CCC #8 Bonus - Peace and Goodwill Towards Men
The Corrupt Christian Concepts Series
(All scripture quotes are from the BSB unless otherwise noted.)
Merry Christmas
My Christmas vacation is the first time in a while I have had any free time; thus, I am finally able to have time to write.
My next ‘faith’ article is nearly done. Jesus Christ had to be born as God, yet incarnated as human, to demonstrate the compatibility of humanity with the life of God. This was necessary in order for there to be anything useful to put faith in; thus, I did not want to neglect the season.
Finishing my faith article would have certainly fit, and been fine of course, but there was another concept that comes directly from the Christmas story that I want to address. And it is a promise we must have faith in, so it fits. It also introduces the promise I will get into for my next article.
This will be nice and short. My next faith article is not, so Merry Christmas.
The scripture under consideration is quite familiar, even to most of the world due to songs and cards. But, let's take a look.
Luke 2:14 - “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” KJV
I have quoted the King James Version since it is the most commonly known version. But, other translations that use older manuscripts translate it slightly differently. I will quote my normal translation, the BSB.
Luke 2:14 - “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”
When you get into the Greek, this translation seems to be more accurate. And it helps describe the corruption of this concept that is rampant in the world. This corruption is reiterated at every beauty pageant as the hopeful ladies proclaim their desire for “world peace”. While certainly a noble cause, this is not what the angels were proclaiming - quite the opposite.
The angels were not describing a generic peace and goodwill to humanity as everyone eventually learns to get along. Certainly, what they are describing could lead to that on a small scale, but that is not the context of their speech. To further portray how this concept is not accurate, let's look at where Jesus Christ Himself uses this Greek word for peace.
Matthew 10:34 - “Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Doesn't this go against the message of the angels? Were they not proclaiming that He would bring peace to the earth? Then why would He then proclaim the opposite? Must be that we are misunderstanding one of the messages. Christ further clarifies in another message about peace in the world.
John 16:33 - “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!””
Clearly, Christ is not teaching “world peace”. He is portraying a world that would hate Christians and that His message would actually cause more world conflict. And has history not proven Him correct?
Peace with God through Christ
Now the message of the angels starts to becomes more clear. They were not proclaiming peace and goodwill or favor onto all humanity or the world in general, though certainly the invitation is open to the entire world. Another famous passage, John 3:16, makes this clear. But, while the invitation is universal, the acceptance is not.
The peace and goodwill promised by the angels was not specifically human to human. It was something entirely new, particularly for the Jews who were their initial audience. The angels were pronouncing that the newly birthed baby Jesus was going to usher in the new covenant, which is based on God's goodwill towards those who seek Him, and how it would bring permanent peace with God - not necessarily other humans. For many, those who accept this new covenant would actually become their enemies - particularly among the Jews.
This would have been a complete mindset change for these Jews. They only expected peace with God when they kept the Mosaic Law perfectly. And none of them did, so peace with God was an elusive objective. The idea it would come as a gift through Jesus Christ was a huge stumbling block for them. And still can be, even for non-Jews today. There were no greater enemies of Christ and His accolades than the Jewish scribes and Pharisees.
In Christ = Peace with God
As Christ said, those who were “in Me”; “Christ in you” and “you in Christ”; would have peace. Now, the way this should work is Christ’s peace within enables peace with other humans, particularly others who have Christ’s peace within. But, the fallen world still interferes, even with fellow believers. Yet, the promise of peace with God remains. It is as steadfast as any promise of God, backed up by His surety. No matter how other folks treat us - even or especially those in the church - God's promise of peace with Him holds fast.
Paul speaks of what the angels were proclaiming in the following passage:
Romans 5:1 - “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
This is the peace and goodwill the angels announced. Those who put their faith in Christ are the ones “on whom His favor rests”. We have been gifted His peace as a fruit of the Spirit in our hearts. Our minds may not always comprehend this truth, and certainly our emotions may not always reflect it, but it is as true as all of God's promises.
Peace with God starts Now
Certainly scripture speaks of a time when sin is no longer an influence and thus God's love reigns supreme for both the general creation and all humanity to enjoy it. This will truly be a time of world peace. But that is not now and that is not this earth. Scripture speaks of a new earth - a regenerated earth. Much like our own spirits are newly born - a new creation - the rest of creation will have a similar trajectory.
Yet, the peace the angels spoke of started the moment Christ died, was buried, and resurrected. It is a peace promised to God's children - His new creations in Christ. If that is you, then it is a peace that indwells your new heart. The gift package of a new spirit, fused and bonded with the Spirit of Christ, is the ultimate gift - including peace.
And that is peace you can experience here and now as you trust this promise. No matter what your mind tries to convince you of, no matter what your emotions struggle with, that promise of peace is a sure foundation we can point our minds at when everything else gets confusing. We can be sure of it.
So, don't let the world water down this angelic message by making it about “world peace”. Certainly, this will come with the new earth, but it will never come with the current one. Yet, peace with God is available for anyone who believes in the good news - the gospel.
And those of us who possess this promised gift of peace should rejoice and be glad. It is a gift beyond comparing. As we move into the New Year, enjoy this gift immensely. Love you all in Christ. Merry Christmas!