Every day life brings plenty to worry about. We worry about how our kids will mature. We worry about meeting a deadline at work. We worry about a friend who’s mad at us. We worry about a loved one who is sick. And these are just our normal worries in our immediate life, then we look out at culture, politics, events happening across our nation, events happening across the world.
Life can start to feel so overwhelming and like the world is falling apart. Which is all true, the world has literally been falling apart since the bite of the apple in the garden of Eden. I don’t know that acknowledging the sinfulness of souls ravishing our world makes anyone feel less anxious about their life though. If knowing what causes our troubles doesn’t bring us peace, what can?
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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Christ told his disciples before this statement to not be sad, for he was going back to the Father, but he would send the Counselor to guide the disciples in truth. Jesus also alluded to the power of what was to come soon when he would die on the cross and assured the disciples that the Counselor would “convict the world about sin, righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).
Sin: rejecting Christ on the cross
Righteousness: Christ made us righteous on the cross
Judgement: the powers of this world were conquered on the cross
We see the truth of these 3 words displayed in Colossians 1:15-23 on the centrality of Christ. Jesus overcame sin, made us righteous before God, and conquered the powers of the world.
“and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross[j]—whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
Colossian 1:20
Christ came to reconcile us back to God, to conquer sin and all the darkness of the world. We’ve been transferred from the Kingdom of darkness to the light, forgiven of our sins, and are no longer kept from God because of our sinful actions but are instead holy saints (Colossians 1:12-14, Colossians 1:21-22).
Christ made peace on our behalf, reconciling us back to God. Through this peace He made, we are able to experience lasting peace in Him. A peace that Paul describes in Philippians 4:7-9 as “the peace of God, which surpasses every thought” and that we experience when we dwell on what is holy and true.
Indeed, we experience peace in God when we our focus is on Him.
“For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.” (The Counselor is our guide for truth and life)
Romans 8:6
When we repent of our sin and declare ourselves followers of Christ, we find peace. We find peace because we’ve been transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness to Light. We find peace because we know the ultimate Peacemaker. We find peace because our focus is on the true and holy character of God. We find peace because we know that even in a world of trouble, Christ died for us to have peace with God and now we long for a when we will be near God for eternity in the new heavens and new earth where peace will reign and pain will be no more. (Rev 21:4).
Take comfort in God’s eternal plan, a Kingdom of peace was prophesied, and Jesus came to give us access to it. God created all and conquers all. He’s Wonderful and Mighty. He rules a Kingdom of Peace and Justice. We rest our anxieties of this world on the shoulders of a Mighty and Sovereign God, we can take care because Jesus overcame the world (John 16:33).
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7