PEACE
Text : Romans 5:1
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Introduction:
“Shalom Alechem”…”Assalamu Alaikum” …”Pax Vobiscum”…“PEACE be with you”.
We heard and uttered ourselves this phrase most often for an habitual greetings in a certain event or place; or an obligated salutations expressing goodwill and tranquility each time you meet people with high hopes to mean that peace would last for that particular day, occasion, or place or even in certain fleet of time.
Indeed, we live in a day with a hustle and bustle, the anxiety and stress, the busyness and distractions of our culture is making it increasingly challenging to find at least a piece of that serenity and tranquility in our soul or life in general. Mankind seemed to have the natural affinity to chaos and conflict, looking at every angle of our world of this generation especially these days expressing such greetings would sound like a clanging cymbals of insult and sarcasm (to some extent). Pressing hands on our ears to shut them off is rather the lamest if not most futile gesture christians would do. So how can we achieve a lasting placidness in both external and internal realm? How can we attain a perfect peace perspective in our life? Biblical peace is more than just the absence of conflict or state of rest.
So, today we want to hear, feel and see how the Bible describe “Peace”.
Christ Our Peace.
John 1:3 “All things were made through Him; and without Him nothing was made that was made.” Colossians 1:15-16 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rules or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Clearly this tells us that peace originated right there in the beginning, a perfect picture of harmony and serenity upon the completion of the whole creation and being through Jesus Christ manifested as God the Father’s agent in creating everything in the universe. Also, from our practical experiences and personal encounter with Him backed-up with the biblical scholars’ doctrine, Peace defined as having harmony and accord brought about by cordial relationships clearly it has its source in God through Christ. Highlighted in the later passages of John’s gospel (John 14:27(ESV), Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,” Ephesians 2:14. When we face a troubled time in our life do you turn to something to give you peace or do you turn to the Lord?
Christ Justified Sinners.
Being at peace brings with it a contentment, harmony, order, fulfilment and without those it led you to enslavement of any sorts (of sin generally!). In the same gospel (John 8:33), the “freedom” Jesus has spoken of is spiritual: those who reject Christ are still enslaved to sin. This results in both eternal damnation and earthly consequences (Romans 1:26–27). The people who remark back about their freedom seem to think that if they are not actual slaves, in a social sense, they have no need to be freed. In this way, their reaction proves that they do not understand the point Jesus is making. Truth to the matter was that those Pharisees sounding people nowadays of whom added their self claimed “good works”, failed and with hardened heart deliberately denied the imputed righteousness through the innocent blood of Jesus Christ that accepted us (believers) to God.
Christ Our Salvation.
The disciples’ outcry loud to Jesus as the tempest struck them;
“Lord, SAVE us.” (Matthew 8:25) disciples’ must have out-roared the vociferous thunder as the devouring tempest struck them as they screamed their lungs out to Jesus whilst asleep. Matthew contrasted Jesus’ physical state of peaceful sleep with great tempest of nature and disciples’ fearful cry. Jesus Christ arose and rebuked the winds and seas and there was a great calm. Brothers and sisters in Christ this is just an initial painting of what a great picture to see…
Jesus Christ heard us and He walked into the calvary voluntarily to be slaughtered and hanged in the cross for us to be SAVED from eternal damnation, reconciled with our Abba Father and grant us PEACE. Leviticus 3 reminded us of the peace offering and highlighted on that passage that it should be without blemish or spotless portraying the the very sinless nature of Jesus Christ. Foreshadowed Christ’s atonement of our sins who was slaughtered and hanged in the cross for our sake.
Christ Through Faith.
When Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son, Isaac, I wondered what’s in Abraham’s head (Genesis 22)?. What made the woman of having haemorrhage for 12 years reached out and touched the hem of Jesus Christ’s? Faith then is the gift of God lead us to a relationship with Christ. That we can’t be separated from Him. When Sarah realized she’s far beyond her age to bear a child and fully accepted that her body was “dead” to bear life, but God said you will bear a son, and she believed! through God’s grace faith aboundeth. Faith is losing oneself to God to allow God to come into our life and take control of it. Faith knows that behind all of this is a divine love.
Assurance Through Faith
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. “ My Lord and My God” Thomas conviction after Jesus called out to him. A slap of believe that prostrated himself of what he has seen in Jesus Christ portraying such Faith assuring that the things revealed and promised in the Word are true, even though unseen, and gives the believer a conviction that what he expects in faith, will come to pass. In other words, it becomes so tangible that you now possess it. In James 2:21: you see that faith was working with his works and as a result of the works, faith was perfected and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “ AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD AND RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS” and he was called the friend of God. v.26 “For as Body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. “
Wholeness Through Faith.
Peace means completeness or wholeness and it points to the presence of something else. The two-way nature directly proportioned to the very essence of what RELATIONSHIP is. Harmony mandates something or someone (i.e., nature, fellow colleagues and even your own self) to be tuned-in. Not a single part of creation could stand on its own. To whom do you want to build your relationship with that assures and secures peace and eternal life?. A strong and intimate relationship requires a strong foundation and Jesus Christ is our rock, a precious cornerstone and sure foundation (Isaiah 28:16).
Benefits and promises of faith in Christ.
When we submit and commit ourselves to God it blossoms to a harmonious relationship with the source of peace, Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit the overflowing promise of hope abides in us (Colossians 1:27; 1John 4:13).
Peace Through Faith.
Jesus is our peace with God (Romans 5:1). Due to our sins, we were enemies of God and were separated from Him (Ephesians 2:13) but Jesus restored our relationship when He took on our sins and died on the cross (Ephesians 2:14). He provided a path of reconciliation and now we are joined to God (Romans 5:10) and can have fellowship with Him (1John 1:3). Peace with others: Jesus is our peace with others. In Him, we have reconciliation with others, live at peace with them (Colossians 1:19-20) have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:9) and can live with others in unity and one accord through the bonds of peace (Ephesians 4:3). He empowers us by His Spirit to be peace makers with our neighbours, friends and foes. Peace with ourselves: Jesus is our peace within. In Him, we are a new creation (2Corinthians 5:17), and He is making us whole and complete like Him (Philippians 1;6, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). when trials come to tear us apart, He is our peace that keeps us together (John 16:33).
True Peace through Faith.
We have to bounce back to the idea of how Jesus Christ saves us to grant us PEACE. Been justified means a certain transition within ourselves from sin to right-relationship with God. “Faith” is the belief that God will keep His promise. God’s righteous act of removing the condemnation, guilt, and penalty of sin, by grace, while at the same time, declaring the ungodly to be righteous, through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
I could also see myself in Jesus Christ’s disciple in the midst of great storm (Matthew 8:25) with the loudest fearful cry until I felt His hand holding me. I used to think that believing myself as a man constantly and painfully searching for the truth and exhaustively doing every good thing in my capacity is the way for salvation but all thrown in the pit of futility until I realized He’s the One reaching for me and calmed the storm all over me. We have been justified and through our confession with our mouth that He is our Lord whom the God raised from dead as He raised us, we have peace (Romans 10:9).
“Peace be with you” we can say it in a fancy convincing way to win the favour whatever day brings. A kind of peace that depends on favorable circumstances: our getting our way, things going as expected, with maybe a few manageable problems. That sounds nice, but as soon as things go awry, this type of peace tends to dissipate, leaving us anxious and fretful. This is world peace.
But how about this:
“Peace be with you” Jesus Christ has said to you at your doorstep showing the holes on His hand and side same as He appeared to His disciple after resurrection (John 20:21).
God has breathed out through His Scriptures that we have been absolved, acquitted cleared from imputation by our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who had been our Mediator,Propitiator, the sacrificial Lamb that reconciled us back to our Holy Father that granted us eternal PEACE. Justification bestowed by God on you through Christ Who is our source, the ultimate key and door to the fathomless and perfect peace and harmony of our present and future life and in which He made you righteous, absolved from the consequences of sin and succumbed to the enjoyment of the divine favour. You must have faith in the sinless blood of Christ that washed away our sins and make us whole and complete to God. We often get stuck at the thought that peace with God means that we are pardoned by God and He has accepted us . But to have peace with God is to be in relationship of union, love, friendship with God. It’s not just that He forgives us. It is that God is now your Friend. God loves you and me with the love that He loves His Son.
CONCLUSION:
Apostle Paul stressed that we are saved only through our faith in Jesus, not our adherence to the law. Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness. Likewise, we who put our faith in Jesus are made righteous and will received eternal life.
Tranquility, completeness and harmony you don’t have to earn them for God gave them being justified by our faith through Christ our Lord, we have peace with God.
You and me stand before Him just as the same way Jesus stand before Him. What a perfect peace.