Let The Peace Of Christ Rule In Your Hearts, Since As One Body, You Were Called To Peace

COLOSSIANS 3:14-15
“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
”‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬
‬https://bible.com/bible/114/col.3.14-15.NKJ

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We believers are called to live in peace. That is not to say, suddenly all our differences are eliminated, but it does require us to work together out of love and respect for one another with a goal of settling our differences.
Such love is not a simple feeling, nor is it lust, rather it is a choice-to “put on love,”- to consider and meet the needs of others who are unable to meet their own needs (see 1 CORINTHIANS 13).
All the virtues Paul encourages us to develop are bound together by love.
Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets (MATHEW 22:37:40).”
We believers must allow Christ to rule our hearts; when we commit to God, we come under new management. Rather than allowing our flesh to rule our lives, we must hand over all authority to God and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
It is then that the battle starts between the Spirit and our flesh.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.“
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
We humans are made up of three parts, spirit, soul, and flesh (1 THESSALONIANS 5:23) and each must know its place.
The Holy Spirit joins with our spirit and declares that we are children of God (ROMANS 8:16), and must be king in our lives. The soul, our mind, will, and emotions, where we make our decisions, must become servant to the king, and the flesh, must be slave to the king.
The flesh is simply a vehicle in which we operate in this physical world and indeed, when one commits his life to Christ, though He doesn’t take away one’s free will, becomes a vehicle of the Holy Spirit to operate in this physical world and must remain pure.
Therefore glorify God in body and Spirit, ”All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.“
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV
Paul explains that we must decide conflicting decisions by using the rule of peace. Whether the battle is within our own body, or with other church members or in things, we must ask ourselves, which choice will promote peace in our souls and within the church, the body of Christ?
God’s peace can only develop through love and faith, and by trusting God and remaining obedient in every situation.
Faith is the opposite of fear, like hot is the opposite of cold, and therefore fear, if allowed, steals our peace.
Fear is a major weapon of the devil; we can see how he has brought about the man made epidemic to bring fear over the whole world. The result of which have been devastating to world’s peace.
We have broken businesses, increasing anxiety/ depression, and suicides, failing financial systems and health systems, much of the world population has taken vaccines that are now proven to detrimental to our health. We see divisions, anger, distress, and all kinds of damaging rules and controls on businesses and all kinds of restrictions on daily life that add fuel to the fear.
However with a mustard seed of faith, this mountain could have been tossed to the side and much of the pain of these things could have been avoided (MATHEW 17:20).
The truth is, love and faith combined is like a weapon of mass destruction against the devil’s plans.
For “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭4:17-19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My beloved, we have no reason to fear the enemy, not his pestilence, nor the fret of wars, or anything whatsoever, for God is forever in control.
God gave us a wonderful immune system that has worked very well from the time of creation.
Besides, He promises to protect His people even as we walk through the shadow of death (PSALM 23:4).
“Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.“
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭3‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
No matter what challenges we believers are to face in today’s dark world, however impossible our situation may seem, we can stand upon the promises of God and His peace that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (PHILIPPIANS 4:6).
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:31-39‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.