Dear Fellow Believers in Christ, (Christ in you is the Person, Life, & Expression of Genuine Peace)

The Father desires to now have genuine peace with every Spirit birthed son of God. Did not the Father send the Son to completely bridge the gap of genuine peace? Why is it that genuine peace cannot work except through the genuine 100% grace of God? Does not the word say that Christ is our peace? How is Christ the very source of genuine peace? How does knowing the Person of Christ Himself become genuine peace to us? How does Christ spontaneously living His life in and through us bring genuine peace? What is the gospel of genuine peace? How can Christ be our all in all in us and flow like a river of genuine peace? Holy Spirit reveal the fullness of Christ in us as us, especially as Him being our genuine peace.

GENUINE PEACE

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all " (II Thess. 3:16).

First, Genuine Peace Works through the Grace of God In Christ
Paul encouraged the Thessalonians in the midst of their sufferings (II Thess. 1:5). Paul told them one day the Lord Jesus Christ and His mighty angels would be coming again and would righteously judge all those that were troubling them (II Thess. 1:5-9). Paul also prayed for the Thessalonians and comforted them with the truth that our Heavenly Father had chosen them as His sons and set them apart from all judgment through the sanctification of the Spirit, their belief in the gospel of truth, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (I Thess. 1:11-12; 2:13-17). Paul begins his address in this letter saying, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thess. 1:2). Paul declares this same statement of truth in 12 of his epistles, within the first 4 verses. Notice that grace is always mentioned before peace. Why? We cannot understand the genuine peace of God, until we first understand the grace of God in Christ.

Second, Christ’s Finished Work Made Genuine Peace with the Father
Our Heavenly Father wanted sons in a love relationship and fellowship with Himself. Our Father chose us to be in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). The Lord Jesus Christ came in flesh and with His shed blood and crucified body paid 100% for our sins and salvation to and with our Heavenly Father (Col. 1:20-22). Our Father was 100% satisfied with Jesus' sacrificial offering and raised Him from the dead and set Him with all authority over all things in heaven and earth (Eph. 1:20-23). This is the free justification by our Father's "grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). Through our Father's grace, we have been granted access through our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:18). Christ and His 100% grace are the root sources of genuine peace. Christ is the connecting link and our union with our Heavenly Father. Through our Spirit birthing and salvation through faith in Christ, we now have access in His grace and genuine peace with the Father (Eph. 2:14-15).

Third, Knowing Christ Himself is the Very Source of Genuine Peace to Us
Paul declared that, Christ "is our peace" (Eph. 2:14). Christ paid the price and broke down the barrier of sin and separation between us and the Father. Just knowing that we are saved by the genuine grace of God and that our Father was 100% satisfied with the atoning work of Christ on the cross, becomes the source of true and genuine peace. Christ Himself is the very source of genuine peace. Peace actually doesn’t actually come from us doing something. Knowing Jesus Christ and Him crucified (I Cor. 2:2), in fullness by the revelation of the Holy Spirit brings His genuine peace to us. Paul declares that, "The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one" (II Thess. 3:3). The revelation knowledge of His grace will produce His genuine peace in us, and will protect us from the deceitful snares of the enemy that removes peace and brings unrest.

Fourth, Knowing Christ as Genuine Peace Guards Our Hearts and Minds
This is why Paul shares, "and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7). Christ is the Lord of Peace! When we truly let Christ live spontaneously through us in full expression doing the Father's will in and through us as us, we will have His genuine peace. Just knowing that Christ is living in us and praying and interceding through us, for His divine will for ourselves and others, will result in His manifested peace. It really must be Christ as the source of all doing in and through us, not us. You will not know these things that God has prepared for you by the natural eye or ear. You will not get it in your heart through your own natural sense knowledge and understanding (I Cor. 2:9). However, God has revealed these things to us by His Spirit (I Cor. 2:10). These things surpass all understanding in the natural.

Fifth, Christ Living in and Flowing Through us Brings Genuine Peace
We need to have the Holy Spirit reveal and teach us (I Cor. 2:13). We need to have the Holy Spirit transform and renew our hearts and mind (Rom. 12:2). It is only with a renewed mind – a Spiritually alive mind that we can truly face some things in this life with His right responses and with His right results. Christ needs a renewed mind to fully flow in us, so that we will choose to let Him live in us as us Gal. 2:20). We ever have the mind of Christ in us (I Cor. 2:16). Paul told us to let or choose to live and operate with this Spiritually renewed mind, just as Jesus of Nazareth did also (Phil 2:5). When Christ spontaneously flows in and through us with His own mind, will, and purpose; His manifested and genuine peace will guard us from falling to and operating in the flesh with our hearts and minds. His genuine peace will truly guard your souls! When we start letting Christ live His spontaneous life in the Spirit in and through us as us, His genuine peace comes as a normal result. For Christ is our peace! (Eph. 2:14).

Sixth, We Should Be Prepared and Walk in the Gospel of Genuine Peace
Paul declared to us, "And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Eph. 6:15). Christ is our whole armor wherein we walk in this temporal life. Christ is our truth! Christ is our righteousness! (Eph. 6:14). Paul’s gospel is the final gospel to the church. Yes, there are at least two gospels in the New Testament. One gospel is of the restoration of Adam by doing works of the law, but the last Adam – Christ, put all of this to death on the Cross. Only Paul’s final revealed gospel brings genuine peace, with Christ and Him crucified alone.

Seventh, We Should be Walking in Christ as All in All for Genuine Peace
Christians should be the most peaceful people of the face of the earth. Are they? If not, why not? Christians who do not fully know who they are in Christ in these three areas, will NOT have His genuine peace in all areas of life. The pieces of armor in Ephesians 6:10-18 are not up to Christians to pick and choose as we might select. They are all of Christ, who now lives in us as us, and all of Christ in us is necessary. You can't have just part of Christ as Lord and life. Salvation was to choose Christ 100% as Lord and life. If Christ is Lord, then that is 100% Lord, or He is not Lord at all. Christ is our all in all (Eph. 1:23; Col. 3:11). When Christ is living His all in all through us, then His genuine peace will flow like a river!