Crowns VII

“Crown him the Lord of Peace! Whose power a scepter sways, from pole to pole, that wars may cease, absorbed in prayer and praise.”

I spent the last two days walking through quite a lot of historical Charleston. I toured two decommissioned forts. Fort Moultrie in particular was a sobering example of humanity’s evolution in killing efficiency (and defense capability). It also reminded me to be so thankful for the men and women who have sacrificed so that I could walk around without fear of enemy ships sailing into Charleston harbor. It was remarkable to think that as little as eighty years ago we were still using cannons. It was also sobering because I walked around walls that literally had holes from where brothers (in some cases literal blood brothers) tried to kill one another. I walked across floorboards where the color of your skin determined your role and social value. At Middleton Place in particular, there was an exhibit that displayed the names and estimated “worth” of all the enslaved people who worked for the family. It was a fascinating trip back in history, but it was also appropriate food for thought for today’s post. See, for thousands of years, mankind has alternated between looking for power and peace (sometimes attempting to use power as a means to dictate the terms of peace). This verse of the hymn explains that there is only one source of peace and only one supreme power. To look for fulfillment apart of Him, is to walk into a never-ending void.

We are told that he is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The Bible says, “He is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). It promises that “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you” (Isaiah 26:3). We were at “enmity with God” (Romans 8:7) but are now “in the Spirit” (Romans 8:8). We have been given one Spirit, faith, baptism, and one God (Ephesians 4:1-7). So many people are looking for peace. Some search for it in earthly possessions, others in a pill, some in a bottle, some in relationships, some in a search for security or power, some in social standing…they all eventually fail. On the dark nights when friends aren’t present, when life isn’t good, when uncertainty is rife…those sources of peace are insufficient. See, anything worth pursuing is eternal and there is only one eternal being – God himself. We find the attributes of God (i.e. peace, joy, love, holiness, righteousness, trust, faithfulness, truth, grace, etc.) because we find him. Lewis said it this way, “Look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in” (Mere Christianity). The pursuit of those traits on their own will eventually leave you empty because their true, never failing source, is only found in one person.

It is tempting to see peace as passivity. That is not the case at all, he rules over the entire earth. He does not compromise to accomplish peace. There have been many rulers or nations that have sought to rule from pole to pole, but it has never been done. Hitler, Napoleon, Alexander the Great, the long line of Caesar’s, Genghis Kahn…the list of those who used military might to win power and influence is almost as long as human history. Unfortunately for them, it has never worked. They have never ruled from pole to pole. They have experienced transient victories and success, but it has always ended the same way…their own death and the eventual fading of power. However, God is the everlasting Lord. He does not grow weary. His power and might know no end. He will reign eternally and one day every knee will bow. There will be a universal acknowledgment of his rule. In the end, evil will be dealt with and the prayer and praise of the saints will last for the remainder of eternity. It is remarkable to think that his unchanging character and our worship will be what remains in the end. We sometimes get very fixated on Heaven (and that can absolutely be a good thing). I do find it remarkable though that the very things we will be doing for eternity are things we are are more than capable of doing now. His character is not going to alter between now and final judgment. Worship will certainly be uninhibited by temptation or sin when we arrive at our final residence. However, we are fully capable of worshipping him now. Why do we long for Heaven if we aren’t even willing to put aside our plans for a few hours to worship corporately (much less every second of the day)? Yes, when we arrive in Heaven, we will see those we love who went before us. Yes, we’ll be surrounded by beauty and free from suffering. Nevertheless, if those are our motivations then we may need to pause and consider our heart’s desires. If our chief motivation for gaining Heaven is anything other than the presence of Christ and worship, then we need to be sure we are truly on our way to Heaven. I'm not saying it can't be a process to get to that point, but eventually he must become our primary love. The rest is “thrown in,” but it should never be the main thing. Christ rules, worship will be forever, and we can know peace here on this earth – but only if we pursue Him, the very source of what we seek.