Think Wink.

Continuing in my series on different nuances to the meaning of the Greek word euaggelion in the New Testament, I turn to Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:15,

and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Here we see that the gospel, euaggelion, is explained as peace. The good news is peace. When I see this I think of peace in two ways: peace with God and the peace of God. I want to speak briefly about both.

First there is peace with God. Turn to Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Standing in the righteousness earned by Jesus’ life and death here on earth by faith, we are now at peace with God. This implies that before coming to faith in the work and obedience and death of Christ, we were not at peace with God. The context of Romans 5:6-10 underscores this,

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

We were at war with God, sinners who were his enemies under his wrath and condemnation. But Christ’s death did away with all of that. All of the sin that merited God’s wrath has been punished. We are now righteous and holy in the eyes of God. We have a righteousness that meets his requirement for entrance into his eternal kingdom. The war between man and God is over.

But this also extends into our relationships with man as well with God. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:11-22,

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Second is the peace of God. This refers to an inner peace that comes from knowing your eternal destiny and your standing before God. It comes with the hope of the Gospel, the guarantee of a future because of Christ’s death and resurrection. Paul says in Philippians 4:4-7,

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It is a peace that in no matter what circumstances God’s elect will encounter, there is a peace that comes from God that cannot be explained, only known, that guards the heart and mind from anxiety when the saint is on his face in prayer. That saint is reassured by what God has done for them on the cross that they will be okay in the end. Either they will meet their Lord in heaven or passages like Romans 8:26-39 will keep them until it is their time to meet Christ face-to-face. This peace is a steadfast assurance that only a prayerful believer can have in any circumstance.

Both the peace with God and the peace of God were bought on the cross by Christ and are essential to the gospel.

Related posts:

When I think of “euaggelion” or “gospel”…

Another look into euaggelion

The Grace of “euaggelion”