WORD TREASURES 5/14/23
"I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (Jn. 16:33) (ESV)
Last week, we examined that the peace that Christ gives is ONLY found in Him. We must trust Him fully to enjoy and be kept in His peace, for He alone is the source of that peace. Today, we consider our third critical truth found in this magnificent verse and promise of Christ. Remember, we are attempting to gain, hold, and experience this amazing promised peace! In preparing them for hard things they were about to face, Jesus finishes with, "take heart, I overcame the world." Jesus gives us the ultimate reason for a resting, secure, contented peace--the same He had with His Father! Though life in this world is hard and full of trouble, Jesus has OVERCOME the world and promises and gives us His peace--the only satisfying answer to the heartache that confronts every person who walks this earth. I know of not one person in my entire life experience who escaped severe hardships in their life. And, I am not talking about rainy days, flat tires, or computer crashes! I am talking about REAL TROUBLE!
Jesus predicts this trouble--this tribulation. What did He mean? The word is full of meaning. It implies pressure, anguish, oppression, stress, adversity, affliction, suffering, crushing, squashing, squeezing, distress, trouble. The idea is that the trouble we face squeezes us into a narrow and undesirable place that one can hardly escape from. Isn't that exactly how it is? We face things that we want to change or be free from but we are left without a solution and often must endure the trial for very long periods of time. And no one escapes! You and I as believers are living in a hostile world filled with the ruinous sin of mankind (including our own). Therefore, we will never be very far from trouble. This is true because of 3 enemies all must face, defined in the message last week. We may be Christians, but we are still in the flesh and we face temptation to sin (1 Pet. 1:6). We wrestle against an unrepentant, committed enemy--the devil (Eph. 6:12 & 1 Pet. 5:8). Then there is the world where we live, not creation like rivers mountains, valleys, forests, etc., but the evil values, practices, and philosophies of the society we are born into. 1 Jn. 2:15-17 says that all Christians must reject this world (its lust & pride).
Besides all that, we have the inevitable war/conflict between good and evil that faces everyone, especially Christians. Note: Men persecute us because we are so good (Christians are forgiven & changed by God), exposing their sin. Meanwhile, GOD disciplines us because we are so bad and need to be separate from sin. Men want to change us back to the sinful state we once held--like their condition. GOD wants to change us back to how He created us before sin entered the world. Men will love us if we love the world--if we love what they love. GOD's love for us teaches us to reject the world (what men love.) Men will kill us for loving the Lord and rejecting sin. GOD will kill that part of us that loves this world and rejects the truth in Jesus! Men try to stop us from spreading the Gospel, offering us resistance & compromise to gain our silence. GOD motivates us to spread the Gospel everywhere and eradicates any compromise in us. This conflict CANNOT BE ESCAPED in this life.
Jesus faced all we face and never lost one fight--HE OVERCAME! He chose the narrow way--HE OVERCAME! He always lived for the sake of others--HE OVERCAME! He always followed His Father's lead--HE OVERCAME! He resisted every temptation and never sinned, even once--HE OVERCAME! He defeated the devil and made an open show of His victory--HE OVERCAME! He defeated death by dying and rose never to die again--HE OVERCAME! He ascended on high to always live to intercede for Christians and prepare a place for us--HE OVERCAME! When Jesus was done with the contest, the score was 1000 to 0--HE OVERCAME!
This He did for our sakes so that we too will overcome in Him! The trouble is real--that's true. But as real as the trouble is--so is the victory He brings to His children. If God is for me (and HE is), then who can stand against me? No one can keep you from Jesus and His promised results (Rom. 8:31-39).Knowing this brings His peace deep within--the only proper answer for the trouble everyone faces. I really don't know how people live without Christ--I really don't. He is my life, my joy, my sure hope, my redeemer, my Lord, my way to live, my wisdom, my shield, and my PEACE! Let us lay hold by faith of this promised and provided peace, my friends.
Pastor Mike
