At peace with God
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”Romans 5:1
Reflection
There are many kinds of peace we seek: peace of mind, peace in relationships, peace in circumstances. But Paul points here to the most fundamental peace of all, the one on which all the others depend: "we have PEACE WITH GOD". Before any inner or outer peace, there is the matter of our relationship with the Creator — and the Bible is honest in saying that, because of sin, that relationship was broken. There was an enmity, a separation. And the greatest news of the gospel is that this war is over: in Christ, we have peace WITH God.
Notice how this peace is obtained: "justified by FAITH". "Justified" is a courtroom term — it means to be declared righteous, acquitted, to have the verdict of "not guilty". And this comes not by merit, by works, by religious effort, but by faith in Christ. That is, peace with God is not something we win by being good enough; it is something we receive by trusting in what Jesus did for us. The war was ended not because we laid down our weapons and became worthy, but because Christ paid the price of peace at the cross. We simply receive, by faith, a peace treaty He signed with His own blood.
This distinction is liberating, because many people live trying to make peace with God on their own — accumulating good works, fulfilling rituals, trying to compensate for mistakes, hoping to finally deserve divine acceptance. But Romans 5:1 declares that, for whoever believes, the peace is already made. It is not "I will have peace with God when I improve"; it is "we HAVE peace with God" — in the present, as an accomplished fact. You do not have to spend your life trying to sign a treaty Christ has already signed for you. Your part is to receive, by faith, the peace He has already guaranteed.
And think of what that fundamental peace sustains. When you know you are at peace with God — that the most important matter of existence, your relationship with the Creator, is settled — that becomes the foundation of a peace that crosses life’s storms. Circumstances may be at war around you, but if you are at peace with God, there is a deep serenity nothing shakes. Many people seek peace in a thousand places without ever settling the most basic peace of all. If today you walk restless, without peace, begin at the root: are you at peace WITH God? If not yet, it is available now, by faith in Christ. And if you already have it, rest in it — the most important war of your life has already been won, and the verdict over you is "justified".
Prayer
Lord, thank You that, in Christ, the war is over — I have peace with You, not because I deserve it, but because Jesus paid the price of peace at the cross. Forgive me when I try to make peace with You by my effort, as if the treaty were not yet signed. I receive by faith the peace You have already guaranteed. And may that fundamental peace be the foundation of my serenity in everything. Amen.
Put it into practice
If you have been trying to "deserve" peace with God by effort, stop today and receive it by faith: declare "in Christ, I have peace with God — the war is over". Let that fundamental peace be the foundation when the circumstances around you are at war.
To reflect on
Have you been trying to CONQUER peace with God by your effort — or received, by faith, the peace Christ has already guaranteed at the cross?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).