The Gospel of Peace

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DAY 2 – The Gospel of Peace

 

“...As shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given

 by the gospel of peace.”

Ephesians 6:15

 

Have you ever heard of the flip-flop fighters? The guys that wage war wearing nothing but flip flops? If you haven’t, well, that’s because they don’t exist. You can’t fight a war wearing flip flops.

 

This is why the Apostle Paul mentions the need for shoes. The Roman soldiers’ shoes were leather shoes, made with hobnails to create traction on the bottom of the soles. Though they weren’t nearly as good as today’s combat boots, they were essential for war.

 

During the civil war, battles were won or lost based on footwear. During World War I, the trench boot became an essential piece of equipment for the American soldier. In WWII it was the combat boot; in Vietnam, there was the jungle boot; and as our wars moved into the Middle Eastern countries our military has now been using desert combat boots. In war, you need to be able to stand on your terrain and withstand battle.

 

JESUS MADE IT – WE MAINTAIN IT 

 

As Christians, if we are going to stand strong, or withstand the enemy’s attacks, we need the gospel of peace.

 

Jesus came to give peace (John 14:27). We have peace with God through Jesus (Romans 5:1). We can’t withstand war, knowing God is not with us or for us. We need a peace of mind that comes through a relationship with Christ. We have been given this peace through Christ. Jesus himself made it. But peace came at a price. It was through a sacrifice for sins. Jesus died on the cross, and in doing so he broke down walls for all people (Ephesians 2:14-15).

 

Secondly, we need peace with others. It’s something that we are called to maintain with all people (Ephesians 4:3). As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers. Are you making peace, or making war with others? God’s church is to be filled with peacemakers in our world. In our churches, our families, and our marriages, we need peacemakers. Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God” (Matthew 5:9). Peace is something we have to work at.

 

THE POWER OF PEACE 

 

As we put on the shoes of the gospel, two things happen. First, we are able to outmaneuver our enemy’s attacks. In the Revolutionary War, the British couldn’t withstand the colonial American soldiers. The Americans wouldn’t stand in lines in the middle of the field, but instead, they would run in and out of the woods and ambush the British army.  If we are going to outwit our enemy, we must use the available equipment, by putting on the shoes of peace.

 

Secondly, we must understand that the core of the gospel message is the good news of peace, not war. We are soldiers of peace. Everywhere we go, we are ambassadors for peace. It’s essential in the war to take back territories and crush strongholds. We must share the good news with others who don’t know Jesus. We can do this simply by sharing what we’ve seen God do in our own lives. Every time we share our faith, we are helping get the gospel message out, to bring salvation. As the Apostle Paul said, there is no salvation outside of people hearing the gospel, and how beautiful are the feet of those who bring this Gospel of peace! (Romans 10:15)

 

Every time we invite others to church, share a testimony, or contribute financially to the church, we are investing into the gospel ministry. The gospel must go with us as shoes on your feet: put them on every day, everywhere you go. Go with this gospel, this good news of peace, that through Jesus, we can have peace with God and each other. We will win this war, but not without the gospel of peace. It’s time to lace up and start living it out! We have a ground war to win, and this world needs you, soldier. GO, GO, GO, and be an ambassador of peace (2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15).

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