faith pleases God. And what is faith if it is not defying logic, reason, and experience simply to do what God said? Abraham didn't as much as mention to God that he was uncomfortable with God's request - he simply obeyed. Abraham's obedience was his faith. His faith was not abstract, but very real and very active. ABRAHAM'S FAITH PLEASED GOD AND ABRAHAM HAD PEACE.

For us to think even for a moment that we will have peace when our every action is to carefully preserve life before it is an effort to obey God is ludicrous. Jesus was quite specific in His demands. He required faith on the heels of repentance. He even went so far as to point out that the life we are so cautious to preserve serves as the litmus test for whether or not we are submitted to Him. Let's see what Jesus said about this precious life we hold so dear as recorded in ALL FOUR Gospels:

He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. [Matthew 10:39 NKJV]

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. [Matthew 16:25 NKJV]

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. [Mark 8:35 NKJV]

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. [Luke 9.24 NKJV]

Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. [Luke 17:33 NKJV]

He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [John 12:25 NKJV]

Peace on earth is NOT the result of a secure life. It is the result of ultimate faith in God - the faith of dying to self in order that Christ might live in and through us. Salvation (peace with God) is for those who obediently believe, not for those who fear (and therefore sidestep) death.

We are therefore confronted with our faithlessness when we are not in peace. Jesus said this:

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. [John 14.27]

Today's idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology all offer satisfaction and peace of mind. But have not these idols become our slave masters when most of our waking moments are spent toiling to pay for their "satisfaction and peace of mind"? How vulnerable are we in this life without debt, insurance, medicine and technology? We are just as vulnerable as faithful Abraham when he raised that knife to sacrifice his son ...AND PLEASED GOD WITH OBEDIENT FAITH.

Now it's getting real.

Father, forgive me for my faithlessness. I have turmoil that is nothing of Your peace. I find myself trying to save my life more so than obeying You in believing and therefore doing EVERYTHING Jesus told us to do. I know You won't make me believe, but please illuminate Your Word to me as I read it every day. May the light of Your Word (not the ways of the world) shine in and upon and through my life. So be it.