By Doug Bell
Romans 5:
1¶ “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
*****
Peace! What a wonderful word. Just saying it makes the imagination soar. It may make you think of the Middle East, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Wishing these people groups would stop fighting, lay down their weapons, and begin to live together in cooperation.
But Paul has a greater ‘Peace’ in mind when he wrote those words above. We need peace with our Creator, the God of the Universe! Not a temporal peace like in the world, but an everlasting peace. But, It is not a peace between equals. We are in a war we can not possibly win, in fact we have already lost and a judgment of condemnation has been handed down.
Romans 5:
6¶ “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly...
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us...
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,“
Ungodly, Sinners, and Enemies: that’s what we are unless God intercedes! And that is what He has done through Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. Though we are vile sinners, guilty under the sentence of death and eternal punishment; God still comes to us with the offer of peace with Himself. And the “terms” of that peace is:‘TOTAL SURRENDER!’
And what does total surrender to God look like? It means you Stop! You stop all of your bargaining with Him. You stop offering all your thread-bare offerings of good works. You must stop all your ”self-deception” that there is anything good residing within you that God could have possibly want.
You are Ungodly! You are a Sinner! And you are an Enemy against your God! All you can do is fall down before Him. Admit what you are and what you have done (He already knows!). And hold out your empty hands, asking God the Father to fill them with His gift of salvation!
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done. There aren’t any sins so big, that the blood of Jesus Christ can’t cover! Do you feel too weak or unworthy? Don’t lose hope because the Bible teaches us:
“A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,“
(Matthew 12:20).
You simply must come before your God and admit you are a sinner, repent (turn) from your sin. Believe that the death Jesus suffered was for you and in your place. Thanking Him for saving you and giving you the “Peace” your heart desires!
Romans 10:
9 “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”