Jeremiah 8:10-12:
10 “…from the least even to the greatest everyone is greedy for gain; From the prophet even to the priest everyone practices deceit. 11 “They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. 12 “Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done? They certainly were not ashamed, And they did not know how to blush…” Says the Lord.
During the course of this week, two examples of false peace reared their ugly heads: First, there was a declaration made by several Muslim leaders who pontificated that the Christian and Islamic worlds must unite because “the very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake.” I will say much more about this later – suffice it to say that this is, without much surprise, an invitation for Christians to embrace Islam’s anti-Christ doctrines which deny the Savior’s deity, His crucifixion, and His exclusivity as both Judge and Savior. This, Muslim leaders confidently argue, will usher in a new era of peace. While it is true that such a move would usher in a temporal, man-centered form of peace, in the end it would only excite mankind’s present enmity with God. Second, there was Al Gore’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on Global Warming®. Mr. Gore is just another would-be savior who comes to us from the secular side of false offers of peace.
Both of these situations remind us that this world is like a burning, smoke-filled house. Danger lurks around us with every hot ember, and we must be sure not to inhale the gaseous fumes of worldly wisdom – they lead only to death. These worldly offers of peace have a common thread: they are all dangerous distractions from the Gospel of Peace. They are generated by men who are greedy for power and wealth – men who say ‘peace, peace,’ but there is no peace. They exalt worldly dangers in order to blow the smoke of their specious solutions – and everyone who comes to them with the expectation of deliverance do so as bondslaves to a useless hope. Throughout the centuries, men have always believed that peace can be achieved through human ingenuity and effort. In every case these false pursuits have placed mankind in the role of savior – a position that the Prince of Peace shares with no-one. As believers, we ought to remember that amidst this smoke filled world there is true safety found in the crisp, clean air of God’s Word. As Christians, we need to fill our lungs with Holy Writ daily, while calling others to flee the polluted air of this world in pursuit of the life-giving wind of the God-breathed Scriptures.
Let us be reminded that the current events of our day afford us an important opportunity to share the Gospel of peace. Thus, we need to remind the lost that there is no peace to be found in this world apart from the Savior, because the peace that we truly need is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5). Any other “peace” is a sham that is sold by false prophets, whether religious or secular, who are greedy for gain, power, and prestige.