| The Christian Life | October 1940 |
The Christian’s Peace
“Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.—Psalm 119:165
THE peace concerning which the Psalmist is here speaking is “the peace of God, which passeth all [human] understanding,” and which the world cannot give nor take away—a peace, which to the Christian, is the antidote for all the distress and trouble in a war-torn world. Surely then, to those who have tried the many panaceas which the world offers, and have found them all based more or less upon selfishness and ambition as the dominating factors, should be anxious to know how to obtain and to maintain this peace of God in their hearts and minds.
Man is a helpless creature, and as Brother Russell says, “during the time of trouble and distress through which the world is now passing it is the privilege and solemn duty of those who follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, to point others to the only source of true and lasting peace. Our text says ‘Great peace have they which LOVE Thy law.’ Before one can love the Lord or His law, it is necessary to know what that law is, and what it requires of us. In Proverbs 9:10, we read, ‘The fear [reverence] of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom.’ We read further (Prov. 22:4), that by humility [a willingness to learn; teachableness] and the fear [reverence] of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life.’”
We are so constituted that when we have a fair share of the comforts of life, plenty to eat, nice things to wear, and are surrounded by friends and pleasant company, we do not realize our helplessness but we are as frail as soap bubbles when circumstances change, our health fails, trusted friends may become cool and even enemies, poverty and lack of life’s necessities stare us in the face, then let us recall the words of the Psalmist, “In my distress I called upon the Lord, … He heard my voice out of His temple” and He delivered me out of all my troubles.—Psa. 18:6; 34:6,17
How carefully the consecrated child of God should safeguard the priceless heritage of peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ! Thus we have the admonition, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23) In order to be accounted worthy of a share in the First Resurrection it is required of us that we should demonstrate our willingness of mind, our earnest desire to he all that the Lord would have us to be. In no way can this be demonstrated to the Lord and to ourselves, or prove more helpful, than by keeping a strict surveillance of our hearts and of our thoughts—“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”—Phil. 2:5
When we are like-minded to our glorious Head we need have no. fear of man. We may, for a time, be influenced by the sophistries and fair speeches of those who are used of the Adversary to turn others astray. But, if our knowledge of the divine plan and our liberty in Christ is not accompanied by our full surrender to God, by complete burial of our wills into the will of Him who is the author of our liberties, then we stand in great danger; for, as the Apostle declares, knowledge alone, without self-submission to God, would incline to puff us up, make us heady, arrogant, self-sufficient. But if the knowledge is accompanied by a love for God which leads to a consecration to self-sacrifice in His service, in harmony with His instructions, the knowledge will work good for us, and we will have put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man which is renewed after the image of Him that created him. Then love becomes the controlling factor of our lives because the effect of love is to “build up” instead of to “puff up.”
To such as thus follow the divine command, the Lord’s protection and daily watch-care are assured. What a rich store-house the Lord has, in His loving kindness, opened for His people in all the means of grace which He has put at our disposal! Surely the prayer (Prov. 30:8), “Feed me with food convenient for me” is bountifully answered in the Lord’s provision for His people.