Letting the Peace of Christ Rule in Our Hearts VS Christ as the Arbiter

 

Letting the Peace of Christ Rule in Our Hearts VS Christ as the Arbiter

- Col 3:15: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts"

- Rom 5:1: "Justified by faith, we have peace with God"

- Eph 4:3: "Keep the unity of the Spirit"

- Phil 4:7: "Peace of God will guard your hearts"

 

Comparative Aspect	Letting the Peace of Christ Rule in Our Hearts	Christ as the Arbiter	Biblical References	Practical Applications
Essential Definition	Subjective experience of resolving conflicts through Christ's peace in one's heart	Objective spiritual reality of Christ personally serving as mediator and judge	- 1 Tim 2:5: "Christ is the mediator between God and mankind"	- Inner reconciliation - Relationship harmony
Operational Mechanism	- Peace as an inner mediator - Eliminating personal inner conflicts - Active response of believer's submission	- Christ's direct intervention - Acting as supreme judge - Exercising spiritual authority	- Eph 2:14: "Making both groups one" - Isa 9:6-7: "Government on His shoulders"	- Spiritual warfare - Relationship restoration - Life renewal
Operational Level	- Primarily at personal inner level - Choices of mind, emotion, and will	- Covering personal, interpersonal, and spiritual levels - Implementation of spiritual authority and divine order	- Col 2:14-18: Spiritual warfare - Matt 18:15-20: Resolving interpersonal conflicts - Eph 4:2-3: Practice of unity	- Personal growth - Church building - Community harmony
Believer's Role	- Active yielding - Surrender - Obedience to inner peace	- Accepting Christ's lordship - Acknowledging His judgment - Submitting to His authority	- James 4:7: "Submit to God" - Eph 5:21: "Submit to one another" - Phil 2:5-8: "Mind of Christ"	- Self-denial - Service - Acts of forgiveness
Inner Conflict Resolution	- Mediating three factions within - Letting peace replace discord - Quietly listening to the Lord's voice	- Christ mediating between parties - Establishing divine order - Executing ultimate judgment	- Col 3:12-15: "Peace at the center" - Matt 18:21-35: Parable of forgiveness - John 14:27: "My peace I give you"	- Emotional management - Spiritual discernment - Conflict resolution
Temporal Dimension	- Ongoing experience in daily life - Immediate choices and responses	- Eternal and unchanging spiritual fact - Authority beyond time and space	- John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you" - John 16:33: "I have overcome the world" - Heb 13:8: "Same yesterday, today, and forever"	- Continuous practice - Stable trust - Constant obedience
Mutual Relationship	- Christ's peace as arbiter tool - Subjective experience reflecting objective reality - Decision of submission	- Christ as the ultimate arbiter - Objective reality manifested through subjective experience - Realization of authority	- Gal 3:28: "All one in Christ" - 2 Cor 5:18: "Reconciled to God" - Rom 8:6: "Mind controlled by Spirit is life and peace"	- Complementary - Inseparable - Dialectical unity
Spiritual Effects	- Inner harmony - Personal surrender - Open communion with God	- Comprehensive restoration - Establishing reconciled relationships - Life reconstruction	- Rom 12:18: "Live at peace with everyone" - Ps 133:1: "How good when brothers live in unity"	- Life renewal - Spiritual growth - Church unity
Practical Path	- Exercising the spirit - Regularly waiting quietly - Yielding personal will	- Respecting Christ's authority - Following the Spirit's guidance - Practicing body life	- Col 3:16: "Teaching and admonishing one another" - 1 John 1:7: "Walking in the light"	- Prayer life - Word nourishment - Fellowship

 

Key Spiritual Insights:

1.      Subjective-Objective Dialectical Relationship: "Letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts" and "Christ as the Arbiter" are like the subjective experience and objective reality of faith – complementary and inseparable.

2.      Implementation Mechanism: Christ's peace is the concrete manifestation of Christ Himself acting as arbiter, the expression of His authority in the believer's heart.

3.      Three Dimensions of Peace:

o   Vertical peace with God (justified by faith)

o   Horizontal peace with others (mutual forgiveness)

o   Inner peace of heart (emotional and mental rest)

4.      Practical Steps:

o   Recognizing the objective fact of Christ as Arbiter

o   Choosing to let Christ's peace rule in one's heart

o   Obeying the guidance of peace in specific situations

o   Building Christ-centered relationships and community

5.      Ultimate Goal: Christ having preeminence in all things, believers experiencing inner life renewal and the building up of Christ's Body.

 

*Please refer to the July 2024 Anaheim, California, USA training Experiencing, Enjoying and Manifesting Christ (II) Week 22 A New Man—the Creator of God’s Masterpiece