Sunday, May 6, 2018 - Ephesians 6:15
The Armor of God, Pt. 15. 
Shod Your Feet with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Pt. 7.  
Gospel of Peace, Pt. 1.  
Lesson # 18-049

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4wP5Gpn3Fs&feature=youtu.be

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17.  

Eph 6:15; Rom 1:7; 5:1-5; 8:6-7; 15:13, 33; 16:20, 33; Col 1:22 

Vs. 15, “And having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.”

And finally, we have, “of peace,” which is related to “the gospel.” It is made up of the Article HO and the Noun eirene, εἰρήνη in the Genitive case that means, “peace, harmony, tranquility, or good health.” It is related to the Hebrew word SHALOM, that had a broader meaning than EIRENE did in the Greek. But its use in the NT took on the broader meanings of the Hebrew usage to include, good health and well-being, prosperity, etc. In addition, the Stoic philosophers sometimes used the word to indicate “inner peace, tranquility” or “peace of mind.” This too, is adopted in the NT usage of the word, as the Word of God resident within your soul is designed to bring you the inner peace, joy, and happiness of God, +H of God.

We have noted this word in Eph 1:2; 2:14, 15, 17; 4:3, and will see it again in vs. 23. The progression of this word in Ephesians includes:

1. A salutation for peace that comes from God our Father and Jesus Christ, Eph 1:2.

2. Jesus who broke down the dividing barrier between Jews and Gentiles to bring the two to peace, Eph 2:14.

3. By taking on the sins of the world, He brought peace to all who believe in Him, making them one body, Eph 2:15.

4. He preached the gospel of peace to all, both Jews and Gentiles, Eph 2:17.

5. We now are to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit, (the one body), in the bond of Peace, Eph 4:3.

6. We are to be prepared to fight the Angelic Warfare with the Gospel of Peace, Eph 6:15.

7. God desires us to live in peace, Eph 6:23.

In secular Greek, EIRENE simply meant the opposite of war, a condition of peace, that is, a respite during an endless series of wars. The Greeks, as later did the Romans, considered peace, (i.e., the absence of war), as the foundation for national and personal welfare and prosperity. In fact, they had a goddess of peace named, Eirene, who was believed to give gifts of wealth and well-being. As you can imagine, that was Satan’s counterfeit to what God provided to the Israelites and to all believers throughout history, including today.

In our passage, EIRENE is used first from its original meaning in the Greek of a respite from warfare, which is the Angelic Conflict that we are all a part of, secondly, the peace that the believer has with God, and thirdly, the blessings or welfare that God provides to those who are in fellowship with Him being obedient to His Word. The latter encompasses the broader Hebrew meaning.

As you know, this does not mean that the Angelic Conflict is over; it means Jesus has won the strategic victory of the Angelic Conflict at the Cross. As such, all who believe in Him have been given that victory as signified by the freedom from sin and death we receive at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ. We also experience that victory by walking with Christ in fellowship with the Holy Spirit and in application of God’s Word that is resident within our soul.

From the day of the “Fall of Man,” man has been at enmity, at war, with God. People are “alienated and enemies” of God not only because of their deeds but because of their disposition, Rom 8:6-7; Col 1:21.

Rom 8:6-7, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.”

Col 1:21-22, “And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, ²²yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”

If there was to be peace between God and man, God Himself had to take the initiative. He did so when He sent His Son, He who “is our peace,” Eph 2:14. At His atoning death for our sins, we were reconciled to God in spite of our sins.

The message of reconciliation is called “the gospel of peace,” Acts 10:36; Eph 2:17; 6:15, and the God who has performed this is called, “the God of peace,” Rom 5:1-5; 15:33; 16:20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 5:23; Heb 13:20.

As mentioned, this peace was given to us because our faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, who is the Messiah and the Prince of Peace, Isa 9:6; cf. Micah 5:4-5a; Zech 6:13.

Isa 9:6, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

Micah 5:4-5a, “And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. ⁵This One will be our peace.”

Zech 6:13, “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices, (King and Priest).”

Everyone who has believed in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, receives this peace, John 14:27; 16:33.

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

This peace comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all the blessings which accompany and flow from our reconciliation to God through Christ, Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Thes 3:16. Therefore, we see once again in the “armor of God,” that we stand positionally in the peace of God, and are to live experientially in the peace of God.

2 Thes 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”

That is why Paul wrote in Rom 5:1; 8:6; 15:13; Phil 4:7; Col 3:15, of the tranquil state of a soul that is assured of its salvation through Christ, fearing nothing from God, and consequently content with its earthly lot, whatever it is.

Rom 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

Rom 15:13, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Col 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”

Rom 8:6, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”

Phil 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This is the direct result of our redemption by Christ, Eph 2:15, 17, and consists primarily of a state of conscious reconciliation with God, Rom 5:1, God’s peace is independent of outside conditions and is the fruit of an objective, real salvation with God, arising from reconciliation with God and a sense of His Divine favor in your life.

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

1 Cor 14:33, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

When the Bible says “The God of peace,” it also means He is the author and giver of Divine blessings, Rom 15:33; 16:20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 5:23; Heb 13:20.

1 Thes 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Phil 4:9, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Heb 13:20-21, “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, ²¹equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”