PEACE-FALSE
Whenever the
true message of the cross is abolished, the anger of hypocrites and heretics
eases…and all things are in peace. This is a sure token that the devil is
guarding the entry of that house, and that the pure doctrine of God's Word has
been taken away. The church, then, is in the BEST state when Satan assaileth it on every side…both with subtle sleights, and
outright violence. And (likewise) it is in the WORST state, when it is most at
peace!
Yet, surely,
there must be some who will fling aside the (cowardly) love of peace, and speak
out for our Lord, and for His truth. A craven spirit is upon man, and their
tongues are paralyzed. Oh, for an outburst of true faith and holy zeal.
C.H. Spurgeon
Jesus' life
was a storm of controversy. The apostles, like the prophets before them, could
hardly go a day without controversy. Paul said that he debated daily in the
marketplace. To avoid controversy is to avoid Christ. We can have peace, but it
is a servile and carnal peace where truth is slain n the streets.
R.C. Sproul
Taken from:
Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R. C. Sproul, Copyright © 1992
(Sproul), p. xv, Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All
rights reserved.
The world
defines peace as the sense of calm, tranquility, quietness, contentment, and
well-being that comes when everything is going well. But that definition,
frankly, is shallow. A calm, tranquil feeling can be produced by lies,
self-deception, unexpected good fortune, the absence of conflict and trouble,
biofeedback, drugs, alcohol, even a good night’s
sleep. Such peace is fleeting and easily destroyed. It can be shattered by the
arrival of conflict and trouble, as well as by failure, doubt, fear, bitterness,
anger, pride, difficulty, guilt, regret, sorrow, anxiety over circumstances
beyond one’s control, being disappointed or mislead by others, making bad
decisions – in short, by any perceived threat to one’s security.
John
MacArthur
1 and 2 Thessalonians, Moody, 2002, p. 313.
Peaceful
feelings can be deceptive. Besides, having peace is never mentioned in the
Bible as a way of determining God’s will. For that, we must consult God’s Word
– which is clear about this matter.
Lou
Priolo
Divorce: Before You Say “I Don’t,” 2007,
P&R, p. 22. Used by Permission.
God’s
peace does not peacefully coexist with falsehood, sham, or injustice; so Gods’
peacemakers cannot simply ignore peace-destroying sin and error, any more than
a surgeon can simply close up an infection wound: an abscess is bound to develop.
Dennis E. Johnson
Peacemakers, appendix in John M. Frame, Evangelical
Reunion, Baker, 1991, p. 171.