1 Let’s go back and finish the quote from Lenski that we started last week on the matter of the peace of Jesus.

2 “Peace” is at once defined by “my own peace,” one which in a peculiar way belongs to Jesus, which he also can “leave” (like a legacy) and “give” (like a treasure). The very words indicate that this “peace” is objective: the condition and the situation of peace when nothing disturbs our relation to God. … Does the peace of God interpret your daily living circumstances as good, or do your daily living conditions determine your level of peace and how well or poorly you believe God actually loves you?

3 “Peace” is at once defined by “my own peace,” one which in a peculiar way belongs to Jesus, which he also can “leave” (like a legacy) and “give” (like a treasure). The very words indicate that this “peace” is objective: the condition and the situation of peace when nothing disturbs our relation to God. … Do you realize that all of the emotional struggles that torture us are caused because of the belief that there is a vacancy where God should be in your heart? When God is viewed in your heart with your spiritual eyes, there is absolutely no room for fear, anxiousness, loneliness, insecurity, apprehension, or any similar fleshly lying emotion. THAT is what the benefit of God’s perfect peace will do for you.

4 “Peace” is at once defined by “my own peace,” one which in a peculiar way belongs to Jesus, which he also can “leave” (like a legacy) and “give” (like a treasure). The very words indicate that this “peace” is objective: the condition and the situation of peace when nothing disturbs our relation to God. This must be distinguished from the subjective feeling of peace. The latter is to flow from the former, yet the feeling may be slight, even altogether absent at times, while the condition itself still obtains. On the other hand, one may feel quite undisturbed, unconscious of any danger while his actual condition should fill him with dismay. “My peace” must mean, “the peace I establish for you.” This objective blessed condition Jesus leaves to his disciples, leaves it to them as a precious gift from his own hand. Whether they at once enter into the full consciousness and enjoyment of this peace is a minor matter. The subjective feeling will come in due time where the objective condition prevails. Lenski

5 Let’s be sure to get all of the meat off the bone that Lenski just gave us. What is he really teaching us?

6 “Peace” is at once defined by “my own peace,” one which in a peculiar way belongs to Jesus, which he also can “leave” (like a legacy) and “give” (like a treasure). The very words indicate that this “peace” is objective: the condition and the situation of peace when nothing disturbs our relation to God. This must be distinguished from the subjective feeling of peace. The latter is to flow from the former, yet the feeling may be slight, even altogether absent at times, while the condition itself still obtains. On the other hand, one may feel quite undisturbed, unconscious of any danger while his actual condition should fill him with dismay. “My peace” must mean, “the peace I establish for you.” This objective blessed condition Jesus leaves to his disciples, leaves it to them as a precious gift from his own hand. Whether they at once enter into the full consciousness and enjoyment of this peace is a minor matter. The subjective feeling will come in due time where the objective condition prevails. Lenski What is the difference between “objective peace” and “subjective peace”? This is a very important matter because one is absolute and immutable and the other is not.

7 “Peace” is at once defined by “my own peace,” one which in a peculiar way belongs to Jesus, which he also can “leave” (like a legacy) and “give” (like a treasure). The very words indicate that this “peace” is objective: the condition and the situation of peace when nothing disturbs our relation to God. This must be distinguished from the subjective feeling of peace. The latter is to flow from the former, yet the feeling may be slight, even altogether absent at times, while the condition itself still obtains. On the other hand, one may feel quite undisturbed, unconscious of any danger while his actual condition should fill him with dismay. “My peace” must mean, “the peace I establish for you.” This objective blessed condition Jesus leaves to his disciples, leaves it to them as a precious gift from his own hand. Whether they at once enter into the full consciousness and enjoyment of this peace is a minor matter. The subjective feeling will come in due time where the objective condition prevails. Lenski “Objective peace” just IS what it is on the basis of its facts and reality, whether you believe it or not. It is there because Jesus gave it to you; He said it is yours and you will either accept or reject its benefits. Subjective peace is a peace that is felt when conditions predetermined by the subject are met, and only when they are met will peace be “felt”. What is the problem with this peace, that we all love so deeply and depend upon so heavily as the measure of “true peace”? We actually judge the faithfulness of God by this mongrel definition of peace.

8 “Peace” is at once defined by “my own peace,” one which in a peculiar way belongs to Jesus, which he also can “leave” (like a legacy) and “give” (like a treasure). The very words indicate that this “peace” is objective: the condition and the situation of peace when nothing disturbs our relation to God. This must be distinguished from the subjective feeling of peace. The latter is to flow from the former, yet the feeling may be slight, even altogether absent at times, while the condition itself still obtains. On the other hand, one may feel quite undisturbed, unconscious of any danger while his actual condition should fill him with dismay. “My peace” must mean, “the peace I establish for you.” This objective blessed condition Jesus leaves to his disciples, leaves it to them as a precious gift from his own hand. Whether they at once enter into the full consciousness and enjoyment of this peace is a minor matter. The subjective feeling will come in due time where the objective condition prevails. Lenski Subjective peace is antichrist. It takes a peace that is centered in God, that is as stable as God, and rejects it as unreal, irrelevant and untrustworthy because it does not match personal desires.

9 “Peace” is at once defined by “my own peace,” one which in a peculiar way belongs to Jesus, which he also can “leave” (like a legacy) and “give” (like a treasure). The very words indicate that this “peace” is objective: the condition and the situation of peace when nothing disturbs our relation to God. This must be distinguished from the subjective feeling of peace. The latter is to flow from the former, yet the feeling may be slight, even altogether absent at times, while the condition itself still obtains. On the other hand, one may feel quite undisturbed, unconscious of any danger while his actual condition should fill him with dismay. “My peace” must mean, “the peace I establish for you.” This objective blessed condition Jesus leaves to his disciples, leaves it to them as a precious gift from his own hand. Whether they at once enter into the full consciousness and enjoyment of this peace is a minor matter. The subjective feeling will come in due time where the objective condition prevails. Lenski God will not likely subject Himself to subjective peace because He knows that if He were to put Himself under the demands of subjective peace, the subject, or the standard setter, would immediately raise the bar for the subjective peace. In other words, subjective peace tries to change God into a “genie in a bottle”, attempting to force Him to allow the subject to be god.