Discover His heart: He made peace with us through His Son
When two nations are at odds with each other, the conflict will continue until some sort of an agreement can be reached to end it. The two parties involved will send mediators to a peace summit where a peace agreement is signed and usually a celebration follows, everyone feeling the love and warm fuzzies. However, most of us have observed through the years, especially in the Middle East, that this euphoric feeling of peace and safety is often short-lived because it was based on an agreement to be at peace and not a standing or position of peace. Signing an agreement is a good initiative and may make those involved feel good at the moment, but real peace is much more than a feeling.
@ Romans 5
“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”(1) Paul is not talking here about the peace of God, which I might add is one of the great blessings we receive in our walk with God, but he is talking about our peace with God because of what Jesus has done for us.
This is not a peace that comes and goes according to our feelings at the moment. This peace is a standing or position of peace with God, and it comes with benefits as well, “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (2)
I appreciate that someone, and Paul of all people, placed some blame for the fall of mankind on Adam. Eve has shouldered most of the blame for man’s separation from God, but Adam could have resisted that beguiling woman of his had he wanted to do so. “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.” (18)
Because of Christ’s one act of righteousness, we are no longer in conflict and hostile with God. We are at peace with God. We are not only in agreement with Him, but in good standing with Him. We are standing in a place of undeserved privilege where God shares His glory with us.
Our position of peace with God allows us to receive the peace of God and that is why Paul says, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (3-5)
Sometimes reading the complexity of Romans makes my brain hurt, but I get this one. God sent His Son, our mediator, to make possible our peace with Him before we ever even came to the peace talk, while we were still His enemy, because of His great love for us. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners… So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” (8,10) Friends of God! Not only are we enjoying peace with God and the peace of God, plus all the privileges, but we are friends!
Moving Forward: I can’t help singing today, “I am a friend of God. I am a friend of God. I am a friend of God – He calls me friend.” (I. Houghton) So thankful for Jesus.
Tomorrow @ Genesis 8-11
Phyllis Benigas 