Peace in an out of control world
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Christ was giving his disciples their marching orders. He was telling them of how he was about to leave them and return to heaven. He was telling them that it was about to get really hard for them as followers of Christ. He told them of persecutions and death to come, as those who hated Him, persecuted those who loved him. He told them they must suffer as his disciples, but to rejoice in this suffering; in the honor of this suffering. John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” They had spent time in the wonder of walking with Christ; now they must take that knowledge and witness of Him, and stand on their own in the strength He provides.
If you are sliding down the highway of life without a trouble in the world, you are most likely a child of this world. What is a child of this world? It is not a child of God, for a child of God is not of this world as Christ spoke in John 15:19. Therefore, Satan, the ruler of this world, that is on a leash held by God; takes no worry with you, for he has no regard for loosing you. If you dig deep into your heart, the cares of your heart will reveal where you place your hope. Your hope can be in anything you feel as though you can attain; or your hope can be in the realization of how lost you are in sin without Christ. That epiphany is eternally life changing once you come to Christ in it. Once your hope is placed in eternity, the tribulations that will come will only be seen as temporary, and a means to draw closer to God.
Eternal security will bring about that peace that Christ describes. Knowing that you will spend your life in heaven will overcome all that you face today. All that Satan throws at you will only draw you closer to God; backfiring the plans of the enemy. Once you accept the free gift of Salvation, there should be evidence of change in your life. You should have the desire to draw closer to Christ; the Holy Spirit begins to convict you of sin; you will begin to see things differently upon Salvation. Satan immediately tries to convince you that you obtained nothing. He is the father of lies; God is the father of truth, and your eternity is secure. Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 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.
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