Page 1524 - 1970S

come ro ch is war-rorn earrh. Ir alone

reveals how che

nat11re

of man, so–

ciery, and che Devi l have combincd

ro prevenr peace. Bu r ir also reveals

jusr how rhese causes can be con–

rroJJed and alrered God's way

co

usher

in peace ar every leve!.

According ro rhe Bible. man could

have had peace all along if he had just

mee rhe following three condirions –

che causes of peace.

One: A Law of Peace

Adherence

ro

an absolute standard

or law is che firsr cause of peace. Thar

Law, referred ro in rhe BjbJe as God's

Law, rhe Law of liberry (James

1:25;

2:10-12),

produces peace as rhe auro–

maric resulr or effecr of obedience.

Men have ncver followed rhar way.

They call ir a yoke of bondage.

Ther~

fore, rhey have never had peace. lt's

just

rhar simple.

Ler me cite a few examples of how

God's Law operares.

How could nations, on an incer–

narional leve!, conrinue ro fighr and

kili if forced ro obey che one simple

injuncrion "Thou shal t nor kill"?

(Exodus 20 :13.) Jusr rrunk of che

coundess mi llions of lives rhar wou ld

have been spared by uncondirional

obedience ro four simple words.

Obedience ro God's standard guar–

anrees peace and rranquiliry on che

domestic sccne. Norice Leviricus

26:6:

"And 1 will give you

peace

in

rhe land, and ye shall líe down, and

none shall make you afraid...." No–

rice rhar rhe promise is condicional -

obedience muse come firsr (verse 3).

Peace berwccn neighbors? Whar

abour rhe second grear command–

menr: "Tbou shalr !ove rhy neighbor

as rhyself'? (Marrhew

22:39.)

Peace in che family? Tbree of che

Ten Commandmenrs are designed ro

di recrly prorecr che sancrity of

marriage and homc (Exodus

20:12,

14,

17).

God's Law is che only way ro peacc

of mi nd. Those who are careful ro

cominuously walk clown, or follow,

rhe parhwa)'S of rhar Law find peace

ar every rurn (Provcrbs

3:7).

Those

12

who live and obcy God's Law cxperi–

ence g rca t pe-.tcc of mind as a way of

Ji fe (Psalm

1 19: 165).

On che orhcr hand, rhosc who

refuse or neglecr ro obey ir, find peacc

of mind an impossibiliry (lsaiah

57:21).

The facr remains, unless and unri l

we ger into harmony wirb God's

Law, we will ncver have peace. Buc

there musr be more.

Two: A Mind of Peace

The prcccprs and principles of

God's Law srand as lirrle more rhan

empry, meani nglcss words on che

pages of che Bible unless acruarcd by

a frame of mind or arrirude rhac <..'ar–

nesdy desires

ro

pur God's Law inco

pracrice. The Bible refers ro this kind

of mind as a mind guided by and im–

bued with che Spirit of God, rhc

Spirit of peace.

If aH men in all narions were im–

bued wirh che power of chis Spirir,

rhey would be capable of conrrolling

che innace drives and lusrs rhar líe ar

che roor cause of war (James

4:1).

Similarly, if mcn wichin individual

socieries were morivared by rhis grear

gifr, che same peace would ensue on a

domesric scale.

The human emorions produced by

God's Spirir in a man's life are con–

cern, kindness, consideration, a dcsirc

ro con tribute co rhe wel fare of orhers

- and

PEACI!

(Galat ians

5:22-23).

By

having God's Spiri r. a man is ablc

ro

live genuinely and sincerely at peace

wirh bis neighbor, his family. and

bimself.

Obeying God's Law rhrough che

Spirit o f God cnablcs a man ro resise

che causes which prevenr peace in his

own life. And yer, for che dream of

"peace on earrh" ro beco

me

a realiry

on a worldwidc scale, a rbird condi–

rion musr be mer.

Three: A Government of

Pea

ce

Thar requircmcnr involves ack–

nowledging

God's government ofpeace.

The Biblc revcals rhar in just a few

shorc yea rs, jusc before mankind is

abour

ro

anni hilare himself, God is

going

to

supcrnarurally inrcrvcnc

ro

prevenc such insaniry and fina lly

es–

cablish His governmenr on this earrh

as che ultimare solurion ro peace

(Revelarion

ll :15 ).

lt

will be che

greatest act o(peace in history•.'

Ar tbar

ti

me, when J esus Chrisc rhc

Messiah - che "Prince of Peace"

(Isaiah 9:6) - rerurns ro rhis war–

wrackcd earrh, rhe horrendous cyclc

of war after war afrer war will ac lasr

be brokcn, never ro resume again

1

Nations will be forced ro bear bay–

oners. ranks, guns - even spcars -

inro tractors, plowshares, pruning

hooks, and orher useful farming im–

plemenrs (lsaiah

2:4).

God's governmenr will ushcr in

domesric p<:ace

within

as wcll as

among nations. People living in so·

ciery will dwell rogerher harmo–

niously or facc painful, yer loving,

correcrion (Revelarion

2:27).

Men, who narurally !ove rhcm–

selves an awful loe, will srrive

ro

!ove

rheir neighbors jusr as much as rhcm–

selvcs (Marrhew

22:39).

Governmcnr–