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The LORD Is Peace (Yahweh-Shalom) · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to the Deep Dive. This is where we try to give you
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that shortcut to being well informed.
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We sift through, well, stacks of sources, lots of research, our
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own notes, and pull out what you really need to know.
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Yeah, trying to cut through the noise a bit.
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Exactly. And today we're looking at
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Shalom. Now you might hear that word and
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think peace may be simple, calm, but it's so much richer.
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Oh, vastly richer. We're going to really unpack
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what Shalom actually is, trace its origins a bit, and see why
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it matters for you specifically through the lens of well
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reformed thinking. It's a really compelling idea.
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I think it genuinely changes how you view peace.
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I agree. You know, we live in a world
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that's constantly chasing, I guess quick fixes for calm,
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trying to paper over anxiety with things that don't last.
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So getting a deeper grasp of real Shalom, it helps clear away
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a lot of that confusion, I think gives you a clearer picture of
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where true lasting peace actually comes from.
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So this deep dive hopefully will give you a more solid footing
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for understanding peace, not just as a passing feeling, you
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know, but as something solid, objectively real, something
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outside yourself you can actually stand on.
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OK, let's get into it then. Section 1.
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Understanding Shalom more than just peace.
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Right? Let's start by breaking down the
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Hebrew term itself, Shalom. Like we said, you hear peace and
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maybe your mind goes to, I don't know, a quiet library or just no
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fighting. Yeah, the absence of conflict,
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that's the common idea. But the sources we looked at,
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they're really clear. Shalom is way beyond that.
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It signifies wholeness, a complete harmony, covenant
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well-being. That's a key phrase.
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Covenant well-being. It is.
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It's not just about problems being gone, it's about
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everything being right, functioning perfectly in order,
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just as it should be. Everything in its right place,
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doing what it's meant to do. Precisely.
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And you can trace this concept really from Genesis one right to
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the end of Revelation. Think about Eden before the
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fall. That was Shalom, wasn't it?
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In its fullest sense, Total harmony in all relationships,
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Adam and Eve with God, with each other, even with creation
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itself. No tension, no brokenness, just
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seamless connection. Right.
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And then Fast forward to the end, the new creation in
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Revelation, after sin and death are finally dealt with.
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Where God dwells with his people again.
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Yes, and no more tears, no more pain.
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That's Shalom fully realized. So if that's the goal, the
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ideal, what happened? The big question.
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Our fundamental problem, the root of all our unrest, is that
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separation from God because of sin.
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The Bible is stark about this. It describes the mindset on the
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flesh as enmity against God. Hostility.
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Active opposition. It's not just indifference, it's
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being actively against the source of life itself.
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So what we ultimately need isn't just to, you know, feel a bit
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better or make up with our neighbors, though those are good
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things. Right.
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Important, but not the root. The root need is reconciliation,
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reconciliation with a righteous God whose perfect justice has
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been well provoked. This isn't just about feelings,
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it's a legal reality that needs fixing.
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And that's where the Reformed understanding really anchors
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itself. Peace, first and foremost begins
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in God himself. OK.
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Explain that a bit. It's not something God has to
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achieve or find. It's part of his essence, his
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very being. Francis Turretin, an important
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older theologian, put it beautifully.
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He talked about God's undisturbed repose in the
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perfect enjoyment of his own blessedness.
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Undisturbed repose. I like that.
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It captures it, doesn't it? Because God is described as
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simple, which doesn't mean easy to understand, but rather he's
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without parts, without internal conflict or tension.
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OK, indivisible. Exactly.
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So peace in God isn't just the stopping of conflict, it's the
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impossibility of conflict within His being.
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It's his inherent steady state. And this divine peace isn't just
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static, it's dynamic. Within the Trinity.
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You're the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in this perfect,
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harmonious communion. The Father wills our peace.
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The Son makes our peace. The Spirit applies and seals
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that peace in us. So it's a trinitarian work from
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start to finish. Completely.
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It shows that peace itself originates in that perfectly
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ordered, joyful relationship within God Himself, and that
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reality, that communion, overflows into His work of
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redemption for us. It really shifts the
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perspective, doesn't it? Peace isn't primarily about us
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finding it. It's about receiving something
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that originates in God's own nature.
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Precisely, it starts with him. All right, so keeping that big
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picture, that divine source in mind, let's zoom into a really
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specific, fascinating story. It's where the phrase Yahweh
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Shalom actually comes from. Judges chapter 6.
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A crucial passage. And it really helps understand
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how peace begins. Practically speaking, the scene
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is well, it's grim. Israel is being crushed by the
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Midianites. Devastated.
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And this isn't just bad luck, the text makes it clear it's a
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direct result of their turning away from God.
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A curse really, bringing deep fear and just a total lack of
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well-being. They were hiding, starving.
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Exactly. You find Gideon, who we later
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know as a hero. But here he's threshing wheat,
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trying to save some grain, but he's doing it hidden away in a
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wine press. Which is basically a pit in the
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ground. Not where you thresh wheat, no.
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You do that out in the open. He's hiding because he's
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terrified. It just perfectly captures
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Israel's spiritual state. Fear, hiding, feeling like God
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has totally left them. A sense of abandonment.
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Completely. And into this scene the Angel of
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Yahweh appears. Now, many Reformed commentators
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see this figure not just as an Angel, but as a Christophany.
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A preincarnate appearance of Christ himself, the Son of God,
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before Bethlehem. Yes and the angels greeting is
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just stunning. He finds Gideon cowering in a
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hole and says Yahweh is with you, mighty man of valor.
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It sounds almost ironic given the circumstances.
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It does, but it's so typical of God, isn't it?
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Calling things that are not as though they were speaking His
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reality, His choice, His plan into existence, regardless of
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the visible evidence. Declaring identity and purpose
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over fear. Exactly.
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A declaration that just flies in the face of everything Gideon
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sees and feels. And this encounter gets even
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more intense. Gideon, understandably full of
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doubt and fear, asks for a sign, proof that this is real.
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He needs confirmation. He prepares an offering, some
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goat meat, some bread, puts it on a rock, and then the Angel of
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Yahweh touches it with his staff.
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Divine fire flares up, consumes the sacrifice instantly.
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It's this powerful signal that the offering is accepted, and
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maybe even a hint looking forward of royalty and
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priesthood coming together to secure peace.
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A foreshadowing. But then comes the real turning
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point for Gideon personally. He's terrified.
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He thinks I've seen the Angel of Yahweh face to face.
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I'm going to die. A common fear in the Old
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Testament when encountering God's direct presence.
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Right, but the Angel speaks comfort, peace to you.
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Do not fear you shall not die. That phrase peace to you, Shalom
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Malaika in Hebrew paired with do not fear, it sounds so much like
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Jesus after the resurrection doesn't.
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It it really does like John 20 assuring the disciples.
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Assuring them of his victory, his presence, the end of fear.
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And Gideon's response is immediate.
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He builds an altar right there. And names it.
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Yahweh Shalom. The Lord is peace, and this is
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the critical part. He names it this before a single
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Midianite has been fought, before the outward victory is
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won. So the declaration comes first.
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Absolutely. It shows the priority of God's
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verdict, His Word, what theologians call the indicative,
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over any human action or feeling, the imperative.
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It's about forensic peace. First.
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God declares Gideon to be at peace with him.
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Even while Gideon is probably still feeling scared and the
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enemy is still out there. Precisely.
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It's not about Gideon suddenly feeling peaceful inside.
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It's about God changing his status, his legal standing.
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This is huge for understanding how true peace works.
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It doesn't start with our efforts or our feelings.
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It starts with God's declaration based on his accepted sacrifice.
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That altar at Ofra it points ahead doesn't.
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It it does, that wood you could say faintly points towards the
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wood of the cross at Golgotha, where the ultimate sacrifice was
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made and true, lasting Yahweh Shalom was secured by Christ's
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blood. And there's a real pastoral
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insight here too. I think assurance of God's
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declared peace is what fuels obedience.
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Because right after this encounter, emboldened by God's
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Word, what does Gideon do? He goes and tears down the altar
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of Dahl that night. Yes, something incredibly risky.
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The verdict of peace came first, and then courageous action
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followed. He didn't earn the peace, He
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received it by faith in God's Word, and that changed
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everything. That's a powerful sequence.
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Receive peace, then act from peace.
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OK, so let's broaden that again. Section 3.
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Shalom's redemptive arc from Eden to New Jerusalem.
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How does this theme play across the whole biblical story?
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Right? Let's trace that thread.
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We started in Eden, that original state.
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Genesis calls it very good. Perfect Shalom, harmony
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everywhere. God and humanity walking
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together, humanity with each other, Adam delighting and Eve
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no shame, no conflict and harmony with creation itself.
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The ground yielded fruit easily. Total flourishing, but then the
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fall. Adam's choice at all.
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Instantly, fear replaces fellowship with God.
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They hide. Blame enters the human
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relationship, accusations pain. And the ground itself is cursed
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thorns. This old toil frustration.
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Genesis then shows how quickly violence spreads can enable the
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whole creation starts to as Paul puts a later grown.
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So the story of peace now needs a rescue plan, a path of
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redemption. And God initiates it
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immediately. That promise in Genesis 3.15,
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the proto evangelium, the first Gospel hint.
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The seed of the woman crushing the serpent's head.
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Yes, Shalom will be restored, but it will come through
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conflict, through a decisive victory.
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Later. Noah's name means rest, another
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nod to Shalom, and the rainbow becomes God's pledge, his
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covenant sign of peace with the earth.
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Never again a flood like that. Then Abraham is called, and the
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promise expands. Through him all nations will
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find blessing, another word closely linked to Shalom.
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Bringing peace to the world through Abraham's line.
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And think about Genesis 15, that covenant ceremony.
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God alone walks between the pieces of the animals.
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Signifying he takes the curse of breaking the covenant upon
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himself. Exactly.
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It shows God's determination, His unilateral commitment to
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securing peace for his people, even bearing the cost himself.
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Incredible foresight. So the promise is there early
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on. How does it develop?
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Well, moving into the time of Moses, Shalom becomes part of
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Israel's formal worship. That priestly blessing from #6.
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The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine
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upon you and give you peace. Yahweh lift up his face upon you
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and give you Shalom. It's a regular declaration of
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God's favorable disposition. His peace toward His people and
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the sacrificial system underlined how this peace was
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maintained. Blood on the altar, Atonement,
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right? Only through shed blood could
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reconciliation happen, allowing for things like the peace
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offerings where God and the worshippers shared a meal and
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fellowship. Peace always came at a cost.
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Then you get David's Kingdom, a time of relative stability,
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expansion a. Political picture, maybe, of
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what Shalom could look like in abundance of Shalom for a time.
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But it was just a sketch, a type.
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It didn't last. David himself had blood on his
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hands. Solomon's reign ended in
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division. It wasn't the ultimate
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fulfillment, no. So the prophets pick up the
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theme. Looking forward to a greater
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restoration. Isaiah is huge here.
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He announces the coming Prince of Peace.
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Isaiah 9. Yes, and he explicitly links
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this future peace to substitutionary suffering in
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Isaiah 53. The chastisement that brought us
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Shalom was upon him. Making that connection crystal
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clear, peace comes through his suffering for us.
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Absolutely. Jeremiah and Ezekiel also speak
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of a future new covenant, an everlasting covenant of peace
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where God would change his people's hearts and dwell with
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them forever. Building anticipation.
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And then the fulfillment bursts onto the scene.
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In Christ at his birth, the angels sing.
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Peace on earth, Shalom. Invading enemy territory, you
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could say. God breaking into the world with
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his peace plan. Jesus's whole ministry
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demonstrated holistic Shalom. His healings brought physical
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wholeness. His forgiveness offered
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spiritual peace. His welcoming of outcasts
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created social reconciliation. They were previews.
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Glimpses of the Kingdom Shalom. But the cross, Calvary, that's
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the decisive moment Isaiah 53 happens.
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God made peace by the blood of His cross, reconciling all
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things to Himself. Colossians 1.20.
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Yes, and Paul goes on to say Christ himself is our peace.
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And Ephesians 2, breaking down the wall between Jew and
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Gentile, creating one new humanity, the ultimate act of
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peacemaking. So peace is accomplished, but we
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still live in a broken world. Exactly.
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That's the already not yet tension.
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Believers already have peace with God through Christ.
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That's secure. But we are not yet living in the
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state of full cosmic Shalom. Creation still groans.
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We still struggle with sin. Conflict still exists.
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The full experience is still future.
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Right. The complete lifting of the
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curse, the wiping away of every tear, Perfect harmony restored
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forever that awaits Christ's return and the New Jerusalem.
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That's the final consummated Shalom.
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OK, that gives us the big biblical picture.
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Now let's drill down into the theological mechanics.
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Section 4. How peace reaches us.
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Reformed dogmatics, How does God's peace actually get to us
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sinners? Good question.
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Reformed theology points clearly to the covenant of grace as the
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framework, the pathway. The Covenant of Grace Explain
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that briefly. It's understood as the one
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overarching gospel covenant God makes with humanity after the
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fall, promising life through a Redeemer.
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It's administered differently in different areas, Noah, Abraham,
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Moses, David, like different chapters in the same book.
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But all these administrations, all these expressions ultimately
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point forward to and find their fulfillment at the cross.
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Golgotha where Christ acting as our surety, our representative.
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Takes our place. Yes, he bears and completely
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exhausts the curses of the broken covenant that we
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deserved. This divine plan is how God can
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remain perfectly holy and just, yet still reconcile A hostile
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people us to Himself. It's sheer grace.
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So the covenant provides the structure, and within that, how
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does peace land on an individual?
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Through justification by faith, this gives us what we called
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earlier forensic peace. Legal peace.
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It's God's legal declaration. He acts as judge, pardons our
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sin, and declares us righteous in his sight.
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But truthfully, it's not based on anything in us.
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It's for Christ's sake alone. Because of what Christ did
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credited to us. Exactly.
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God credits Christ's perfect righteousness to our account.
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It's an imputed righteousness, not an infused one at the point
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of justification. And Paul nails this in Romans
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5.1. Therefore, since we have been
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justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
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Jesus Christ. Have peace, present tense, a
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current reality. Yes.
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It's not something we hope for or try to achieve.
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It's a status we possess the moment we trust in Christ.
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And because it's based on Christ's work, not ours, this
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peace doesn't fluctuate with our performance or feelings.
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That's huge for assurance, isn't it?
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Absolutely. It's the anchor for the
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conscience, especially when guilt or doubt attacks.
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Our standing is secure in Christ, regardless of how we
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feel today. So that's the objective legal
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reality. What about the feeling of peace?
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The inner calm. Right.
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That objective juridical peace then becomes the foundation for
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our subjective experiential peace.
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The Holy Spirit applies this reality to our hearts.
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How does that work? Through our adoption as God's
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children and through the process of sanctification, becoming more
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like Christ, this felt peace, this inner tranquility is what
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Paul calls a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.
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God works it in us. So the legal peace gives birth
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to the felt peace. Precisely.
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John Owen, the Puritan theologian, made a helpful
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distinction. He talked about peace with God.
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That's the objective legal status through justification and
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the peace of God. That is the subjective felt
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peace that guards our hearts, as Philippians 4 says.
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Two sides of the same coin flowing from the same source.
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Exactly. Both come from God's grace in
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Christ, and this has huge implications for pastoral care,
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for helping people who are anxious or struggling.
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True counsel always points people outside themselves to
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Christ's finished work, His alien righteousness for their
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fundamental rest. Inner calm is a fruit that grows
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from being secure in that objective reality.
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It's not the root you try to cultivate first.
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So trying to just make someone feel peaceful without addressing
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their standing before. God, it's like what Jeremiah
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warned against, crying peace. Peace when there is no peace.
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It's offering comfort without the actual cure.
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True, deep, lasting interest flows from knowing God's verdict
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of pardoned and righteous in Christ.
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And this peace is nurtured through God's ordained means.
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Yes, the word, sacraments, prayer, these aren't magic, but
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they are the channels God uses. We engage with scripture, come
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to the table, pray, and the Spirit uses these to apply
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Christ's peace to our hearts and minds.
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OK. That clarifies the how.
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Now let's talk about some pitfalls, Section 5 counterfeit
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pieces and the true path. What are some ways people get
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peace wrong? Promising Shalom but missing the
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mark? Yeah, there are several common
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distortions. They often share what you call
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the horizontal impulse, looking for peace within ourselves or in
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society or in experiences, rather than receiving it
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vertically from God. Right.
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The first one mentioned is therapeutic deism.
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Describe that. This basically reduces peace to
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just feeling OK inside. Psychological balance, inner
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comfort, sing gets redefined. It's not really offending God
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anymore, it's more like having low self esteem or negative
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thoughts. And salvation becomes.
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Things like positive thinking, mindfulness exercises, maybe
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just sort of speaking peace over yourself, self help essentially
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with a spiritual gloss. And the flaw?
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It completely ignores the fundamental problem, our
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objective legal enmity with the Holy God.
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It offers a kind of spiritual painkiller without dealing with
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the actual disease, God's righteous wrath against sin
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being satisfied. It just papers over the real
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issue. Like putting a nice rug over a
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hole in the floor. Good analogy.
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It looks better, feels better momentarily, but the danger is
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still there. The reformed corrective is
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always back to justification. God declaring the ungodly
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righteous because of Christ's blood.
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Yes, that's the foundation. Only when that objective peace
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is established can genuine, lasting inner peace flood the
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conscience. You have to look outside
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yourself to Christ, not deeper inside yourself.
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OK, what's another counterfeit political utopianism?
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Ah yes, this locates peace entirely in fixing society
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structures. If we just get the politics
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right, or the economic system right, or achieve perfect social
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justice through human effort, then we'll have peace.
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You see this across the political spectrum, right?
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Different visions, but the same basic hope in human systems.
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Absolutely. Whether it's a specific
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political ideology or even a kind of nationalistic civil
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religion believing our nation will bring peace, the core idea
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is change the structures. Peace follows.
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And the flaw here? It forgets the human heart.
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It, as the notes say, omits the new birth.
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It tries to treat symptoms, societal problems without
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addressing the underlying spiritual disease of sin in
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every human heart. So even with new systems.
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Fallen hearts will just find new ways to misuse them for selfish
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gain, for idolatry. You just end up rebuilding
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Babel. Essentially human cooperation
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apart from God's grace leading to confusion and strife.
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So what's the Church's role then, if not building earthly
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utopia? Our primary calling is to
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proclaim the gospel of reconciliation through Christ
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and make disciples to model different kind of community.
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The church where the dividing walls are already broken down by
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the cross, offering a preview of the age to come.
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Working for justice is still important, though.
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Of course, Christians should work for just laws and seek the
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welfare of their communities, but as pilgrims?
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As salt and light, knowing that perfect Shalom isn't something
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humans can build here it awaits the King's return all.
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Right, one more counterfeit continuous revelationism.
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This is where peace gets tied to constantly needing new words
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from the Lord, ongoing prophecies, or private spiritual
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feelings and impressions. Like needing a fresh sign or
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message to feel secure. Exactly.
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Peace becomes dependent on Did God speak to me today or did I
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get a special feeling or insight?
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The danger is it makes assurance incredibly unstable.
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Why unstable? Because it shifts the foundation
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of peace away from the finished work of Christ and the settled,
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objective word of God in Scripture onto subjective,
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fluctuating experiences. God has spoken his definitive
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word and his Son Jesus, That Apostolic witness is recorded
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for us in the Bible. That's the anchor.
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So the corrective is. Anchor your comfort, your peace,
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and what God has definitively said in His Word, His unchanging
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promises sealed by Christ's blood.
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Don't chase after new private word you can't verify.
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The Spirit's work is primarily to illuminate Scripture and
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apply Christ's finished work to us, not to give us constant new
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updates. So across all these
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counterfeits, the true path points back.
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Upward and outward, always to God's eternal plan.
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Christ's subjective work on the cross and the Spirit's
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application through the ordinary means of grace.
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Word, sacrament, prayer, Those are God's reliable channels for
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the only peace that truly lasts. OK, that brings us to our final
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section, Section 6, the Church Embassy of Shalom and living in
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peace. If the Church receives this true
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Shalom, how does it live it out? Right.
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The Church is called to be, as you said, an embassy of Shalom,
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a little outpost of the coming Kingdom whose whole charter is
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reconciliation. Modeling a different way of
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being human together. Exactly.
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A society where the unity we have in Christ overcomes all the
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usual divisions, race, class, background.
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It's meant to be a living demonstration of the Gospel's
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power. And its primary task, you said,
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isn't political activism per SE, but.
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Proclaiming reconciliation through Christ, making
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disciples, announcing the terms of peace offered by the King who
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bled for his enemies. How does the Shalom show up in
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the church's practical life? Let's start with worship.
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Our worship services, when done thoughtfully, actually rehearse
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the gospel pattern. God calls us.
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He cleanses us through confession and assurance of
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pardon. He feeds us with his word and at
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his table, and He sends us out with his blessing, His
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benediction of peace. It's a weekly rhythm,
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reinforcing where peace comes from.
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Yes, it trains us to anchor our assurance in God's unchanging
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grace in Christ, not our feelings.
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The Lord's Day becomes a lived out Romans 5.1.
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What about in counseling or pastoral care?
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Shepherding Souls. Pastors and elders act like
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spiritual physicians using the means of grace.
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They help people identify where unbelief or sin is causing
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turmoil. Expose those counterfeit
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comforts we talked about and always apply the balm of
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Christ's finished work. Getting people to Calvary first.
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Always deal with a forensic pardon before trying to manage
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the symptoms. This, Foster, is what you might
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call gospel humility, being honest about our failures, but
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totally restful in Christ's adequacy for us.
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And how does this peace fuel mission?
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When your heart is truly settled in God's peace, you're freed
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from yourself and freed for others.
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You're not constantly striving to prove yourself or secure your
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standing, so evangelism becomes natural.
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It's peacemaking, sharing the good news of reconciliation.
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Being ambassadors for Christ. Yes, inviting others into this
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piece and creating communities where that piece is visible in
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how people from all walks of life love and serve each other.
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What about when suffering hits? Christians still face
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tribulation. Absolutely.
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We live in that already. Not yet.
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Tension. Hardship is real, but
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Philippians talks about a peace that surpasses understanding
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that guards our hearts and minds.
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Like a Sentinel. Exactly.
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It's not just a feeling, It's the Holy Spirit actively
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applying Christ's victory and presence in the midst of the
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trial, keeping our ultimate hope secure even when circumstances
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are chaotic. Then finally, unity within the
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Church itself. That's a huge demonstration of
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Shalom. Paul urges us to maintain the
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unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
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It takes effort. It requires submitting to
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biblical truth, showing patience, forgiving each other.
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Showing the world that the cross really does reconcile.
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Precisely when a diverse group of people sticks together in
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love centered on Christ resolving conflicts biblically,
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that's powerful. And even practical things like
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deacons caring for the needy show this Shalom extends to
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tangible well-being. He shows peace isn't just
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abstract. So the church receives guards
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and extends this peace. Until Christ returns to make
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Shalom complete. OK, let's wrap this up.
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Any final thoughts? Well, just to reiterate, Shalom
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is this comprehensive gift. It flows from the Trinity,
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planned by the Father, bought by the Son, applied by the Spirit.
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It comes down to us from God. Not something we generate
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ourselves. No, it's guarded by God's own
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faithfulness and secured in Christ.
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The church's job is to receive it, treasure it, and share it.
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And looking forward. We have this peace now, which is
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amazing, but the best is truly yet to come.
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That full Shalom, no more conflict, no curse, no tears
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awaits the New Jerusalem. The final consummation, yes.
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The Bible promises the God of peace will soon crush Satan
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under your feet. That's the ultimate cosmic
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peace, the final victory. So the encouragement is to live
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out the peace we've received. Walk with your feet, ready with
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the gospel of peace. Let your words announce God's
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offer of amnesty. Extend your hands and
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reconciliation and do it confidently, knowing God will
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bring His perfect Shalom to pass.
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His faithfulness guarantees it. A powerful vision to hold onto.
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Thank you for joining us on this deep dive into Shalom.
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We really hope it's given you a richer understanding and
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appreciation for the kind of peace that truly satisfies the
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peace that comes only from God through Christ.
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Thanks for the conversation. Until next time, keep digging
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deeper. Keep seeking understanding.