Gospel: What is the gospel of peace?
It should not surprise any of us that there’s a lot of confusion concerning what is meant by the word gospel. The word itself simply means good news. In the “New Testament” portion of your Bible it comes from the Greek word EUANGELION which is a compound word with EU meaning good and ANGELION meaning message or news. What can add to the confusion is when you find that the apostle Paul quotes from the word’s usage in the “Old Testament.”
Isaiah 52:7
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! [Emphasis added]
This verse is referring to God’s blessing of Israel in the coming Millennial Kingdom. But Paul quotes from this verse in his writings and uses the term to refer to the Body of Christ. So, the term is used interchangeably in the Bible for two different groups of people. The apostle Paul took the term and gave it a meaning that relates to us today. He incorporated it into his comments about how believers today, those who are fully reconciled to God by their acceptance of Christ’s work in His death, burial, and resurrection should see this as a truth that serves to protect us from Satan in his work today.
Ephesians 6:13-15
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of PEACE [EIRENE = peace]; [Emphasis added]
This “peace” we have comes as one of the blessings we have from salvation.
Romans 5:9-11
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [KATALLAGE = reconciliation, not atonement]. [Emphasis added]
At the cross of Christ, He performed a work of reconciliation to offer “peace” to and with man. But that’s what is sometime rightly spoken of as only one side of reconciliation. For there to be complete or two-way reconciliation there must be a response of faith coming from us. That demands our acceptance of what God has done through Christ. We have then “received” this work of reconciliation that then results in our salvation. Some have even called this making their “peace with God.” For more information about what all the Bible tells us about reconciliation, please see my articles about it. Here are the links to them.
Reconciliation: What does it mean to BE reconciled?
Reconciliation: What is universal reconciliation?
As unbelievers we were God’s enemies but now, we have peace with Him because of our salvation.
Romans 5:1
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: [Emphasis added]
Until this happens a person can have a restless life producing a lot of self-induced misery. It is self-induced misery only because the person of their own volition stubbornly refuses to accept God’s provision for their salvation and His authority over them. It is because of this that the gospel they refuse to accept is called “the gospel of peace.” Only when they accept it will they get to enjoy this fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. [Emphasis added]
This is a part of why we speak of how one’s salvation can be the beginning of such a complete transformation.
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [Emphasis added]
This peace of mind all begins the moment a person stops resisting God and accepts the provision He’s made for his salvation—
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]
By accepting this work He’s done, anyone can have this peace He offers. This can begin with you right now, if it hasn’t already. This is definitely the best offer you’ll ever receive from anyone in this life here on Earth. There’s no peace of mind that surpasses that which you’ll have when you know for sure where you’ll be when your life here on Earth is over.
