Peace Testimony
Peace, you and God
"You can have peace with God! But how can I discover this peace?" you ask.
The first step in finding peace with God is to stop fighting Him.
Through this Bible, through the church, through the lives of Christian people, God has been trying to get through to you for years with the message that he wants to give you peace.
Christ said to his disciples: "My peace I give unto you" (John 14:27). He is no respecter of persons, he wants to give you peace, too. But he can't give you his peace as long as you lift the red flag of rebellion. You must stop resisting God! You must stop fighting! You must give up!
The second step in finding peace with God is to surrender to Him. Lay down your weapons of war! Get off the offensive, and stop being offensive!
The Bible says regarding a people who had no peace with God: "Be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord" (II Chronicles 30;8).
When you surrender to a "friendly enemy", to the one who loves you, you are using good sense.
The Peace which follows the acceptance of Christ as Saviour is more than earthly peace and it is the greatest of spiritual treasures even though it may not always bring worldly prosperity with it.
To know Christ is to have the supremest of riches, a place in the kingdom of God. And men and women who give Him first place find that there is no need for anxiety about this worlds goods. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God.... and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mathew 6;33). But there is one more aspect of this peace with God. It is not just a passive peace which sits idly under a willow tree strumming a harp. It is a peace of activity and service.
The third step in finding peace with God is to serve Him. The Bible told an ancient people who sued for peace, not only to yield but to "serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you" (II Chronicles 30;8).
How do we find peace with God? We must stop fighting! We must surrender! We must serve! Of course these steps will be motivated by faith and mingled with love.
Having found peace with God, next we experience the peace of God. God does not consider us slaves but sons. The Bible says: "Beloved, now are the sons of God" (I John 3;2). Having yielded to Him, we are led into the lush vineyards of his grace and made partners of the fruit of the Spirit.
To all who surrender to Him and Serve Him, He gives the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of peace.
Billy Graham
