Peace with God is through the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus, that was how we have had peace with God. Peace from God comes from the assurance and the persuasion of his presence.
Psalms 85:8 NKJV “I will hear what God the Lord will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly.”
If the scripture says “he will speak peace, it means he has actually spoken that peace in his word..
Romans 15:4-5 NKJV “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,”
One of the things we were supposed to use the scripture for is for our learning. And when we go through that learning, instructions are given and the effect or the outcome of that is that there is something called the comfort of the Scriptures.
The Greek meaning of the word “Comfort” connotes encouragement, consolation, succor, and stability. So the scripture that was written for our learning is actually supposed to bring us to a place of learning. Paul is saying here that what that should do to anyone that is given to learning from Scriptures, is something called Comfort of the Scriptures.
And this comfort of the Scriptures gives hope. When that is done well and consistently, it brings a believer to a place where through those teachings has the capacity to produce what the Bible calls the comfort of the scriptures. The word comfort in Greek is to be beside.
John 14 also talks about sending a comforter, a helper. What the holy ghost does to us is also what the scripture does to us.
The emphasis for this is that scripture does not just give us things to learn from, it is not just only learning that we can get from scripture. That is the primary function of the scripture.
The only thing we do with scripture is for learning, doctrine and teaching but beyond the learning there is something called the comfort of the scripture. Through this learning, overtime, all have been learning from the word and the ways of God should bring us to a place of stability, a place where we are comforted.
The same word used for comfort is the same word for consolation, encouragement, exhortation.
The Bible says “when God will speak peace”, it means, He is not just speaking peace, he has spoken peace because they are written scriptures.
How has he spoken? He has spoken through his words. The bottom line is that the scriptures that were written before now are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope.
Hope in this context is a Greek word that connotes “to have expectations” not just any hope. This is what the Bible was referring to when it stated that Abraham had hope against all hope.
When you are in a hopeless situation, probably being told by a doctor that your case is hopeless, but you have been learning over time, those learnings of scriptures, doctrines, instructions, brings you to a place of comfort. So against all hopes we have hope because we have comfort from the scriptures.
There are channels and means that God has put in place for you to have peace and he will make you have it by all means.
One of the means by which he has given us peace is that, he gave us his son. His son died for us. We have peace with God through this act, which is the highest level of peace anybody can have. The consciousness of the fact that God is with us is another channel that God has put in place to give you peace.
Another means that God has put in place for you to have peace is through his word. As you continue to give yourself to learning the word of God, get grounded in the word. You come to a place of stability, unshakeable hope, and this produces comfort.
Romans 15:4
God is concerned about our enlightenment and understanding of his word, but beyond all of that he desires that you do life with his word. How then do we do life with the word of God? It’s when you go through some circumstances, the word of God that you have learned, understanding of God’s word you have received is made relevant. If in that situation, the word of God you have learnt overtime does not bring you consolation, then you have not learnt, the scripture has not actually fulfilled its ultimate purpose in your life. The end point of learning is not cramming or talking about scriptures, it’s doing life with it, and the proof of that is that you are at peace.
Acts 13:15.
Exhortation as used in the preceding verse connotes comfort, consolation and encouragement. The scriptures written are for learning and reading but beyond the reading they should produce comfort and encouragement.
Beyond the learning done in church, you should be expectant and have great expectations for the comfort of the scriptures.
As preachers, one of the things that should be paramount when you teach is that there’s a demonstration of the spirit and the power of God that brings consolation.
Personally when you engage in Bible study, it should not just produce materials to preach. One of the things the Holy Ghost desires that you pick from that exercise is something what the scripture refers to as ‘The Comfort of the Scriptures’ It’s the comfort of the scriptures we do life with.
One of the things the Lord expects from us as we’re learning the scriptures is for us to lay hold of the comfort of the scriptures.
Acts 15:30-33 NKJV
[30] So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.
[31] When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.
[32] Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.
[33] And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles.
After they had read, they heard the message, they got the instructions, they had insights and understanding, how to live and series of instructions but beyond it they rejoiced for the consolation.
The Epistles they read produced consolation!
The word ‘confirmed them’ means the things they said were confirmed with signs and wonders.
Instructions and consolation should be your desire.
They have read the law and the prophets. The word of exhortation is not a short sermon. The word “exhortation” is encouragement and comfort.
The scripture written aforetime is for our learning. Beyond the learning there is comfort in scripture.
Beyond the learning we do in church we must be expectant and have great expectations from the scripture.
Learning is the primary thing we do, there is comfort from the scripture.
They read the law and needed to hear the word of exhortation.
As we preach the word of God we must also let people see the exhortation and consolation that comes from the word; there is a demonstration of the comfort of the scripture.
We do not just have a sermon note. Beyond the sermon note and a notebook there is something called the consolation of the scripture.
When we sit down and study the law and the prophet, we do not just have the materials to jot, and one of the benefits we pick from that exercise is the comfort of the scripture – words of encouragement, comfort and exhortation.
If we think we have read and do not have the word of consolation from the scripture, all that we have read would jump off our face.
The word of consolation is the comfort of scripture that we do life with. We will go on with the scripture and learn from it. However, beyond these we must have a word of consolation.
In reading the law and the prophet we must also have the comfort of the scripture. As we learn about, and the unfolding of Him we must lay hold on the consolation of the scripture.
The Holy Ghost has not fully carried out His assignment as we are having depths and revelations without the comfort of the scripture He is brooding our hearts on.
He is able to bring us to the place of succor in the face of challenges. He brings us together in this consolation.
Acts 15:30-33 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
When they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles (KJV).
The epistle produced consolation. What is the use of depth without consolation?
The epistles were read throughout the churches and this was done to bring consolation and comfort also.
As we rejoice for the learning we should also rejoice concerning the consolation of the scripture.
We are not looking only for revelation and learning. The holy Spirit can also bring comfort to our hearts.
It is possible to conquer fear from a meeting having learnt the scriptures.
Psalm 23 will no longer be a memory verse to recite.
The revelation is that we are of God. We have learnt that. We now know that he is our redeemer but on the other hand, we are consoled that we experience the reality of these things.
We conquer fear. One way to know that a man has learnt is that he shows a level of confidence in trying situations.
There is a form of doctrine we would learn and it will deliver fear and another will perfect your deliverance.
Romans 6:17-18
When a man begins to make a mountain out of very tiny situations like a wall gecko in the house creeping around; at this point we can conclude that he hasn’t learnt the right form of doctrine.
There is a high premium in learning the scriptures because that is where our assurance and safety comes from.