Herb Reavis, pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, said the peace of God “is a tranquility of mind and spirit produced by the Holy Spirit that is unmoved by adverse circumstances.”
Peace — the subject of Reavis’ pastoral talk at the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference on June 12 — “is more than an absence of conflict or tension,” he said.
Some people lack true peace because they’re not saved, Reavis said, noting that Romans 5:1 said peace with God comes from being justified through faith.
‘Peace which surpasses all understanding’
But some saved people don’t have peace either “because they’re not surrendered,” he said.
Philippians 4:6–7 charges believers not to be anxious but to give everything over to God in prayer, Reavis said.
“A refusal to gratefully relinquish control of your life into the hands of the living Christ will cause even the saved who have peace with God not to have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding,” he said.
Peace comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit and focusing on Christ, Reavis said. “Jesus Christ took our punishment so we might experience His peace. The fruit of the Spirit is peace.”
To view more photos from this pastoral talk, click here.
