The Peace of God in Salvation Experience and Assurance
The peace of God is a profound aspect of the Christian salvation experience, deeply intertwined with the concepts of assurance, hope, and the believer's union with Christ. This peace is not merely an absence of conflict but a positive state of being rooted in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
The biblical foundation for the peace of God is evident in various passages. In Psalms, the psalmist declares, "In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him" [2]. This sentiment is echoed in other parts of Scripture, emphasizing the role of trust and faith in experiencing God's peace. The concept is further developed in the New Testament, where the peace of God is associated with salvation and the believer's relationship with Christ [4, 5].
The peace of God is closely linked to the assurance of salvation. According to Torrey's Topical Textbook, assurance is "produced by faith" and "confirmed by love" [1]. This assurance is not just a feeling but a confidence rooted in the believer's union with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. The peace that accompanies this assurance is described as a fruit of the Spirit and a characteristic of the Christian life [3].
In Ephesians, the apostle Paul writes about believers being "made alive together with Christ" and "raised up together with him" [4, 6]. This union with Christ is the basis for the peace that believers experience. It is through this union that they are brought into a state of peace with God, having been reconciled through Christ's work [8].
The peace of God also relates to the believer's hope. Hope is described as "the work of the Holy Spirit" and is associated with the believer's confidence in God's promises and salvation [3]. This hope is not just a wish but a confident expectation based on the believer's relationship with God. The peace that comes from this hope is a key aspect of the Christian experience, enabling believers to face challenges with confidence.
Different Christian traditions understand the peace of God in slightly different ways, but there is a general agreement on its importance in the salvation experience. The Presbyterian tradition, as represented by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, emphasizes the role of gratitude and the believer's relationship with God through Christ in experiencing peace [7]. The Protestant academic tradition, as seen in the Tyndale House commentary on Ephesians and other Pauline epistles, highlights the theological significance of union with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in producing peace [4, 6].
The peace of God is not limited to the individual believer's experience but is also related to their relationships with others. In Luke 10:5, Jesus instructs his disciples to bring "peace" to the households they visit, indicating a broader social dimension to the concept [9]. This peace is not just a personal feeling but a manifestation of the shalom of God, encompassing spiritual blessings and wholeness.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Assurance — Produced by faith -- Eph 3:12; 2Ti 1:12; Heb 10:22. Made full by hope -- Heb 6:11,19. Confirmed by love -- 1Jo 3:14,19; 4:18. Is the effect of righteousness -- Isa 32:17. Is abundant in the understanding of the gospel -- Col 2:2; 1Th 1:5. Saints privileged to have, of Their election. -- Ps 4:3; 1Th 1:4. Their redemption. -- Job 19:25. Their adoption. -- Ro 8:16; 1Jo 3:2. Their salvation. -- Isa 12:2. Eternal life. -- 1Jo 5:13. The unalienable love of God. -- Ro 8:38,39. Union with God and Christ. -- 1Co 6:15; 2Co 13:5; Eph 5:30; 1Jo 2:5; 4:13. Peace with ”
- Psalms “Psalms 62:1 (BSB) — In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Hope — In God -- Ps 39:7; 1Pe 1:21. In Christ -- 1Co 15:19; 1Ti 1:1. In God's promises -- Ac 26:6,7; Tit 1:2. In the mercy of God -- Ps 33:18. Is the work of the Holy Spirit -- Ro 15:13; Ga 5:5. Obtained through Grace. -- 2Th 2:16. The word. -- Ps 119:81. Patience and comfort of the Scriptures. -- Ro 15:4. The gospel. -- Col 1:5,23. Faith. -- Ro 5:1,2; Ga 5:5. The result of experience -- Ro 5:4. A better hope brought in by Christ -- Heb 7:19. Described as Good. -- 2Th 2:16. Lively. -- 1Pe 1:3. Sure and steadfast. -- Heb 6:19. Gladdening. -- Pr 10:28. Blessed. -- Tit ”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:5: 2:5 gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead (literally made us alive together with Christ): Joined with Christ, believers share in his resurrection, now and in the future (see 2:6; Rom 6:4-14; Col 3:1-4). • It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved: See Eph 1:2; 2:8-9.”
- Titus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Titus 3:5: 3:5 not because . . . but because: The contrast is between human actions that might be thought to merit salvation and God’s grace (see Gal 2:16). Salvation is through faith in God’s mercy alone (Eph 2:8). • He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth: See Ezek 16:9; John 3:1-15; Eph 5:26; Heb 10:22; 2 Pet 1:9. • and new life through the Holy Spirit: This signifies a complete departure from the life of sin and death and a transfer into the realm of life and purity (see also Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 5:17; Col 3:10).”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 2:6: 2:6 united with Christ Jesus: Because of this union, believers share God’s glory and blessings, and experience resurrection both now and in the future (see Rom 6:4-14; Col 2:12-13; 3:1-4).”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:20: thanks . . . for all things--even for adversities; also for blessings, unknown as well as known (Col 3:17; Th1 5:18). unto God and the Father--the Fountain of every blessing in Creation, Providence, Election, and Redemption. Lord Jesus Christ--by whom all things, even distresses, become ours (Rom 8:35, Rom 8:37; Co1 3:20-23).”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 5:11: And not only so, but we also joy--rather, "glory." in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by--"through" whom we have now received the atonement--rather, "the reconciliation" (Margin), as the same word is rendered in Rom 5:10 and in Co2 5:18-19. (In fact, the earlier meaning of the English word "atonement" was "the reconciliation of two estranged parties") [TRENCH]. The foregoing effects of justification were all benefits to ourselves, calling for gratitude; this last may be termed a purely disinterested one. Our first feeling towards God, after we h”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 10:5: 10:5 God’s peace means spiritual blessings and wholeness, the shalom of God (see study note on 8:48).”