Turn your Bibles, please, to the Book of Romans, Chapter 5. I want to jump off point to our message this morning. I've called our message, Peace on Earth, Analyzed and Applied. We sang this last week, the hymn, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. It's a Christmas carol based on the poem written during the Civil War by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The title of the poem was Christmas Bells. His oldest son, Charles, joined the Union Army and was soon promoted lieutenant. But in November 1863, he was severely wounded in the Battle of New Hope, Virginia, during the mine run campaign. Coupled with the recent loss of his wife, Frances, who died as a result of an accidental fire, Longfellow was inspired to write Christmas bells. Years later it was set to the music which we are so familiar with Jean-Baptiste Kalkin. I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, goodwill to men. But as he considered the war, the wounding of his son, the death of his wife, he found that that first stanza of his poem was not according to reality. And that's why he wrote the second verse. And in despair I bowed my head. There is no peace on earth, I said, for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth. Goodwill to men. But it seems that as when his mind turned from the bloody war and to the difficulties that he was going through, he saw there was a hope for peace. And then he wrote, then peeled the bells more loud and deep. God is not dead, nor deathly sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men. And I want us to sort of follow Longfellow's pattern of thought in our message this morning. When we look at the world from a human perspective, the first stanza of the song is not accorded with reality. Apart from the gospel, apart from God, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, there's no peace on earth. For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men. But when we turn our eyes on Jesus, and as the hymn goes, look full in His wonderful face, we find an abundance of peace, real peace, lasting peace. When we are saved, we find that we can have peace on earth. I don't mean world peace. That will come when the Lord sets up His kingdom on earth. But individual peace while we live on this earth. First of all, we have peace with God when we are justified by grace through faith. Look at chapter 5 of Romans, verse 1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This was made possible by the redemptive work of Christ in Colossians 1, 19 and 20, for it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things by Himself, by Him whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. Before we were saved, we were at war with God. Look at verse 10 of chapter 5 of Romans. For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God. In chapter 8, verse 7, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, it's not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. Jesus himself said to the apostles, if the world hates you, you know it hated me before it hated you. He says, he who hates me hates my father also. Before we were saved, we were at war with God. Look at chapter 1 of Romans and verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Ephesians 5, 6, let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. John 3, 18, he who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Hebrews 10.26-27 If we sin willfully after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. And verses 30 through 31, For we know him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, the Lord will judge his people. It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Lord, the living God. So you see, we are at war with God. We were not at peace with God. God was at war with us and we were at war with Him. But when we were saved, that war came to an end. Therefore, just being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His work of redemption, our sins are forgiven, washed away, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and God the Father declares us justified in His sight. The war is ended, we become reconciled with God. Look at Romans chapter 5 once again, please, and verse 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of a son, how much more having been reconciled shall we be saved by his life? Not only this, but we also rejoice through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have received the reconciliation. When once we were without God, without hope in this world, He is now our loving Heavenly Father and we have access into His presence at all times. Chapter 5, verses 1 and 2. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice now, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Donald Gray Barnhouse in his epistle to the Romans, in his commentary on the book of Romans, told a story about Abe Lincoln that illustrates his point. He says a Southern soldier who had been freed from prison because he was too wounded to return to active duty was seeking access to the president to intercede for his brother in a prison camp because that brother was the sole supporter of their mother. But the White House guards would not let him go talk to President Lincoln. He had no access. One day the President's young son, Tad Lincoln, was walking near the White House and saw the wounded veteran crying as he sat on the bench. The boy went up and asked him why he was crying. The soldier explained that he wanted to get to see Mr. Lincoln to tell him about his brother, but the guards would not let him in. The President's son took the man by the hand, led him by the guards who all saluted, and brought him into the very presence of his father. Barnhouse says that story illustrates what the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has done for us. We were desolate, alone, wounded by our sin. We had no way to come into God's holy presence. On the cross, the veil was torn from top to bottom. We now have access into the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God the Father through prayer. When we come in faith to Him, He clothes us with His righteousness, He takes us by the hand, leads us again and again at any time that we have need into the presence of His Heavenly Father. What a wonderful blessing to have access to God. God never sleeps. We can come to Him at any time, anywhere, for as long as we wish. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. In that sense, we have peace on earth, goodwill toward men. Secondly, We have the peace that Jesus promised to leave with us. He said to his disciples in John 14, 27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. Among other things, this speaks to the peace of Christ that would be given to his disciples in relationship to him going back to his heavenly Father. He had promised that he would send the Holy Spirit, who would be their comforter. When we are saved, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to give us that quiet, settled peace that we are sons of God. Romans 8, 14-16, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For we did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you receive the spirit of adoption, in whom we cry out, Abba, Father. His spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And again, in that sense, we have peace on earth, good will to men. Thirdly, we have access to the peace of God that actually goes beyond human understanding. We don't always appreciate this peace. We don't always avail ourselves of this peace. But it's there for us. Look at Philippians chapter 4, please. Philippians chapter 4. In verse 6. Be anxious for nothing. But every bidding by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, notice, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. If we'd only access and put that promise into practice, we'd save ourselves a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, and a lot of worry. When we struggle with anxiety, it creeps in over big and little things and growling gnaws at our insides. Someone graphically described anxiety as a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained. We feel anxious about our finances. How can we make this month's bills? How will I be able to fix my aging car if it breaks down? What if I lose my job? How will we put the kids through college? How can we meet our medical bills? How will we ever save enough for retirement? What if the economy falls? We feel anxious about our health, especially as we grow older. What if I get cancer or Alzheimer's? What if I'm disabled or having to go into a nursing home? How, what about, anxious about our children? Will they turn out okay? Will they avoid drugs and sexual immorality? Will they be safe in this crime-ridden world? Will they be able to get into college and get a decent paying job? Will they marry a godly person and have a happy home? What kind of world will their children have to live in? The list goes on and on. Sometimes we can't identify a specific reason for anxiety, but it's there, nagging away at our insides. If we don't learn to deal with it properly, it can cause all sorts of health problems, which in turn feeds our anxiety. But praise our gracious Lord. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him. He knows our frame, and remembers that we are but dust. And he has provided a means to not only rid of us our anxiety, but to replace it with the peace of God that passes all understanding. A peace that the world knows nothing about. It's only of God. It's not only an incomprehensible peace, but it puts a garrison and guards around the heart and mind. Look at verse 7, and the peace of God will pass as all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds. When we dwell upon our problems and perplexities, our hearts and minds become seriously affected, so much so that we all go to pieces. That's Satan's strong point of attack. And I'm fearful he has succeeded in making neurotics out of a great number of professing believers. But God's peace does guard duty over our hearts and minds to prevent any successful attack by that part of the enemy if we put the text into practice. If we believe it and come to the Lord with prayer and supplication and thanksgiving, and make your request known to God, He promises, look at it, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The wealth of the world cannot buy it, but the poorest Christian can obtain it through prayer. God's peace in this case is not only beyond human understanding, it is absolutely priceless. And in that sense, we have peace on earth, goodwill toward men. Number four, we have the peace of God when we focus in on spiritual matters. Let's stay right here in the fourth chapter. Pastor Sean went through this on his series of studies. Look at verses 8 and 9. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is any praiseworthy, meditate on these things The things which you have learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." This passage closes with an exhortation to have holy thoughts. I read that the average person has 10,000 separate thoughts each day. I don't know how many I had, I can't remember. That works out to 3.5 million thoughts a year. And if you live to be, well I have 75 in my notes, but Wednesday I'll be 78. If you live to be 78, you will have 26 million different thoughts. Already most of us have already had over 2,000 separate thoughts since we got out of bed this morning. You probably have another 8,000 before you go to bed, then you start all over again tomorrow. We are very selective, at least I've tried to be. I flip on Fox News once in a while. But we don't watch the news on TV as much, very little. Just this past week we were trying to watch one of the local Philadelphia stations just to get the weather forecast. And in waiting for the weather lady to come on, our minds are exposed to endless lists of negative things. Murders, robberies, fatal accidents, house fires, and physical assaults. And it leaves your mind in fear and turmoil. By implication, Paul is saying in the text, don't get caught up in all these things. It robs you of peace and creates anxiety. I don't mean we stick our head in the sand, but how much Terrible news can you take in and not be affected by it. And the principle behind Paul's words is simple. Sin always begins in the mind and so does holiness. When Paul says think about such things, the command is in the present tense. Keep on thinking about these things. Find what is true and think about it. Find what is lovely and think about it. Find the virtuous and think about it. And when you consider all the glorious aspects of the gospel, the greatness of God the Father, the love of Christ our Savior, the ministry of the blessed Holy Spirit, there's an abundance of godly things to think on. Things that are noble, things that are just, things that are pure, things that are true, things that are lovely, things of good report, things of virtue, and things that are praiseworthy. Think and meditate and continue to think on these things. Implied in the text is spiritual discipline. Discipline in relationship to what we allow ourselves to think on and meditate on. Discipline of the mind. Discipline by itself is not holiness, but there'll be no holiness without discipline. Paul exhorts us to look to him as an example and leaves us with this exciting promise, that things which you have learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do, and here's a glorious promise, and a God of peace will be with you. So we have the peace of God, we have the God of peace. This kind of godly meditation will not only bring about the peace of God, but it promises that the God of peace will be with us. In that sense, we have peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Number five, we have the peace of God in that we do not have to fear death. We do not have to fear death. If we are setting our minds on things above and not on things of the earth, we will not fear death. In Paul's treatise on the resurrection, the first letter to the church at Corinth, and in his dissertation this way, in 1 Corinthians 15, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. When you get older, you begin to think more about dying. This is not morbidity or escapism. It's just looking ahead to eternity and what God has promised for us. The other night when Jay and Rachel were visiting us, he said, Pap, do you want me to get on YouTube and show you some of the modern hymns? But he says the words in them are so powerful. And he prayed three of them, and they were. They weren't rocky. But I mean, the words were really, really deep theological words. And the one hymn ended up and will see His face forever and ever. And Jay said to me, Pap, just think, to see the face of the Lord Jesus forever and ever and ever. Amen. Peace of God and the God of peace. Not having to fear death, for to me to live is Christ, but to die is gain. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart to be with Christ, which is far better. I don't mind admitting to you that's one of my great desires, to go home and be with the Lord. I may fear the thing that brings about my death, but I don't fear death by the grace of God. Because when you're absent from the body, you're present with the Lord. What a gracious, what a tremendous thought. The moment your spirit leaves your body, you are ushered right into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why would you fear death? In that sense, we have peace on earth, good will toward men. Lastly, we have the peace of God that flows out of the promise of the resurrection. Look at that great text in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. First Thessalonians, chapter 4. Verse 13, But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep. lest ye sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive will remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of an archangel, the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be raised first. then we alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall ever always be with the Lord." Notice, therefore, comfort one another with these words. What great comfort to be able to stand at the graveside of a loved one or friend or someone you know who truly loved the Lord. And know that even though we're putting that body in the grave, and it may be in that grave, when it eventually turns to dust. But when the Lord comes, that body that has been put in the grave, no matter how long ago, is coming up out of that grave. And we're going to have bodies like unto His glorious body. And I love what it says in 1 John, if you turn there. In chapter 3, verse 1, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him. For we shall see Him as He is. And notice the exhortation that flows out of that. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as he is pure. So we not only can praise God, but it's the coming of the Lord The resurrection of the body is a means for seeking to live godly and holy. Comfort one another with these words. Isaiah 57, 19, I create the fruit of lips. Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near, says the Lord, and I will heal him. In that sense, we have peace on earth. Goodwill to the men. But to those who may be here this morning who are not saved, it's sad to say you have no part or lot in this matter. You do not have the peace that we're speaking of. You have a false peace because you've been deceived as to the state of your soul. You have peace because you refuse to believe there's no consequences for my sin. You have peace because you have not been hit by the storms of life. Isaiah 57, 20-21, But the wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. But you can have that peace by recognizing that Jesus Christ came to this earth, not so we could have Christmas. But He came to die for sinners. And did He come to die for me? You? Did He come to die for you? You know that when you turn to Him and realize you're a sinner, and you call out to Him for salvation. You can have all of that peace. You can have peace, perfect peace, in this great world of sin. I urge you, cry out to Him. before it's too late. I was listening to Billy Graham again last night, and he was exhorting the people the same way. He said, none of us know whether we're ever going to see tomorrow or not. And if you die in your sins for all of eternity, you will regret it, in fear and torment, forever and ever and ever. And just like God said to Israel, why would you die? Why would you choose to die in your sins when I offer you salvation from your sins? Cry out to the Lord this morning. Don't be foolish. Now is the day of salvation. We don't know whether we're going to see the sun go down tonight. Let's bow in prayer. Father, thank you for the peace that you give us. Thank you for the peace. We have peace with God. Oh Lord, it was horrible being at war with you, although many didn't realize it. Literally at war with the Creator of heaven and earth. But thank you that because of Christ and the faith that you have given us, we have peace with you. We have the peace of God that guards our hearts and minds. We have peace if we think and can discipline our minds that God of peace is with us. We really don't have to fear death. Fear is a great robber of joy. And Lord, we may fear the mechanism that brings about our death, but we don't have to fear death itself. Because if we have been saved, the moment our spirit leaves our body, we're in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. How glorious that is. And for those of our loved ones that we've put in that grave, no matter how long they've been in that grave, one day they're going to come out of that grave if they've been saved. Their bodies are going to be transformed like unto your glorious body. And they're going to rule and reign with you forever and ever and ever. no more heartache, no more sorrow. Thank You, Lord, for these indescribable blessings. May we go from this place rejoicing in You. We pray that the Spirit of God would move on the hearts of some people who are not saved and show them their need, give them the faith to believe. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.