Coconut
Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Messages
- 4,663
If You Are Right With God, Then Where Is Your Peace?
"Peace of heart is the natural outcome of purity of heart." - Spiros Zodhiates
The Prophet Isaiah boldly proclaimed in two separate places that "there is no peace...to the wicked" -
Isaiah 48:22 says - "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."
Isaiah 57:21 says - "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
No matter how much man may try to say otherwise, God's Word is true.
No matter how much the sinner or backslider would love to prove otherwise, the Truth stands.
All - All - All transgressors of God's law - those who allow sin in their lives - those who are wicked and unwilling to repent of their evildoing - have no peace whatsoever. Their consciences are continually disturbed under a frightful apprehension of God's wrath and judgment. They cannot ever enjoy themselves because the terrors of their conscience disturb their enjoyment. They know no permanent, abiding, or substantial joy, prosperity, satisfaction, or good. Their life is filled with disappointments, anxieties, cares, distresses, and apprehensions of the future.
Both Isaiah and the Apostle Paul verified that all transgressors are strangers to true peace, contentment, and happiness -
Isaiah 59:8 says - "The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace."
Romans 3:17 says - "And the way of peace have they not known."
All those who choose the "crooked paths" of sin before the "straight paths" of righteousness will never know peace. Their perverse and evil ways of selfishness, dishonesty, oppression, and cruelty - instead of the right way of sincerity, truth, honesty, and uprightness - will rob them of any peace of conscience with God, with themselves, and among others.
This lack of peace among the wicked is nowhere more evident than in their relationships with others.
At first glance, Psalm 28:3 and Psalm 35:20 seem to contradict themselves in what they say concerning the wicked -
Psalm 28:3 says - "Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts." Psalm 35:20 says - "For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land."
But at a closer look, we can see that there is no contradiction at all.
All those who are not in right standing with God have no peace in their lives. Hence, they are oftentimes very rude and argumentative - "...they speak not peace..." They tend to pervert or twist others' words, misrepresent the facts, and falsely depict those who are godly or striving to live in peace with God and their fellow man.
The Scripture tells us that the "workers of iniquity" actually "hateth peace" and are "for war"(Psalm 120:6-7). Oftentimes, you will find them suspicious, envious, full of strife, and satisfied with nothing.
If they ever do "speak peace to their neighbors," "mischief is in their hearts." In other words, the "peace" is phony. Their flattering words or pretense of friendship are a plot to bring you down, steal your joy, ruin your testimony, or destroy your soul.
Because of their lifestyle of sin, the "wrath of God" abides on them(John 3:36). One judgment upon another follows them. Because "destruction cometh," they "seek peace." They look for deliverance from their troubles, but it can never be found - "and there shall be none"(Ezekiel 7:25).
Their only alternative is deception. They look for people who will promise them "peace" or they simply convince themselves that all will be well even though they are walking in rebellion with God.
Jeremiah 6:14 says - "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."
Deuteronomy 29:19 says -"And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart..."
Every Sunday you will find them hopping from one church to another - looking for that one "Preacher" who will flatter them in their sin or soothe their guilty and troubled conscience by telling them that there is no danger to fear - all will be well. Preferably, they will seek out the "Minister" whose emphasis is on Prosperity or the like - anything but Repentance, Hell Fire, or Judgment to come.
Whenever they do hear - by Divine Providence - a Word of Warning, they "bless" themselves, saying - "I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart..."
Oh! Reader! Do you know people who are in such a state?
Or are you perchance the person of whom this message speaks?
Are you running from God - looking for "peace" in all of the wrong places?
Have you or some False Prophet convinced yourself that you are in no danger - that all is well?
Is it?
Is all well with your soul?
Then why don't you have peace in your life? Where is your peace of mind? Why are your relationships with others filled with strife, envy, suspicion, and discord?
Jerusalem is known as the "city of peace." Yet the Lord Jesus had this to say about her - "Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes"(Luke 19:42).
She had the opportunity to make peace with God - her Messiah - but she disregarded it.
Today, your opportunity to get things right before the Lord is at hand.
You can improve on it by repenting of all sin and making peace with God and others, or else you can choose to go the way of self-deception and bless yourself in your sin and look for those who will support you in your decision.
But no matter what man or the devil say - God's Word will forever be true.
Isaiah 48:22 says - "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."
Isaiah 57:21 adds - "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
There is and never will be any peace for those who live contrary to God's Word.
Things will not go well for you if you decide to go your own way.
God said it and that settles it.
Now what will you do about it?
Whose report will you believe?
Connie Giordano -walkingintruth
"Peace of heart is the natural outcome of purity of heart." - Spiros Zodhiates
The Prophet Isaiah boldly proclaimed in two separate places that "there is no peace...to the wicked" -
Isaiah 48:22 says - "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."
Isaiah 57:21 says - "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
No matter how much man may try to say otherwise, God's Word is true.
No matter how much the sinner or backslider would love to prove otherwise, the Truth stands.
All - All - All transgressors of God's law - those who allow sin in their lives - those who are wicked and unwilling to repent of their evildoing - have no peace whatsoever. Their consciences are continually disturbed under a frightful apprehension of God's wrath and judgment. They cannot ever enjoy themselves because the terrors of their conscience disturb their enjoyment. They know no permanent, abiding, or substantial joy, prosperity, satisfaction, or good. Their life is filled with disappointments, anxieties, cares, distresses, and apprehensions of the future.
Both Isaiah and the Apostle Paul verified that all transgressors are strangers to true peace, contentment, and happiness -
Isaiah 59:8 says - "The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace."
Romans 3:17 says - "And the way of peace have they not known."
All those who choose the "crooked paths" of sin before the "straight paths" of righteousness will never know peace. Their perverse and evil ways of selfishness, dishonesty, oppression, and cruelty - instead of the right way of sincerity, truth, honesty, and uprightness - will rob them of any peace of conscience with God, with themselves, and among others.
This lack of peace among the wicked is nowhere more evident than in their relationships with others.
At first glance, Psalm 28:3 and Psalm 35:20 seem to contradict themselves in what they say concerning the wicked -
Psalm 28:3 says - "Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts." Psalm 35:20 says - "For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land."
But at a closer look, we can see that there is no contradiction at all.
All those who are not in right standing with God have no peace in their lives. Hence, they are oftentimes very rude and argumentative - "...they speak not peace..." They tend to pervert or twist others' words, misrepresent the facts, and falsely depict those who are godly or striving to live in peace with God and their fellow man.
The Scripture tells us that the "workers of iniquity" actually "hateth peace" and are "for war"(Psalm 120:6-7). Oftentimes, you will find them suspicious, envious, full of strife, and satisfied with nothing.
If they ever do "speak peace to their neighbors," "mischief is in their hearts." In other words, the "peace" is phony. Their flattering words or pretense of friendship are a plot to bring you down, steal your joy, ruin your testimony, or destroy your soul.
Because of their lifestyle of sin, the "wrath of God" abides on them(John 3:36). One judgment upon another follows them. Because "destruction cometh," they "seek peace." They look for deliverance from their troubles, but it can never be found - "and there shall be none"(Ezekiel 7:25).
Their only alternative is deception. They look for people who will promise them "peace" or they simply convince themselves that all will be well even though they are walking in rebellion with God.
Jeremiah 6:14 says - "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."
Deuteronomy 29:19 says -"And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart..."
Every Sunday you will find them hopping from one church to another - looking for that one "Preacher" who will flatter them in their sin or soothe their guilty and troubled conscience by telling them that there is no danger to fear - all will be well. Preferably, they will seek out the "Minister" whose emphasis is on Prosperity or the like - anything but Repentance, Hell Fire, or Judgment to come.
Whenever they do hear - by Divine Providence - a Word of Warning, they "bless" themselves, saying - "I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart..."
Oh! Reader! Do you know people who are in such a state?
Or are you perchance the person of whom this message speaks?
Are you running from God - looking for "peace" in all of the wrong places?
Have you or some False Prophet convinced yourself that you are in no danger - that all is well?
Is it?
Is all well with your soul?
Then why don't you have peace in your life? Where is your peace of mind? Why are your relationships with others filled with strife, envy, suspicion, and discord?
Jerusalem is known as the "city of peace." Yet the Lord Jesus had this to say about her - "Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes"(Luke 19:42).
She had the opportunity to make peace with God - her Messiah - but she disregarded it.
Today, your opportunity to get things right before the Lord is at hand.
You can improve on it by repenting of all sin and making peace with God and others, or else you can choose to go the way of self-deception and bless yourself in your sin and look for those who will support you in your decision.
But no matter what man or the devil say - God's Word will forever be true.
Isaiah 48:22 says - "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."
Isaiah 57:21 adds - "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
There is and never will be any peace for those who live contrary to God's Word.
Things will not go well for you if you decide to go your own way.
God said it and that settles it.
Now what will you do about it?
Whose report will you believe?
Connie Giordano -walkingintruth