It wasn’t a gender reveal those shepherds were privy to on that dark night when angels appeared before them as the glory of the Lord shined bright about them; it was a birth announcement declaring that Christ the Savior had been born. And following that announcement, we read where a crescendo of voices arose praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will toward men!” (Luke 2:9-14)

This had been foretold hundreds of years previously as the Prophet Isaiah penned these words:

“For a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (9:6)

The One who would bear the title of ‘Prince of Peace’ would indeed usher in an era where all people of every tongue could experience the true peace that passes all understanding. Of the numerous things we are told that Jesus came to offer us, peace was one to be desired as it was so greatly needed.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I suppose it is an arguable point to ponder, but the case could be made that the best gifts to receive, at any time of the year, would be things that you truly need, vs. what you think you ‘want’.

Care to take a guess as to why Jesus came offering peace to us? And I should point out that the peace He came bringing was different than the ‘peace’ that the world has to offer...or so says Jesus – John 14:27.

God knew we needed it and needed it badly. His assessment of mankind was clear: “There is none righteous, no not one....there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside...the way of peace they have not known.” (Rom. 3:10-17)

I find it interesting that God was trying to convey to us something that so many people have still not come to realize...that there really is ...more.

I only bring this up because not only did Jesus distinguish a difference in the kinds of ‘peace’ we could experience, but the prophets of old warned about being deceived by the ‘wrong kind of peace’ as well. Among them was Jeremiah (23:16-16), Ezekiel (13:10), Moses (Deut. 29:19) and even Paul points out of a time coming when there would be a pseudo message of ‘peace’ being preached where those preaching it would be met with sudden destruction’. (1 Thess. 5:3)

Yet the mission of Jesus was clear...He came to “give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death...and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:79).

So how would you know? How can anyone know if the ‘peace’ they claim to have is that which Jesus brings or is it a ‘false peace’?

I would be the first to admit that is not my place to judge for anyone; that I am certain of. But I will offer this up for your consideration...people cannot continue to practice sin and at the same time experience the genuine peace of God. The word is quite clear on that subject. You might go read those verses again (Jer./Ezek./Deut.) and in their full context.

Plus, God Himself makes it clear that none of us had truly known the ‘way of peace’ that He desired for us to walk in. That is, until Jesus came. (Rom. 3:17; Isa. 59:7).

And here’s the reason why: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3:18; Ps. 36:1)

(Hopefully you read yesterday’s message)

Where there is an absence of the fear of God, then along with that will be an absence of peace. Yesterday I pointed out that verse in Acts 9:31 where the early churches were ‘walking in the fear of the Lord’ while also ‘having peace, edification and comfort’ as God was multiplying their numbers.

I would submit to you, as I did yesterday in part, that today there is a gross absence of the ‘fear of God’, not only in the world at large, but also in many of our churches. And the first and foremost reason is...we’ve not been ‘taught’ the ‘fear of God’.

Did you know that is something we need to be taught in order to learn? (Ps. 34:11). And there are some great promises that come with learning the ‘fear of the Lord’. Not only is it the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Prov. 1:7; 9:10), but we have the assurance that the ‘angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them’. (Ps. 34:7) as well as there is “no want to those who fear Him” – as in they lack for nothing. (Ps. 34:9)

I also have a pretty good hunch as to why we have failed to truly learn, understand, and appreciate the value (not to mention the importance) that comes with ‘fearing God’.

It would be because we’ve not been taught the ‘law’ of God.

I mean...when most people even hear ‘law’ mentioned....their first reaction is to think that is ‘so old testament’ while still acknowledging that the 10 Commandments are a ‘good thing’ to keep around. Or else they just quickly connect it to ‘rituals, blood sacrifices, and dietary restrictions’.

Hence... as happened to previous generations prior to us, and as repeated in the Bible over and over...the “law has been lost” to us today as well. And I would also submit to you that herein lies the reason so many of God’s people continue to be ‘destroyed for a lack of knowledge’. (Hosea 4:6)

If you try to bring up the topic of the law to most professing Christians today, even reminding them that Jesus affirmed that He did not come to abolish or do away with the law, (Matt. 5:17) they are quick to remind you that “Jesus fulfilled the Law’ as if that clears us of having to give it a second thought. Or else they are quick to quote Romans 6:14 making it known that ‘we are not under the law but under grace’. The only problem with that is being able to distinguish who ‘we’ actually includes; especially in light of reading Galatians 5:18 alongside that.

But our failure to not fully understand the relevance of the law today has hindered us from having a firm understanding as to what ‘sin’ actually is...which is ‘breaking the law’. (1 John 3:4).

When we fail to understand what sin is, and the consequences that come with breaking God’s laws, (cause and effect perhaps?), then we struggle to make that connection between sin and wrath and judgments because that is what happens when the law is broken. (John 5:14).

So if all those dots remain scattered and disconnected, then it goes without saying that we’d be clueless in knowing what it means to ‘fear God’ if we don’t understand the cause and effect’ that scripture clearly lays out for all of us to see and understand. (Eph. 5:6; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 4:15)

And if there is no ‘fear of God’, then there can be no knowledge of God, or ‘skewed’ at best. Hence, Hosea’s well known quote as to why God’s people continue to be ...destroyed.

Why do I keep going back to this? Because we have been taught the traditions of men...and have done just like they did when Jesus confronted the religious system of His day...we have ‘laid aside the commandments of God and taught in place, the traditions of men’. (Mark 7:8-13)

So where there is no ‘fear of God’...then there can be no true ‘peace of God’. (Rom. 3:17-18)

I am convinced beyond a shadow of doubt, based upon all I have learned these past 3+ years from my studies in the Word...that if we truly understood the law and its relevancy today for all of us...that we would then experience a genuine and healthy fear of God...that in turn would produce a genuine and true ‘repentance’. And as we have discussed previously, repentance is turning from...and turning to...Jesus...with all our hearts. This...is the beginning of salvation and when we come to Him with all our hearts...we enter in to this place of abiding that I would suggest many have failed to experience. And it is in this place of abiding that we come to know that true peace of God that passes all understanding.

Friends...we have to be willing to admit that maybe we ‘missed a few chapters’ early on that might fill in a few blanks for us all. That is what the majority of these 800+ postings God has compelled me to write and share have been about. Trust me....I am not the ‘brightest bulb in the lamp’ and I have much to learn still. But allow me to share a quote from the wisest man who we are told ever lived...and his name was Solomon. After all his years of living and acquiring and accumulating and building...at the end of his life he said this:

“Here is the conclusion of all things....Fear God...and keep His commandments. (Ecc. 12:13)