One of the key issues on peace in the Bible is that God is the God of peace, not the author of confusion. God the Creator brought order in creation and gave it meaning. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth who will guide us in His truth (John 16:13ff). Truth brings clarity and, therefore, being guided by God is to live in clarity, not in confusion. Peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). Peace brings clarity and expels confusion. God will keep us in perfect peace as we focus steadfastly on Him, gain clarity from Him and take refuge in Him, our everlasting Rock (Isaiah 26:3–4). We can trust Him to establish peace for us (v 12).
The God of Peace, not the Author of Confusion
‘For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints’ 1 Corinthians 14:33 NASB
Paul wrote to the Corinthians that God is not a God of, or the author (NKJV) or source of, confusion or disorder, but the God of peace. Religion, like philosophy, ideology or politics, can be confusing, so much so that some people just turn its back on all of it! They stop going to church, stop voting and stop discussing stuff that matters. But there’s a better way: the path of clarity through truth that brings peace.
The Christian church at Corinth in Paul’s day was made up of people from various backgrounds and their many different religious and philosophical persuasions and practices. When some of those people came to faith in Christ, they carried their thinking with them into their newly found faith. Some of this caused confusion. They practiced their spirituality according to the ways known to them from other religions, and some of that brought confusion. Paul sought to bring clarity through his letter and teaching, reassuring them that confusion, disorder and chaos are not of God. He encouraged the use of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1) for the edification of others and the church (vv 3, 12, 26), yet expressed with knowledge, not ignorance (12:1), from a heart of love (13:1–13) and in an orderly manner (14:40). God is a God of peace, not author of confusion (14:33). Peace must be based on the clarity of truth.
This newly found faith had to be practiced according to the nature of the God they believed in, not according to the old religious and philosophical practices they were used to. This required ‘the renewing of the mind’ (Romans 12:2), to ‘be renewed in the spirit of [their] mind’ (Ephesians 4:23) and embracing the ‘newness of life’ (Romans 6:4), in order to be living out the ‘new creation’ believers had become in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We, too, must be open for God to change us according to His will found in His word, so that we can practice our faith in accordance to the God of peace. Without the renewing of the way we think and do things, we can never understand and do the will of God and do it God’s way (Romans 12:2). Everything we do must be in accordance to Christ and the Gospel; the Spirit of God will guide us in accordance with His Word (1 Corinthians 2). The transformation into the likeness of Christ is our highest priority (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 4:11–13). Knowing Christ the Truth (John 14:6; Ephesians 4:21) brings clarity and peace.
Peace is a fruit of the Spirit of God, the God of peace (Galatians 5:22). When the God of peace is at work, we receive peace through Christ (see Romans 5:1–2). He causes peace in us through His Spirit (His fruit) and the outworking of His peace will manifest itself in peace. A lifestyle according to the Spirit is ‘life and peace’ (Romans 8:1–6). God is the God of peace, not the author of confusion. God is light and there is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5). As believers we have become ‘light in the Lord’ and must therefore ‘walk as children of Light’ (Ephesians 5:8). The fruit (result, expression) of this lifestyle in the Light is ‘in all goodness and righteousness and truth’ (v 9). We are to preserve the unity through peace (4:3). Goodness, righteousness and truth are the expression of the God of light and peace. Evil, sin, and lies are the opposite and have their source in hell. Living according to our sinful nature will bring death and is not pleasing to God (Romans 8:6–8). When Paul wrote of seeking things above where Christ is (Colossians 3:1–4), he went on to contrast the two opposing ways to live: the fleshly, sinful earthly life or the pure, spiritual heavenly life—lived on earth in the body! Being ‘too heavenly-minded to be any earthly good’ is not the way of Scripture. Being heavenly-minded should make us a force for good in a world of confusion.
The Corinthians, like all other believers, had to learn the ways of God, both in lifestyle, church order and spiritual ministry. Some of their practices brought confusion, just like some false teaching caused deception (2 Timothy 3:13), or confusion and division elsewhere (1 Timothy 6:1–5). Such is not of God. The God Timothy believed in is the God who revealed Himself through the inspired Scriptures which he was to follow—these will keep us safe (2 Timothy 3:14–17). He had to pay close attention to himself and the teaching he heard and shared (1 Timothy 4:16), and so should we. In some churches wrong teaching brought confusion, in others, like at Corinth, wrong practices brought confusion. God is not the source of confusion; He is the God of peace. We should follow the ways of peace.
Test everything by either the fruit of peace or the chaos of confusion. If it’s peace, it’s of God; if it’s confusion, it’s not of God—it’s that simple. He is the God of peace, not the author of confusion. Paul exhorted the believers to test and examine everything and keep what is good, that which is of God (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Quenching God’s Spirit or despising prophetic utterance (vv 19–20) is not the right way to handle abuse or wrong practices that cause confusion; careful examination is! The right answer to misuse is right use, not non-use, just as the response to bad theology is good theology. Test everything whether its source is God or not (1 John 4:1). After examination we can hold on to what is good and of God (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and abstain from evil (v 22). The God of peace will lead us in the clarity of truth by the Spirit of truth (John 14:16–18; 16:12–15). There is a real danger that the preaching of another gospel or another Jesus can mislead believers and impart a different spirit (see 2 Corinthians 11; Galatians 1). This is not to be taken lightly, as deception through false ministers is a major issue we should guard against (see Matthew 24).
Don’t give in to confusion; guard yourself against heresy and false teaching by sticking to the truth of Scripture and following the Spirit of truth. Seek the God of peace to give you clarity through His word of truth and His Spirit of truth—they operate in perfect harmony. This way, the God of peace can sanctify us and work out His purpose in and through us! Keep your mind set on Him who will guide you in truth and keep you in perfect peace.
The God of peace is in you to give you peace and empower you to live according to God’s will.
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