(Audio)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Jesus gives us his peace. We have it. It is within us along with the other fruits of the Holy Spirit who is given to us a baptism.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us but we must choose to use them. We are given love but we must act with love. We are given joy but we must choose to rejoice. We are given peace, but we can still allow our hearts to be troubled or afraid if we neglect it. This means that to experience peace we must begin with the renewal of our minds.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (see Romans 12:2)
Getting our minds renewed is the step we are supposed to do immediately after putting off our old self which belongs to our former manner of life. In order to put on the new self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness we must be renewed in the spirit of our minds (see Ephesians 4:22-24).
What does the renewal of our minds look like practically? It means setting our minds and keeping them set (see Colossians 3:2). It means a persistent behavior on which we don't give up when we encounter setbacks. It means that with time and effort, by the power of grace, we begin to think the thoughts we choose rather than whichever ones the enemy suggests to us.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (see Second Corinthians 10:5).
Of course thinking on purpose sounds difficult or perhaps impossible. And it is not the case that we will ever be free from thoughts that tempt us to believe something other than what God reveals. But we can come to a place where such thoughts are no longer able to deeply impact us.
I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Jesus closely connects the Spirit's ministry in keeping us grounded in the truth and his gift of peace. The Spirit reminds us that Jesus has the victory and that all the things which cause suffering, fear, and anxiety, have ultimately been defeated. We can stand on these beliefs through his power if we choose.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit (see Galatians 5:25).
The connection between truth and peace is why the Church has always been so concerned about preserving and teaching the truth.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind
In response to complexity and doubt the Church and the Holy Spirit cut through the complexity so that the people of Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin can again regain their peace.
I saw no temple in the city
for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gave it light,
and its lamp was the Lamb.
God is making all things new. John already beholds the new heaven and the new earth. He sees the new Jerusalem even now coming from heaven to earth. The Holy Spirit is the one who teaches him this joyful reality when he, exiled on Patmos, would have every reason to despair. It is a revelation he experiences in the Spirit on the LORD's day. That can be today for us as well.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
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