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THE GOD OF PEACE

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THE GOD OF PEACE

“Everyone has heard about your obedience. So I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

“Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.

“I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

“Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus, send you their greetings. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”  Romans 16:19-24.

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” That doesn’t sound very peaceful, does it? It sounds rather ruthless but let’s look at the statement from God’s perspective.

Satan was first of all a traitor. He took what God gave him, beauty, perfection, power and the highest office in heaven and turned it against Him. Then he stole the allegiance of one third of God’s angelic creation. Then, not satisfied with that, he deceived Eve and turned Adam, and through him, the whole human race, against Him because he deceived them into believing that he was Lord. The whole of creation was corrupted because of him, became chaotic and the very image of God was distorted in man and the universe. 

As if that were not enough, Satan turned God’s own people,Israel, against Him. They rejected Him and nailed Him to a cross, causing Him the most horrendous suffering any human being could ever endure. They mocked, insulted, humiliated and killed Him and then turned on His followers in the name of God! At the very time that Paul wrote this letter, the followers of Jesus were being persecuted by Jews and at the hands of the madman, Nero. Soon enough, Paul himself would be one of his victims. 

And yet Paul could confidently write, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

What made him so confident? The resurrection! Satan had dished up the worst he could offer; Jesus took it on the chin and walked away, the victor. The enemy, vanquished by the Son of God, was counted out. Finished! Defeated! Overthrown! All that was left to do was the mopping up – collect the spoils of war – the sons and daughters of God who were waiting to be released from prison.

Satan is still around, though, waiting for his final judgment and going around with his lies, deceiving those who still believe he is in charge, masquerading as Lord when God has declared Jesus to be Lord and given Him the name above every other name.

However, for those who believe it, the truth is out. The devil has been unmasked, defeated and stripped of his weapons – the lies he has been propagating all over the world. Contrary to what he wants people to believe, he is not in charge. God is – and Jesus made that very clear to him in the wilderness.

“It is written…”How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” Isaiah 52:7.

There will only ever be true peace when Satan has been crushed and dispatched forever but, in the meantime, it’s our job to live out and proclaim God’s rule because it is our confidence that God reigns, despite our circumstances, that “crushes” Satan under our feet. As long as we have niggling doubt about who is in charge, the devil will continue to have a field day with us and the world will not be convinced that Jesus is Lord.

“Our God reigns!”

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Did God Mess Up?

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DID GOD MESS UP?

“But Agrippa did answer: ‘Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!’

“Paul, still in chains, said, ‘That’s what I’m praying for, whether now or later, and not only you but everyone listening today, to become like me — except, of course, for this prison jewellery!’

“The king and the governor, along with Bernice and their advisors, got up and went into the next room to talk over what they had heard. They quickly agreed on Paul’s innocence, saying, ‘There’s nothing in this man deserving prison, let alone death.’

“Agrippa told Festus, ‘He could be set free right now if he hadn’t requested a hearing before Caesar.'” Acts 26:28-32 (The Message).

What frustration! Why did Paul have to go and appeal for a hearing before Caesar? He could have walked out of there that day a free man. He was jumping from the frying pan into the fire! Caesar meant Nero! Nero meant God-hater, crazy, bully, murderer! What justice would he receive from him, especially when there was no legitimate charge against him?

Had God made a mistake this time? The timing of Agrippa’s visit could have been changed. Why did he not visit during Felix’s governorship and hear Paul’s case then? If only! If only! It sounds so familiar, doesn’t it? Do we not react like that when we land up in a frustrating situation that could have been so different if only…

It all depends on whose viewpoint we take. God said to Paul, ‘Rome!’ Because it was part of his package Paul said, ‘Yes, Lord!’ This was no surprise to him. The fact that he was declared innocent after his appeal did not frustrate him like it is frustrating us. No, He didn’t mess up. God’s plan was right on track — Rome at Rome’s expense because God wanted Paul to stand before Nero.

But why Nero? God knew very well that Nero would never respond positively to Paul’s message. In fact, He knew that Nero would condemn Paul to death! He should have sent Paul scurrying in the other direction, as far from Nero as he could possibly get. But that is not God’s way. He was not out to save Paul’s bacon. Nero had to be given the opportunity to make his choice, just as Felix, Festus and Agrippa and all the august assembly that heard Paul that day.

This is the mystery of God’s ways. Although he did not know it, in Paul’s package was a violent death at the hands of a cruel and unscrupulous king. But in the mercy of God, He had to give Nero an opportunity to hear the truth about Jesus and make a decision which would affect his eternal destiny and Paul was the one He chose to do it.

As far as Paul was concerned, he had accepted without reservation his package for life, no matter what it held for him. He died on the day he met Jesus. His life was no longer his to control. He belonged to Another and he was at His beck and call to carry out His command.

Think of the benefits to every succeeding generation of Paul’s incarceration in Caesar’s palace in Rome. How many letters did Paul write from his prison cell, chained day and night to a Roman guard? What treasures of truth he learned in those lonely and uncomfortable days and nights which he generously imparted to the many believers he had left behind on his travels in Europe and Asia! How much poorer would we be without Paul’s experience and wisdom to which we have access two thousand years later!

Did God mess up? Definitely not! He knew what He was doing when Paul could have been set free but was sent to Rome to face Nero!