Peace is one of the greatest promises that Jesus has given to those who trust in Him and His grace. Jesus said in St. John 14:25-27, "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Jesus repeatedly encouraged His followers not to be frightened when terrible disasters occur on this earth. In Luke 21:28, speaking of the terrible environmental upheavals that will occur just prior to His second coming, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." He continues this assurance in verse 36, "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Jesus' primary message throughout His earthly ministry was one of assurance, Divine love, deliverance, healing, protection and peace. At no time did Jesus preach a message of fear to His followers. Jesus said in Luke 12:31, 32, "...seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

The apostles continued the exhortation to the Christian believers to have confidence, faith and trust in God to protect us and to keep us in times of trouble. We are encouraged to live in a spirit and peace. I John 4:17-19 states, "Love has been perfected among us in this; that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us." Paul encouraged the believers in 2 Timothy 1:7, "...God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Psalm 119:165 assures, "Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble." Isaiah 26:3,4 continues, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord is everlasting in strength."

Speaking of God's reign Isaiah states in Isaiah 32:17-19 "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever, My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places, though hail comes down on the forest, and the city is brought low in humiliation."

The well beloved 23rd Psalm addresses the concept of peace for those whose trust and confidence is in the Lord God:

Even as David was composing that Psalm his enemies were surrounding him and his life was in constant danger from those who had sworn to kill him. It was only through the hand of protection from God that David was enabled to survive throughout those turbulent year. Nevertheless, through all of the trials he had to endure David was confident of God's love and protection and he was able to sing about the peace that confidence in the Lord God brings.

David exuberantly declared his faith in God in Psalm 27, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up ;my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock...."

David repeated these concepts in Psalm 3:6-8 while he was fleeing for his life once again, this time from the hand of his own son Absolom who was attempting to take his life and wrest the kingdom from David's hand, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For you have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people." Here David was expressing his confidence that the Lord would rescue him once again from the hand of his enemies even has God consistently had done throughout all of the days of his life whenever David called out for God's help. David had learned early in life that he could live in peace with the assurance that God would see him through all of his problems, irrespective of the apparent hopelessness of his situation. As David confidently exclaimed before going out to fight for Israel against the giant Goliath, I Samuel 17:36,37, "Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.

Moreover David said, 'The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear; He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.'" David confidently could make these statements because he had learned to live within the peace of God despite the problems he was facing. David knew that victory did not depend upon his own human ability but that victory came from the hand of the Lord who would intervene at the request of those who had their confidence and trust in Him. As we all know, God gave David a fantastic victory over Goliath whom David slew first by knocking him unconscious with a river stone thrown with his shepherd's sling followed by David's beheading of Goliath with the fallen Goliath's own sword.

The ultimate expression of confidence in the protection of the Lord for His children is given in Psalm 91, and this psalm over and over again has been proven to be true for those who believe explicitly in its promises.

Paul went so far as to say in Romans 14:23 that "...whatever is not from faith is sin." We are commanded at all times to live in the peace and faith of God. Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4 when he said in Romans 1:16, 17, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'the just shall live by faith'".

Paul listed the attributes of the Christian believer who was filled with the Holy Spirit of God and who had submitted his will to the will of the Father God in Galations 5:22-25, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. and those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

It is impossible for humans who are trusting in their own ability to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit as just listed. The non-Christian has no assurance that everything that happens to him ultimately will turn out for good. The non-Christian must himself try to manipulate people and circumstances if good results are to be expected. The Christian believer has been taught that God is in control in the final analysis and that nothing can happen to the believer that God does not allow. Christians also have been promised in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." If we are living in complete assurance that God is causing everything that happens to us to result in good for us it is possible to exhibit the peace, love, joy, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that Christians are commanded to exhibit. It becomes possible for the Christian believer to relax in his confidence that God truly is his father who is controlling the universe for the good of His children. We can relax, have confidence and trust in God and allow the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

It is the duty of the Holy Spirit to reveal to us when we are acting in an ungodly fashion which means that the fruit of the Spirit is not being manifested in our lives. Jesus said in St. John 16:8 that the Comforter, or the Holy Spirit "... will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment:..." Through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit the works of the flesh which lead to eternal death are eradicated from our lives and the fruit of the Spirit substituted in our attitudes and actions.

God has promised us repeatedly throughout the Old and New Testaments that He will provide for us and protect us from our enemies. He further has given example after example throughout the Bible of His Divine provision of protection deliverance and guidance to those who trust in Him. Additionally He has given us the final assurance that our souls themselves are protected and in His care through our trust in His only Son The Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus loved us and gave Himself for our eternal salvation when He submitted to the will of the Father in becoming the Lamb of God Who was sacrificed on the Cross of Calvary for the sins of any person who will trust in Jesus.