The Peace of Christ

I'm going to begin a new category or two of posts that includes clear and concise definitions (sometimes with expansions) of important theological terms.  The term for this post is peace.  There is both a vertical and horizontal dimension to the experience and reality of peace, but the Godward dimension is primary and foundational in Scripture.  And I'll lean, as so often I do, on my beloved friend John Owen for help here.

Here is a definition of peace given by Owen as he comments on the work of the Holy Spirit from Jn. 14:27, which reads: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."  These are, of course, Jesus' words.  And Owen says of them: "The peace of Christ consists in the soul's sense of its acceptance with God in friendship."  That's it.  This is a good definition of the primary dimension of peace. Owen then expands: "So Christ is said to be 'our peace' (Eph. 2:14) by slaying the enmity between God and us and in taking away the handwriting against us.  'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God' (Rom. 5:1).  A comforatable persuasion of our acceptance with God in Christ is the bottom of this peace; it [includes] deliverance from eternal wrath, hatred, curse, condemnation—all sweetly affecting the soul and conscience."

Now as mentioned, there is also a horizontal dimension to peace, that is, between humans flowing from peace with God.  The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 almost certianly primarily has this horizontal dimension in view, as the context makes clear.  Yet, since peace with God is foundational to peace with others, the vertical dimension, I would argue, is not out of view even when horizontal peace is in view.  In fact, the vertical dimension of our lives is never out of view.  For we always live coram Deo, always before the face of God.