Jesus bled peace Into the world
"He has always been! It is His hand that holds everything together. He is the head of this body, the church. He is the beginning, the first of those to be reborn from the dead, so that in every aspect, at every view, in everything—He is first. God was pleased that all His fullness should forever dwell in the Son who, as predetermined by God, bled peace into the world by His death on the cross as God’s means of reconciling to Himself the whole creation— all things in heaven and all things on earth."
Colossians 1:17-20 - The Voice
Peace is only found when we are reconciled to Father God. Every thought of distance, of separation, of sin, of unworthiness just makes us dull to the reality of our reconciliation. Every thought of "God will get you for that" and "Don"t mess with God or He will smite you" does not produce in people the fear of the Lord but simply fear of approaching God full stop. Greatness of character is shown in how merciful we are not how judgemental we can be. God makes sure His mercy is triumphant over judgement. God does judge but His judgement is all about deliverance if His people turn to receive Him in His steadfast love and tender mercy that are new every morning. God does act in judgement but His actions are never reactions or impulsive. He is not motivated by fear and anger. God is Love He doesn't just love He is Love and He is the complete expert at kicking out fear and filling hearts and lives with peace.
People try to find peace in so many ways outside of relationship with Jesus none of these ways produce a lasting peace. Through self-denial and human effort people try to subjugate every insecurity and every evil passion in their lives and then usually go on to protest about the same in the lives of others and at worst mock others for their weaknesses. All this activity produces no heart peace. Or people may band together on points of theological or ideological agreement and anyone who does not fit into that paradigm or conduct their lives in that particular praxis of theology is seen as an outsider.
A "them and us" culture is established and this can also be rife within the church. "I am from a different denomination brother, and therefore I love you in the Lord but I don"t need to fellowship with you"
All these attitudes frankly come straight from the "pit" and originate from the spirit of fear. If you are basing your life on this kind of foundation and living in this kind of culture you will not have real heart peace.
In the third of the Star Wars prequels there is a conversation between the evil Emperor and Anakin Skywalker (recently seduced by fear to join the dark side). The Emperor commands Anakin to go and destroy a whole group of conspirators and politicians that the Emperor no longer had need of. At the same time the Emperor was on a mission to eradicate the Jedi, the guardians of peace.
The Emperor turns to Anakin and says in a menacing tone that when all this has taken place "then we will have peace"
Peace does not come from dictatorial rule in the world or in the church. Peace does not come from subjection to a legalistic system of right and wrong and good and evil - only God is good. Peace does not come from fear or conformity to a group identity to alleviate personal insecurity. No, peace is here because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Real peace from every storm of mind, of emotion, and of heart. He Himself is our peace as the Apostle Paul put it. (Ephesians 2:14) The liberty that comes through the Gospel and is ministered to us by The Holy Spirit, this is peace - Shalom - nothing missing, nothing broken - everything bit put back together.
Jesus bled peace into the world so we could receive His peace and be reconciled and truly be at peace with God and others (read: 2 Cor 5:16-21) - for He has reconciled us to himself not counting our wrong doing against us. May we experience in ever greater measure that peace that comes from the Christ's rule in our hearts - the rule of Love not fear, for only Love has the strength and bravery to bleed peace into the world.
"From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:16-21)
By Pastor Geoff Newton