Christ Came to Impart Peace to His People

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

Christ Came to Impart Peace to His People

Today's Text: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

The Message:      In the East the customary greeting when visiting the house of a friend was "Peace be to this house," and in leaving it the same words were used. But Christ's farewell is of an altogether different character. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27). Much is embodied in these words. They are of richest import, and will be reechoed to earth's remotest bounds....      Christ brought that peace with Him to the world. He came to impart that peace, that all who will believe on Him might have a peace that passeth understanding. He, the world's Redeemer, had carried that peace with Him throughout His earthly life, and now He had come to the time when He must give His life so that the treasure of peace might ever abide in the heart by faith. He left that peace with His disciples, and He is implanting and maintaining it in the hearts of all who will welcome its presence....      The time had come for Satan's last attempt to overcome Christ. But Christ declared, He hath nothing in Me, no sin that brings Me in his power. He can find nothing in Me that responds to his satanic suggestions....      Why this severe conflict with the prince of the world when Jesus, through His childhood, youth, and manhood, had lived the law of God? ... By a word Christ could have mastered the powers of Satan. But He came into the world that He might endure every test, every provocation, that it is possible for human beings to bear and yet not be provoked or impassioned, or retaliate in word, in spirit, or in action. For the honor and glory of God He was to offer Himself a living, spotless sacrifice to the Father.... The worlds unfallen, the heavenly angels, and the fallen race were watching every movement made by the Representative of the Father, and the Representative of perfect humanity. And His character was without a flaw....      The last assault would soon come. The great victory to be achieved was union with His chosen people so that, although Christ was to be removed from earth to heaven, His church might have communion with Him....      At times our trials do not come singly, followed by a period of peace and rest; temptations come in as an overwhelming wave to destroy all before it. The afflictions do not create Christians, but simply develop in them the mind and will of Christ, the living principles of virtue and holiness.-Manuscript 44, 1897.

Commentary: My friend, the life that Christ lived here on this earth was for our benefit, that when He was removed from our sight, He may be with us by His Spirit.  The peace that He brought from Heaven, was lived out here on this earth, that He may impart that peace to us.  "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Colossians 1:27).  "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" (Romans 5:1). When Jesus was about to be led to the cross, He gave His disciples an assurance that He would be with them saying "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (John 14:16-18).  He was not to leave them comfortless, He promised that He would come to them, but not in His human form, He would be with them by His Spirit, His Holy Spirit. For us to have the peace that passes all worldly understanding, we must have the Holy Spirit, and that Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, not the spirit of another.  Satan endeavors to separate us from the peace of God.  He does this by the trinity which introduces to us another spirit which is also another comforter.  It teaches that the Holy Spirit is not the Spirit of the Father or the Son, but is a being unto itself, calling him the third person of the godhead. If this is true how can this being who has never come in the flesh; was never tempted as we are; does not know what it is like to struggle with sin, and therefore has never gained the victory over sin; how can this being be our peace and comfort to us?  The answer is that he cannot.  Jesus said "my peace I give unto you" (John 14:27), not the peace of another, but His peace, and the only way that He can do this is by His Spirit living within us. The trinity is a false representation of who God is.  He is not a triune god made up of three individual god-beings.  He is the One true God, the Father, and He manifests Himself to us through His only begotten Son.  "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3).  If you are worshiping God in the form of the trinity, you are worshiping a false god, and though you may be ever so sincere, you are worshiping God in vain for the trinity is a man-made doctrine.  Of this Jesus says "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:9). My friend, in times of ignorance God overlooks our mistakes until we have the opportunity to know the truth.  "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness," (1 Thessalonians 5:4); we have been given the light of truth that we may know who we worship.  We have the Scriptures that clearly tell us that the trinity is false, but there are so many that will not study to see if what they believe is true.  They take the word of their pastors, elders, and the leaders of the church rather than to study for themselves.  The Scriptures tell us "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15). May you study to show thyself approved of the One true God today. God bless,

Video of the Week Unto the 3rd & 4th Generation - by Pastor Bill Taitague This message is presented by my father, retired Pastor Bill Taitague.  It is an eye opening message on how Satan has eaten away the truths given to us by God through the church pioneers.  This is part one of a four part series presented to members of a home church following the One true God in California.