by Dr. John E. Greever, Pastor, First Baptist Church of Fenton
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
One of the world’s rarest joys is peace. This is not a peace equivalent to a cessation of violence and conflict (it includes these things), but rather a peace that encompasses relationship, love, intimacy, and the oneness of soul, free from friction and contradiction.
Most people live without this type of peace, and they are tempted to say, “Peace is an impossibility; it is a pipe dream.” But the Bible proclaims to us in this wonderful text that we can have peace; we can have peace of mind, heart, and soul. But the Bible in this passage also states that peace is only found in God, and the means to experiencing that peace is being “justified by faith”, that is to be right with God through faith in Christ’s atoning work on the cross.
Justification by faith centers on the substitutionary atoning work of Jesus Christ. It means that the sinner looks to Christ in faith, and only to Christ in faith, as his sacrifice for sin and his payment for the guilt and condemnation of sin. The results are sins are paid for in full, guilt of sin is wiped away, the law of God is satisfied, and the wrath of God in judgment is appeased. What results from all this is a state of peace between the believer and God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The peace that the believer has with God the Father through Jesus Christ includes a sense of well-being, knowing that all is well. The most significant problem of the sinner is that he is unacceptable and condemned before God. The sinner is a rebel against God, elevating self to the place of sovereignty. But when the sinner becomes a believer, trusting in Christ, and bows before the Lord Jesus in humble and loving submission, seeking His pleasure and leadership in life, then there is beautiful and wonderful peace that results.
This peace is profound, complex, and multifaceted in category. The believer has peace with himself. The believer has peace with his past. The believer has peace regarding his sins. The believer has peace about life’s situations and the future. Every part of this glorious peace is God’s gift to the believer in Christ. And, in addition, all aspects of this peace come from the fact that the believer is at peace with God. Being at peace with God is the launching of all other aspects of peace. Without peace with God, there is no peace among people or in the human troubled soul. However, because the believer has peace with God, we can also have peace with others and with ourselves.
Troubled friend, live in the peace of Christ with God. Rest in His promise that all is well because you are accepted in Christ, your Savior and Lord. Yes, rest in His peace with you and for you.
Prayer: Dear Lord, my soul is troubled by so many things. I feel inner turbulence and struggle almost daily. Please grant to me in Christ, Your dear Son and my Savior, peace with You. Then also grant that I may live in Your peace in all areas of my life. Amen.