Peace seems like such an elusive goal. There is a restlessness in the hearts of all men, we are looking for rest, and we are looking for peace. Conflict is exhausting, it is messy, and it incurs loss. Since, the birth of sin in Adam, true peace hasn't existed. It didn't take long for it to boil over, see the famous story of Cain and Abel. The lack of peace is not rooted in the conflict between man and man however, it is based in the conflict between God and man. Sin is not something that we do to our fellow man, but to God and God alone. "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge."(Psalms 51:4) David wrote this Psalm after he had committed adultery and murder, however he is faced with the painful realization that he has truly sinned against God and not his fellow man. Sin at its root is against God, however when we sin against others, the consequences still effect our fellow man.
God is the true source and giver of peace. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13) When the Lord gave the priestly blessing to the Israelites, one of the blessings was peace. (Numbers 6:24-27) However, sin is the ultimate inhibitor of peace with God. Sin needs to be done away with in order to have access to the peace given by God. The only way to receive forgiveness of sin was the shedding of blood: "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22) The judgement for sin has to be dealt with and the consequence for sin is death. "For the wages of sin is death.." (Romans 6:23)
God is a gracious and loving God, but He is also a just and holy God, and He will not deny himself. So in order to have peace with God a sacrifice had to be made. Someone had to be the sin substitute for our sins, some one had to be the two goats in Leviticus 16 (Day of Atonement). Now imagine, that Jesus, the Son of God, came down from glory and honor and humbled Himself to die for all of us. Please read Philippians 2:5-11, so that the a true picture of humility and servitude can be seen in what Christ did for us. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:12) He that knew no death, became death for us! Don't you see Christ did what we could not, and through Him the righteous requirements of the law were met for us. "For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4) "and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Col 1:20) It is through faith in Christ that we can receive this atonement for our sin. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph 2:8-9)
So through this faith in Christ, we can now have peace with God. "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)
So what is gained in peace with God? Read Ephesians 2:12-18 and I am going to highlight verse 18: "For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." The same thing is said in the above verse in Romans 5. So through Christ's sacrifice, along with salvation and all of the other amazing gifts we have in Him, (I will blog about that later) we have access to God because we are finally at peace with God because our sins no longer block us from Him. Think about that! We now have a direct link to the Father, the Creator of all things, God Almighty, because of the peace we receive through Christ. Here is also where it gets cool:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
We receive peace on both sides of our petition. So we have access to God with the peace found through Christ and now God graciously gives us peace to sooth our anxious hearts and minds as we offer our prayers to Him. God is the giver of good gifts, (James 1:17) His timing is perfect. However, most of the time, His timing is not our timing. So as we wait for our prayers and petitions to be answered, God gives us peace that transcends all understanding. Our ability to trust Him comes from the peace He gives us and is confirmed in the hope seen in His promises coming to fulfillment. So I implore you to allow this peace to reign in your life! "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Col 3:15) We are so quick to forget how good of a Father we truly have, and get caught up in the instant gratification of our culture and expect God to do the same. Rest in His peace that He freely offers through His Son, Jesus. Allow it to permeate you completely, so that when the unknown, or trials come your way that you can take solace in the peace spoken about in John 16:33. Also, boast only in the cross, because without it, we would have nothing, which includes peace.
I will close with this. "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." (2 Thes 3:16)
Peace be with you all through our Savior Jesus Christ,
Daniel
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