#122: Go In Peace

Published by Ben Stahl on November 9, 2020November 9, 2020

Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.”

II Kings 5:17

How do you prepare others for your eventual passing away in death? Do you pretend it won’t happen and keep silent until it does? Or do you give instruction and comfort to your loved ones now living about God, His Word, His commands, and His Heaven so that they can have a measure of peace on that great day?

From John 13 through John 16, Jesus was with his disciples in the upper room preparing them for his death. Near the end of John 13, Judas left the group on his treacherous mission and Jesus was left alone with the faithful eleven disciples. John 14 – 16 are filled with testimony to the person and work of Jesus Christ: who He is (John 14:6); who He would send (14:25-26); what He would do after departing (14:2-4); what would happen to Christians after He left (15:18-27); and what the Christian could take hold of in the present hour (Chapter 16). Throughout this theologically rich and comforting portion of John comes a promise of peace from Christ to His disciples:

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…” (14:27).

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace” (16:33).

Peace with God is perhaps the greatest gift we could ever receive. Once we were enemies with God, bound in the chains of sin and death. But God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to set us free by paying our debt through His suffering and death on the cross in our place. He brought us peace with God with the shedding of His own blood. He left Earth and rose to Heaven leaving us His blessing of peace.

The peace of God is not for all who ever live. Judas Iscariot did not receive this peace. Most have died without ever knowing or receiving the peace of God. Sometimes peace is even promised falsely (Jer. 6:14). God’s peace is reserved for those whom the Father gave the son. The peace of God is only for those whom the Son died to save. But to as many as receive Christ through faith, to them is given the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Naaman prepared to return to Syria, his mind having been transformed by the effectual work of the Holy Spirit within him, he quickly questioned his evil ways and was turning from them as he learned of the glory of the LORD God of Israel. Naaman recognized he could not offer sacrifice or have any false gods in Syria. He was beginning to recognize the life changing impact of the new birth – he ought not even to give an appearance of worshipping a false god by going into the temple of Rimmon and bowing down there in support of his king.

As Elisha witnessed the great work the Lord was doing with the Syrian General and former leper, he dismissed Naaman with the greatest farewell that a prophet of God can give, “Go in peace.”

After all that had just taken place in Naaman’s life, the words of the prophet Elisha signified that the peace of God went with Naaman. Was this appropriate when Naaman was still trying to figure out how he would live out his faith? The peace of God always goes with those who are being sanctified.

We have a clear testimony of Naaman’s faith with his own mouth, “now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” We have a clear witness of the Spirit dwelling within Naaman as he immediately wrestled against idolatry. Elisha did not add further to the weighty instruction Naaman had received that day but rested content that the Lord who had begun a good work in Naaman, would surely complete it. Therefore Elisha could bid Naaman farewell with the blessing of the Lord, “Go in peace.”

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