I pray for grace from our God
every time I stand to preach that I might be enabled of God
to preach with feeling, passionately preaching the message
that I'm delivering. I don't want ever to just stand
here and lecture you about religion or doctrine or even about scripture
and the truth of scripture. but rather to speak from God's
heart, from my heart to your heart, according to his word. And I've been trying to preach
this message to you since Sunday night a week ago, and God has
wisely prevented me from doing so. First with the weather a
week ago, Sunday, then sickness I had this past weekend, couldn't
do so. And God always has a good reason
for the things he does, whether we see it or not. And we see
only a little bit when we do see, but he has a good reason
for it. I needed to experience freshly
and to experience more fully what I'm gonna preach to you
tonight. I'm gonna preach to you, if God'll enable me, on
the subject, perfect peace. The text is found in Isaiah chapter
26. Isaiah 26, perfect peace. Perfect peace. How on earth do
you talk about perfect peace? When I stood up to preach in
Lexington Saturday night, I was saddened and disappointed not
to see Doug, Faith, and our grandchildren there and had no idea why they
weren't there. I expected them to be there.
And after service, found out that Faith that afternoon had
been taken to the emergency room and things didn't look at all
favorable. She insisted that Doug not let
us know until after I got done preaching on Saturday night,
but we stopped by the emergency room. and Faith had what appeared
to look like she'd had a stroke. She had some, her eyes droopy,
and one of her eyes droopy, and she, her vision was greatly impaired
for a while, and as it turned out, things, apparently was just
the result of a migraine headache, and that's bad enough, but as
I sat there helplessly, as many of you have, anticipating the
worst as we tend to do, I had this message on my mind and
thought to myself, how on this earth am I gonna deal with this
subject? Perfect peace. When I couldn't
even turn and look at my wife and talk about what was going
on. peace. What on this earth is
this talking about? Isaiah 23 or 26 verse 3, this
is what God says in His Word. This is true. This is fact. thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in
thee. Now we had before us in this
26th chapter of Isaiah's gospel, a picture of God's church. By
the word church, I mean the body of God's elect, all the redeemed,
All who are saved by God's grace, the family of God, the city of
God, the Israel of God, this is the church of God. It is pictured
as a secure, well-fortified city in the midst of hostile enemies,
enemies bent upon our destruction. Her enemies are many, they are
mighty, and they are malicious. enemies from without and enemies
from within. But they can do us no harm. They can do us no harm. Why? The city of God, the city
of life, the church of God is an impregnable city. No matter
who or how she is assaulted, it is an impregnable city. I
remind you, we're talking about God's church. It is a city enclosed
and defended by God's salvation. The person who has come into
fellowship with the triune God by the blood and righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the saving operations of God
the Holy Ghost, creating faith in Christ in us, causing us to
believe on his son, that person has come into a place of perfect
safety. He dwells forever in the city
of God, where there is no possibility of danger. no possibility of
injury of any kind from any quarter. Look at verse one. In that day,
this song shall be sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong
city. Salvation will God appoint for
walls and bulwarks. Salvation's walls are the high
and lofty works of God in heaven. God's covenant, God's decrees,
God's purposes, God's acceptance of Christ as our mediator, our
surety and our redeemer. His acceptance of us in Christ
the beloved before the world began and our Lord's constant
intercession at the throne of God almighty. The bulwarks of
salvation. are the mighty unalterable works
of God in the earth. Redemption, regeneration, providence. God's works in the earth, things
he performs in time for his people, redemption by the blood of Christ,
regeneration by the power and grace of his spirit, and providence,
all the affairs of time. all the affairs of the world,
everything, the work of our God, working all things together for
good to his elect, to them who love God, to them who are thee
called according to his purpose. In preaching the gospel, we carry
the message of God's free grace in Christ to centers around the
world, and we throw wide open the gates of the city and say
to centers everywhere, enter ye in. God commands us to do
so, and we delight to do so. We proclaim the gospel everywhere,
throwing wide the gates, saying, come to the Savior. Come to God
by faith in Christ Jesus. Enter into God's salvation, into
this city of God, the church of the living God, where there
is safety always from all danger. To all who trust Christ, God
gives this infallible promise of sure, eternal security. Thou will keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in
thee. I love those words of unconditional
grace. Thou wilt We who are gods are
kept in faith and kept in grace forever. I know that whatever
God does, he does it forever. No man can put anything to it,
and no man can take anything from it, and God does it that
men should know He's God, that men should fear before Him. Our
Savior said, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall
never perish. And I am confident of you who
are God's. He which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. We're
not kept by the power of our works, but by God's work. We're not even kept by our faith. Rather, we are kept in faith
and kept through faith by the power of God and the grace of
God. One delightful result of salvation
and security, as it's here spoken of, is what God promises here,
perfect peace. I really don't know how to approach
my subject very well. I've been working on it again
all day today, but I'm going to give you my message by raising
and answering four simple questions. First, what is this perfect peace? I'm very curious about that.
What is this perfect peace? What is this perfect peace? And
then I'll try to answer the question, who can give this perfect peace?
And then third, who shall obtain this perfect peace? And finally,
what's the connection between this perfect peace and faith? All right, here's the first question.
And this is the most important. What is this perfect peace? If the peace of God passeth understanding,
it certainly passeth explanation. When our text speaks of perfect
peace, the words might better be translated peace, peace. The
two words perfect and peace in the original text are the same,
peace, peace. When he says God will give us
perfect peace, he's telling us that the peace God gives is real. It's true peace. It's not an
imaginary peace. It's not a dream. It's not just
something we wish we had. It's not peace without fear. It's not peace without disturbance.
But still, it is real, sure, secure peace. Perfect peace,
peace upon peace. Those words are intended to express
peace in an emphatic way. Certain peace, real peace, increasing
peace, extensive peace, everlasting peace. Again, I know I can't
define this peace or explain it to you. The best I can do
is describe it. Turn over to chapter 40 for just
a second, Isaiah chapter 40. The peace Isaiah here speaks
of certainly means the absence of war and danger. It certainly
means that much. But the promise is not talking
about carnal peace, but spiritual peace. It's not talking about
political or civil peace, but rather it's talking about spiritual
peace. It's altogether about spiritual things. And this is
what Isaiah commands us to proclaim. This is God's word of instruction
to every preacher, everywhere, all the time. Comfort ye, comfort
ye my people. That's the business of the preacher.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably
to Jerusalem. Cry unto her that her warfare
is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received
of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. So first I remind
you, children of God, that though there was a time when God himself
appeared to be at war against us, as soon as a sinner trusts
Christ, his warfare is over. The danger of war is gone forever. Therefore, we have peace, real
peace, peace with God. Look upward. There's no sword of justice against
you. No angry God looking down upon
you. Look downward. For the believer,
there's no condemnation, no death, no judgment, no second death. Look behind you, look backward.
All your sins are blotted out forever. Forgiven freely, taken
away, remembered by God against you, no more again forever. Looking forward, there shall
no evil befall thee. Look around you. All things work
together for your good. Look out of yourself. God has
made, now listen to me, I'm not just talking, I'm telling you
what God says. God has made the very beast of
the field, all the stones of the earth, the trees of the forest
and even your enemies to be at peace with you." What an astounding
statement. That's what we read in Hosea
chapter 2, even my enemies at peace with me, men who hate me
and would love to dismember my body, at peace with me. That
doesn't mean that they are peaceable toward me. That means they can
do nothing to harm me. He makes the beast of the field,
the stones in the yard, the trees in the forest, and even your
enemies to be at peace with you and look inward. God has set
up his guard in your heart, a sentinel. His name is peace, the peace
of God that passeth understanding. What a statement. Read it again. Turn to Philippians chapter four.
Philippians chapter four. I know you can quote the verse,
at least the verses, at least in part. Let's read it together.
Philippians 4, verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord always, no matter how much you hurt,
no matter how painful your circumstances are. It doesn't say rejoice in
your circumstances. It doesn't say rejoice in the
things you're experiencing. It doesn't say rejoice in the
tears or rejoice in the heartache. Rejoice in the Lord, His person,
His work. Rejoice in Him, always. Again, I say rejoice. Let your
moderation, your gentleness, Your gentleness. Oh God, give
me grace in every experience of your providence to remain
gentle before you. Your ease of thought, of mind,
of conduct, your ease of heart be known unto all men. The Lord's
at hand. Be careful for nothing. But in
everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request
be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep. The word is guard. Stand as a
sentinel. Shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. Rejoice in the Lord. Give thanks
to him. Call on his name. Be easy now. Be easy now. God has set a guard in your heart
and about your heart. It's called the peace of God. If we are believers, we only fail to enjoy this peace
by blame to be laid on us. We make ourselves restless by
our unbelief. God forgive me for my unbelief. We make ourselves restless only
by our unbelief. God promises peace upon peace
to those who believe on the Lord Jesus. This perfect peace reigns
over all things within the circle of our lives. Not only is it
impossible for any enemy to come near us, but our God assures
us that the affairs of our lives, all the affairs of our lives,
are absolutely ruled by him for our good. If we had any cause
for restlessness, it could not be said that we're kept in perfect
peace. No cause to ever be uneasy. I know that falls almost on deaf
ears or either on ears that we just pretend it's different with
us. But we have no cause ever to
be uneasy. Perfect peace implies that nothing
should disturb our souls. Just listen to some scripture.
This is what God says. No weapon that is formed against
thee shall prosper. Every tongue that shall rise
against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage
of the servants of the Lord. Our sins are forgiven once for
all, never to be charged to us again. Christ has taken possession
of us, never to lose us. Our Heavenly Father rules the
universe, never neglecting us. With as much personal care for
each of his own as if there was nothing for him to care for except
you. All the time. The very hairs
of your head have all been numbered. There's nothing that we cannot
safely commit to him. our sins, our families, our affairs,
our lives. Perfect peace means a peace that
is well-founded. Not just a peace that is graciously
given, but a peace that is well-founded. A peace God has no reason not
to give. A peace that God gives because
it's right for Him to give it to us. Our peace is as much a
matter of justice as it is of grace. He that spared not His
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also
with Him freely give us all things? That's His grace. But the next
word is, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. The peace that God gives is a
just peace, as well as a gracious peace. It's right for God to
give us peace. It's right for God to keep us
in peace. Peace in a city implies agreement,
unity, fellowship. The church of God is a city of
peace. In God's church, in the family
of God, in the house of God, everyone is at peace with God
the governor. You are, and I am, if we're His. We are not only comfortable,
but happy for God to rule. We're not only satisfied that
God's keen, that God's sovereign, that everything is of Him, through
Him and to Him, we want it that way. Our hearts are at peace
with God. And in God's family, all the
family is at peace with one another. The peace that God gives is rest
in the soul. David chides himself three times
in the Psalms. Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? Why art thou disquieted in me?
Hope thou in God, hope thou in God. Be still, my soul, and be
confident in God. David made this statement. I
have had reason to repeat it many times through the day. What time I'm afraid, I will
trust in thee. Those two things can't exist
in the same place. Oh yes, they can. What time I'm
afraid, I will trust in thee. You who are parents, have all
experienced exactly what David's saying in your children, something
startles them, something frightens them. and they run to you, jump
in your arms, or wrap their arms around your leg and just squeeze
as tight as they can. And with their chest against
your thigh, you can feel their hearts beating with anxiety,
beating with fear. But as they grab your thigh and
squeeze as tight as they can, you know also that that fearful
child is trusting you. David said, what time I'm afraid,
I will trust in thee. cast upon the bed, finds rest
for every limb. So the soul stretches itself
upon Christ and finds rest for every faculty. My heart rests
in God's love, His everlasting, distinguishing love. My judgment
rests in His wisdom. My desire rests in His goodness.
my hope in his word, and my expectation in his promises. And yet, while
I trust in him, I am often fearful. Peace is resignation to the will
of God, confidence in the goodness of God, and contentment with
the providence of God. Being kept in peace means that
we're kept from despondency. That's the
fruit of unbelief. Peace is the fruit of faith.
We have an anchor for our souls, sure and steadfast, but our anchor
is within the veil. It's not in ourselves. Our anchor
is not in our circumstances. Our anchor is in Christ Jesus,
the Lord, the rock of our refuge, the rock of our salvation. to
be kept in peace is also to be kept from rashness. Rashness
commonly rules our minds and our thoughts when we suddenly
experience things that are out of order. I hope she will forgive
me for using her for an illustration. Many, many years ago, our little
girl was just a little tyke, and I took possession of a German
shepherd pup. As the German Shepherd turned
out, she was the naturally smartest dog I ever owned. He was just
an unusually smart dog. Got to be a very, very much a
part of our household. Kept her for many, many years.
But when she was a pup, we didn't have a fenced in yard or anything,
and couldn't afford to put up a fence, but I put her on a long
chain, about 20 feet long. And one day when Faith was just
a little tight, oh, maybe three or four years old, I looked out
in the yard, Shelby was in the garden, for some reason I'd gone
in the kitchen from my study to get a drink of water or something,
and I saw that dog, Faith was up there next to the dog pen,
and the chain was wrapped around her neck. And about the time
I saw it, Shelby did, and Shelby, being mama, screamed. I'm sure
she remembers it. That's about the worst thing
you can do when a dog got chained wrapped around your baby's neck.
And I was close enough to stop the dog before anything happened,
because I realized what was happening. I just realized what was happening.
Peace gives us wisdom. We tend to act rashly. We tend
to speak rashly. We tend to do things by the spur
of the moment feelings. God keeps us in peace and he
teaches us peace that we may learn to wait on him and be of
good courage. David said, because of his strength
will I wait upon thee for God is my defense. You see, my strength
is weakness, and yours is weakness. My wisdom is ignorance, and yours
is ignorance. But his strength, his strength
is omnipotence. His wisdom, his wisdom is omniscience. The omniscience of goodness. The omniscience of grace. The
omniscience of God. Now here's the second thing.
who can give us this peace? Oh, Brother Don, if I could just
get some peace. Let me tell you where you can't
get it. You can't get it from any philosophy, and you can't
get it from any psychologist or any psychiatrist, and you
can't get it from any preacher, and you can't get it from any
pill. You can't get it from the church, you can't get it from
a therapist, but you can get it from God. Thou will keep him
in perfect peace. I can't tell you how many times
I have taken one of you in my arms and tried to give you peace
in the midst of difficulty with my sense of utter helplessness. I can't do it. I just spoke to
Brother Darwin today and expressed those very words to him. It's
of some consolation I know to know that people care. but you
can't convey peace. You can't do it, not with anyone,
not even for yourself. And yet it can be had and had
very easily by simply putting yourself in God's hands. Striving for peace is tough work. We can never attain peace by
work. or even by inward strength or
mustering something within ourselves, but only by trusting the Lord
Jesus. God gives us peace as God the
Holy Ghost works faith in us. And he does that by the special
application of his word, by the sweet experience of his providence,
by the gracious revelation of his son, He does that his way. When Jonah needs a whale, God
provides a whale for his Jonas. When Joseph needs a Pharaoh,
God provides a Pharaoh for his Joseph. Peace is God's gracious
gift to faith. That is to say, God gives us
faith, and as he gives us faith in his son, he gives us peace. By faith, we have peace with
God. Peace is not produced by faith. By faith, we take hold of peace
and enjoy peace. Like Job, we obtain peace from
God when at last we're brought to our knees before God, trusting
Christ. How sweet the words then. Let
us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Here's
my third question. Who shall obtain this peace?
Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on
thee. The mind here doesn't merely
refer to your brain, to your intellect, but to your whole
inner being. If I am stayed upon Jehovah,
I have peace. If I am straying from Jehovah,
I'm wandering into misery. Let all my thoughts be stayed
upon my God. Oh God, teach me never to think
of anything without thinking of Christ. You, myself, my sin,
my family, my needs. The past, the future, life, death,
judgment, eternity. Think on nothing without thinking
on Christ. And let my imaginations be stayed
upon my God. I ought never imagine anything
a possibility that is in any way contrary to the goodness,
grace, wisdom, mercy, love, and power of God. Let my desires
be stayed upon him. Oh, my soul, want nothing but
what God wills. Desire nothing but what God deems
good and be kept in peace. To be stayed upon the Lord is
to rest upon him. to rest upon Him, to depend on
Him, to be glued to Him. Paul said, I know how to be abased
and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things
I'm instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound
and to suffer need. I can do that, I can do that. I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me. Not I can do it. Not I can do
it by the strength of my might, my power, my grace, my might,
by the strength of Christ who strengthens me. One last thing. What's the connection then between
peace and faith? Thou will keep him in perfect
peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. Again, I repeat, faith is not
the cause of peace, grace is. Faith is not the foundation of
peace, Christ is. But faith is the means by which
we enjoy peace. The means by which we lay hold
of peace. The means by which we experience
the peace. Now turn to Romans chapter 4
for a minute. Romans chapter 4. Paul tells us in verse 25 of
chapter four, how that justification was obtained for us. Christ was
delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. He was delivered to the hands
of justice, slain as our substitute because of our offenses made
his. And he was raised again, raised
from the dead because of our justification accomplished by
his sacrifice. Now look at chapter five, verse
one. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by
faith into this grace, this grace that's ours in him, wherein we
stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only
so, but we glory in tribulations also. What a strange statement. We glory in tribulations also. How come? Knowing that tribulation
worketh patience. And patience, experience. And experience, hope. And hope maketh not ashamed,
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given unto us. Look down in verse eight. God
commendeth his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Now in the light of all that,
much more than, much more than, if this is what God's done for
me, much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall
be saved from wrath through him. God gives us faith in his son. And God rewards faith with peace,
proclaiming peace in our souls. And God graciously, by his work
of providence, by the work of his spirit, by the preaching
of the word, by the application of the word to our hearts, nurtures
peace. Peace. Peace, real peace, real
peace. Not the kind of peace you can
purchase in a bottle of pills. Not the kind of peace you can
get from a man. Not the kind of peace that you
can get from logic and reason. I'm talking about real peace.
I'm talking about real peace. Not the kind of peace you can
explain. I'm talking about real peace. Peace that keeps the heart,
that guards the heart with confident hope before God. If you would
have peace, it's as simple and as difficult as faith in Christ. It's impossible for me not to
have peace if I trust my Redeemer. His redeeming, saving work, His
providential care, His infinite wisdom, His all-sufficient grace,
and all the promises of God which in Him are yea and in Him amen. Many years ago, I preached in
the same text of scripture, and God gave me a song. Here it is. We have a refuge strong, a place
of peace and rest. Our refuge is in the Lord our
God, and in him we are blessed. There is a man above, Christ
Jesus is his name. He is our God, in him we trust.
We hide ourselves in him. Christ is our rock secure, a
cover from the wind, a river in the desert place, peace in
a troubled land. My soul, on wings of faith, fly
to your refuge, dear. Your foes defy your troubles
too, and cast on Christ your care. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. My wife gave me reason today,
as she often does, once more to be reminded of God's goodness.
She tends to be the best instrument God uses to keep me thinking
in the right direction. She reminded me of two verses
of scripture that become more and more precious with every
day to each of us personally and to both of us collectively.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine
own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him. Bow to Him. Trust Him. Seek Him. Worship Him. And He shall direct thy paths. Thou wilt keep Him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because He trusteth in
thee. Oh, Spirit of God, Teach us to believe God. With tribulation and trouble,
work patience in us. And work hope in us. And give
us this blessed, blessed, blessed peace you promised. trusting in You. Amen.