There are no price tags for peace! Yet it is a gift of God!

 

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

I remember a couple of years ago, when we visited Hawaiian falls, a small boy was running around the swimming pool crying, screaming, and saying, “tornado, tornado coming at 6 PM, run fast.” There was no warning of a tornado that day, and all wondered why he was so worried, fearful, and screaming.

I am sure this was an unusual incident. But it portrays the troubled hearts and minds of people, doesn’t it? Do you know there are thousands of people who live in fear and without peace on this earth? Some people are afraid of God, and there are people who fear the devil and demons. Many people visit sacred places and take a bath in holy rivers and go climbing up steps to wash away their sins and to appease the wrath and anger of God. But, the truth is this -all these are purely man’s vain attempts to get peace and reconciliation with God.

Bible declares that we have peace with God by His act and not our by acts. It says we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Not by any of our works or acts.

We all know, there are no price tags for peace and love. Peace is a gift of God. Beloved, It comes as a result of our right standing with God. How can we stand right with God? On the day of the birth of Jesus, an angel appeared to the shepherds living nearby and announced this, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
You see, I am not a religious man. Why? All religions are man’s futile attempts to reach God. No one will reach God by their religion. Beloved, No religion can offer you right standing before God and peace in your heart. On the contrary, the Gospel or the good news of Jesus Christ can and will. The good news is this- God reached us in the person of Jesus Christ and freely gave us access to His grace, based on what Christ did for us.

Sin is the number one enemy of peace. Sin takes away peace from our hearts. However, God justifies a sinner freely by the blood of Jesus Christ. It means God put all of our sins on Christ as if he was the sole representative of all sinners ever lived on this earth. In turn, God imputes or imparts righteousness (right standing before God) based on Christ’s work not by our works. Let me explain, God takes all sin and all its filths from us and place it on Jesus Christ, and then, in turn, He declares us right before God because of the finished work of Christ and thereby grant us peace with Him. In other words, He treated Jesus like we were treated, and thus our sin is placed on His body. Jesus paid for your sins by dying, burying, and rose again in your place. Then God gave His righteousness (right standing before him) and resultant peace to us. In short, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It was a single one-time event – Christ on the cross for our sins. 2 Corinthians 5:17 sums it up this way, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.” ‘Reconciled’ is a finance and accounting term. We did not have peace because we went astray and alienated from God due to our sins. We were far away from God and lived in fear. Now Bible says, God took the initiative to change the equation. He turned our hostility to a fellowship and friendship with Him in and through the person and the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Bible says we never earn the right standing before God and the resultant peace with God, by observing the Law or our hard works. Listen, it is not earned. It is a free gift of God, granted only by His grace when you and I come to Jesus Christ in faith and trust. Listen to what the Bible says, “The right standing before God is given through your faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God, all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21)
When you come to Christ in faith and trust, God treats us as if you never sinned. Not because you never sinned. Of course, we all sinned. But no record of sin to be seen anymore under our names. All got transferred to the account of Jesus Christ. This is how we stand right in the presence of God and obtain matchless peace and free access to God and daily grace and help.

Beloved, the vital question is this – do you know these truths? Do you enjoy peace with God every day? Do you know you stand in the unmerited grace of God? Don’t you want to give thanks and praises to God today? If you are still a religious person seeking God thru obeying the rules and stipulations of religion, come out of the manmade religions and have peace and sweet relationship with God in and through the savior of the world – Jesus Christ.

Got a moment for today’s prayer? Father in heaven, I know you granted me the right to stand in your presence. You transferred all my sins to Jesus’s account. I have free access to you and stand in grace today. I praise and thank you. I believe Christ died for my sin and rose again from the dead. I believe Him as my savior and Lord. Thank you for your love and salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.”