We Can Have Peace in This Troubled World
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1.
What Is peace? Most people have the idea that it is a
sort of ecstatic feeling. They think that peace with God means an
indescribable heavenly feeling; and so they always look for that imaginary
feeling as evidence that they are accepted with God.
But peace with God means the same thing that it means
with men: it means simply the absence of war. As sinners we are enemies of
God. He is not our enemy, but we are his enemies. He is not fighting
against us, but we are fighting against him. How then may we have peace
with him? Simply by ceasing to fight, and laying down our arms. We may
have peace whenever we are ready to stop fighting.
Note that when we have peace with God we are not simply
at peace with him, but we have His peace. This peace has been left
on the earth for men; for the Lord has said, "Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you." John 14:27. He has given it to us. It is
ours, therefore, already. It has always been ours. The only trouble has
been that we have not believed it. As soon as we believe the words of
Christ, then we have in very deed the peace which he has given. And it is
peace with God, because we find the peace in Christ, and Christ dwells in
the bosom of the Father. John 1:18.
Waggoner on Romans, p. 93 |
