May 3, 2026

IS "PERFECT PEACE" BIBLICAL?

By Darrien DeFederico

John 14:27 (NASB95)

27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Devotional

There was once a young person that grew in a relatively small town. They were about to graduate from high school, and so they began thinking about college opportunities. At first, they thought they might skip college and start working immediately. However, in the end, they decided to attend a university several states away and to live on campus. However, money was tight. While loans were taken out for the school tuition, money was still needed for travel, food and other short-term expenses before the university experience started. The only problem was this person was flat broke. While they did have a job, it was not enough. What ended up saving the day for this person was an unexpected financial blessing from their church, where they gave them the money they needed without telling them they were giving them a going away gift. What was a stressful and uncertain situation became settled and calm. The solution brought an unshakable sense of peace that could not have been chance. While it may sound unrealistic, it is a true story nonetheless. However, this ending is not always the case.

Everyone, even unbelievers, desires peace and tranquility in their life, but it is clearly not always there. Most Christians know though that peace is something that God has promised us since the beginning; that much is certain. While God does not promise that every trouble and inconvenience will be radically removed from your life, clearly verses like John 14:27 promise God's protection and providence. Verses like Matthew 11:28-30 have similar promises, where Jesus promises rest to those with Him. But what kind of peace does God promise us? Does He promise "Perfect Peace", as some describe? And if so, what is this "Perfect Peace"?

The phrase "Perfect Peace" does appear in the Bible. In Isaiah 26:3, most translations of the Bible use the phrase "Perfect Peace" or "Peace, Peace". The Hebrew text literally reads “peace, peace", which is why some versions use that phrase instead. Larry Walker notes that repetition is used in Hebrew for emphasis (cf. 6:3).¹ This emphasis on peace is why the phrase is often translated as "perfect", noting how complete it is. Isaiah 26:1-6 even gives additional details on what type of peace believers can expect; the passage describes a city that is able to keep open its gates because there are no enemies outside. So it does seem that there is a peace that God gives that is both external and internal.

However, sometimes this phrase can be used in unrealistic and unbiblical ways. For example, sometimes it is claimed God will give you perfect mental peace if you make a good decision. Some even claim that, as long as you are following God, nothing overly bad or traumatic will happen to you. Anything bad situations happening to you then is viewed as you doing something God did not approve of. But neither of these types of peace are biblical, and we only need to look at the life of Jesus to see that.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus is in agony over the coming crucifixion He knows is coming (Luke 22:39-46). The text notes that He was in so much distress that blood started to form while He was sweating. This does not sound like the picture of someone who has God's perfect peace, and this is the Son of God making the best decision of all time to save humanity! But even Jesus had mental anguish from such an important decision, not an eternal state of bliss and inner tranquility. And not only was Jesus going to suffer by dying; He was going to have a terrible and humiliating death. Why would God let such an awful death happen if Jesus was making a good decision? It is because God does not promise that we'll always have perfect peace just because we make God honoring decisions. You can feel anguish, uncertainty, and have immediate problems, and still be following God.

What do verses like Isaiah mean for us then? The book of Isaiah is primarily prophetic, so this passage describes a future peace, which is a common theme in Isaiah (another example is Isaiah 2:4, which describes a time where they'll be no more war, which is not yet a present reality). Revelation 21:4 also has a similar depiction of external and internal peace, but it is only after Jesus returns. So while there can be temporary external and internal peace at times; it is not always promised in ways we would want. Even if everything is not going well, or even if you are anxiety for what comes ahead, it does not mean God has left you. Instead, the peace God gives us is not merely a feeling of bliss, but the everlasting promise that He will never leave you (Joshua 1:9). Now that is perfect peace!

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for always being with us, despite outside circumstances. Help us to be courageous and make the right decisions for you, knowing that the right decisions do not always bring internal peace. Help us to be as Paul and Peter, boldly proclaiming your word in a hostile generation. Amen.

Bibliography

1. Larry L. Walker, Elmer A. Martens, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Lamentations (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005), 106.