Haddon Robinson:
If we think about it, peace cannot be the proof that we’re in God’s will. If ever anyone was in God’s will, it was our Lord Jesus Christ. But the Bible tells us that just before His crucifixion, Jesus, sweat great drops of blood. With strong cries and tears He asked that, if possible, this cup be taken from Him (Luke 22:41-44). At that moment Jesus fulfilled the will of His Father in Heaven, but if these are the marks of a man at peace, it’s certainly a strange kind of peace.
Look at a contrasting example. If ever anyone was out of God’s will, it was Jonah. God commanded Jonah to go to Ninevah, which was to the north and to the east. But Jonah, the reluctant prophet, immediately headed to the south and to the west, and boarded a ship sailing out into the Mediterranean. After the boat put out to sea, a tremendous storm arose, and the pagan sailors were terrified.
But Jonah didn’t worry – – he was asleep in the lower deck of the boat. He had peace, perfect peace, i the midst of the storm. Yet the prophet was completely out of the will of God.
These accounts of Jesus and Jonah demonstrate that inner peace cannot signal whether or not we are in God’s will, Scripture simply does not hold up such a theory.
Of course I agree (with the former prez of my alma mater, Denver Seminary).
Seems we’re all fairly skilled at confusing outcomes with objectives. The objective is to be in God’s will of which an outcome is peace, not vice versa.