Foundation of Peace

Foundation of Peace

Spiritual growth comes from going through trials not learning.

In my churches prayer group there was a teaching idea that faith is based on peace. If there is peace there is a foundation for faith to be built. If there is no peace then turmoil is there and faith can't function or be built on turmoil.

So I went to James 3:13-18
"13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

What we do is of faith, if it is of the spirit. Faith is based on our wisdom from God. If there is no peace we don't truly have God's wisdom.

It says in John 14:1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me."
When our heart is troubled we don't have peace. To counter a troubled heart we must move to belief. Belief will bring peace.

But how can you believe when you have a troubled heart? We have a troubled heart because we believe the evil or bad report! How do you change from believing the bad to believing in Jesus?

2 Cor 10:3-5
"3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,"

Here is explained an exercise that takes the bad report and rejects it by believing the Scripture. Jesus has given us bountiful promises in the Bible and when we hear Him Matt 4:4 we live spiritually by believing on these promises.

Belief is easy when life is given to us on easy street. Belief is built in the furnace of affliction. When we maintain our belief in the furnace of affliction we have faith.

James 1:2-4
"2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

When we are able to rejoice in the trial we are making a road for peace to come. When peace is there faith can operate. If there is struggling in the trial then there is no peace and faith can't be there. Faith is looking to God for the answer with confidence that He will keep His word to us (Matt 4:4)

We grow in faith by believing in Jesus in the midst of the trial. Believing in Jesus brings peace, and peace gives us the foundation to look to Jesus and wait on Him. We can't wait on Jesus in turmoil.

This turmoil should drive us to our knees in prayer about the problem until peace comes. Phil4:6-9 If peace does not come we should continue in prayer. Of course our classes we teach and the sermons we preach would have to be put on hold as we pray. Sometimes just stopping a little for a short prayer to move back into peace is all that is needed. This is why I believe there needs to be a multitude of leaders and not one. Nobody can be in front all the time. If someone leads spiritually and has a troubled heart he is rejecting John 14:1 Phil 4:6.

If you are living in denial and continuing as if nothing is wrong then you are ineffective. Why? Because spiritual truths are built on a foundation of peace. Peace comes from hope. Faith is based on the hope of the promises of what God has spoken. Matt 4:4

There is a problem with this teaching of peace! What if God asks us to do something that we don't want to do? We then would not have peace.

Would I be willing to follow God's direction when I don't have peace looking to Jesus to fulfill my needs but not considering my needs as important compared to obedience?

This article has the presupposition of the people being disciples.