“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Ever since Adam and Eve fell from peace with God, this has been the most important thing for every person born since. We must have peace with our Creator. If we do not, we are like people digging ditches in the desert: full of work, but void of purpose, accomplishing nothing. If a man is successful in every area of life (perhaps he even does good works for others and loves his family well) but does not have peace with God, he has not truly achieved success. He is like a captain sailing well through rough waters, but having no clue where land is nor where he is headed. Peace with God is both the land and what gives meaning to navigating towards it.
Just as health is not simply the absence of disease, so peace is not simply an absence of conflict. Rather, peace represents completeness. This is attested to by the Hebrew word Shalom used in the Old Testament and the Greek word Eirene used in the New Testament (1). This completeness starts with the One who grounds what it is, and extends from there.
“WE CAN HAVE PEACE WIH OURSELVES BECAUSE OUR SALVATION IS NOT BASED UPON THE CORRUPTED BLOOD FLOWING THROUGH OUR OWN VEINS, BUT UPON THE ETERNALLY-SATISFYING BLOOD OF CHRIST, FLOWING THROUGH PURE VEINS FORMED BY FAITH.”
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). We cannot have true peace with others unless we have peace with God. Sure, there can be counterfeits of all kinds. Yet, true peace can only come from the One who made it. When we are not aware what true peace is, how can we attain in? If we do not know what grounds peace with others, how can we possibly pursue it? The call to live peaceably with others does not mean that you ought to compromise your beliefs for the sake thereof. Rather, it is about seeking peace where it can be found. This is especially the case as it relates to issues on which God extends more liberty, such as eating meat that was originally sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8:7-8). Moreover, there is something special about being a person who is at peace in the midst of a chaotic world. A man at peace is like a soothing tune that attracts the ear of the listener in the midst of a vast array of other sounds around them. This can ultimately help us point others towards the One who gave us the ability to have such peace.
“How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You” (Psalm 139:17). We can have peace with ourselves because our salvation is not based upon the corrupted blood flowing through our veins, but upon the eternally-satisfying blood of Christ, flowing through pure veins formed by Faith. Guilt and shame are powerful feelings; they are feelings that can lead us to chronic sorrow and regret. Accordingly, some may find themselves in a place where they feel as if they can have peace with God and others, but perhaps not with themselves. Such a feeling can hold us back from reaching our potential because we are so caught up in the past or even with a habitual sin being fought against. Yet, to have peace with God is to reach the completeness of what it means to be made in His image. Therefore, to have peace with God is to have peace with self; it is the perception that is flawed, and not the reality.
From the sand to the stars, God knows the fullness between. He can bring peace with Himself, with others, and within yourself as well. And now, since it is almost November, let us look joyfully ahead to the time when we celebrate the birth of the One who brought peace to Earth and good will toward men: the Prince of Peace (Luke 2:14, and Isaiah 9:6).
