In 2 Thessalonians 3:16a, Paul begins his benediction, "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way." "Now" (v. 16a) marks the transition from command and exhortation to prayer. The prayer itself recognizes that only God can accomplish His desires in your life. Only He can bring about the results intended by His Word. So Paul's first request is for God's peace to permeate every area of your life. But what is peace?
The world defines peace like this: "A state of tranquility or quiet" (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, [G & C Merriam Company: Springfield, Mass., 1973], 842). "The sense of calm… contentment, and well-being that comes when everything is going well" (MacArthur's New Testament Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, [Moody Publishing: Chicago, 2001], 312).
But that definition is quite shallow. A calm, tranquil feeling can be produced by any number of things. Such a feeling can be produced by lies, self-deception, or unexpected good fortune. In fact, simply the absence of conflict and trouble produces this feeling, as do drugs and alcohol. However, this kind of peace is only temporary and can easily be destroyed.
When any kind of conflict or trouble arrives, such peace quickly ends. Any kind of failure, doubt, or fear will also destroy such peace in your life. Bitterness, anger, pride, any kind of difficulty, guilt, regret, sorrow, or anxiety over circumstances beyond your control destroys this kind of peace. Even being disappointed or mistreated by others, or simply making bad decisions, brings the world's peace to a sudden end. If any threat is made to your security there is no longer any such peace.
God's peace, true spiritual peace, is completely different. As John MacArthur said, God's peace "is the deep, settled confidence that all is well between the soul and God because of His loving, sovereign control of one's life both in time and eternity. That calm assurance is based on the knowledge that sins are forgiven, blessing is present, good is abundant even in trouble, and heaven is ahead. The peace that God gives His beloved children as their possession and privilege has nothing to do with the circumstances of life" (Ibid, 313).
God's peace is divine. It is derived directly from "the Lord of Peace Himself" (v. 16a). "Himself" (v. 16a) is in the emphatic position in the Greek text, enforcing the fact that the God who is peace grants peace to believers. It is all of God! God is the one who gives you peace, not the circumstances of life or anything else—only God.
First and foremost, this is peace with God. Yet this peace that God gives us with Himself provides the basis for our peace with one another. Only He can make harmony among believers a reality.
"Always" (v. 16a) asks that there be no break in the flow of God's peace. "In every way" (v. 16a) asks that this peace with God continue to exist within you no matter what the outward circumstances might be in your life. With Christ in your life, no matter what you may encounter in life, there is peace. The peace of God Himself is always within you giving you comfort and strength. Amen.
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