Before you can have the peace of God, you must have peace with God. The Bible teaches us several truths about mankind’s relationship with God.  

 

1. God’s Purpose: Peace and Life 

 

God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life – abundant and eternal life. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it abundantly” (John 10:10).  But if God desires us to have peace and abundant life, why are most people not having this experience?

 

2. Our Problem: Separation 

 

God created us in His own image to have a loving relationship with Him, but He did not make us robots who automatically love Him.  He gave us the freedom to make choices, and He tells us that everyone on earth has chosen to disobey Him many times and in many ways.  We might describe ourselves as good people, but when God looks down from heaven, He does not see a world of innocent people, but a world of guilty people who have broken His commands. The result is that we have all become separated from God. He is holy and perfect, but we have become sinful and unacceptable in His sight.  He says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “Your disobedience has separated you from God, and your sins have hidden His face from you" (Isaiah 59:2) and "The payment for sinning is death" (Romans 6:23).

 

Throughout history, people have tried to fix their separation from God.  Many say, “I will just do more good things than bad things and everything will be ok”, but would that work in a human court today?  A murderer might say to a judge, “Yes, I did murdered – but I am sorry and I promise in the future to do more good things than bad things”. Will his promise make any difference to the judge? No, because it does not matter how many good things a person did in the past or promises to do in the future, the crime makes the person guilty, and the guilty must be punished.  

 

That is the same way God works.  We are all guilty of breaking His commands – and no amount of our good works can fix that. We could discover the cure for cancer and give all our money to feed the poor, but it won’t change the fact that you and I are guilty and must be punished. So what hope is there for mankind? .

 

3. God’s Solution:  His son, Jesus 

 

The good news of the Bible is that God is rich in mercy and compassion and has provided a way for us to be forgiven. You cannot earn it, and you do not deserve it, but God is offering it to you as proof of His love for you.  Imagine that you are standing in front of a judge, guilty of multiple serious crimes. All the evidence has been presented and there is no doubt about your guilt. Your apologies and good works cannot erase your crimes - you must be punished. The fine for your crime is $250,000 or imprisonment, but you don’t have anything to pay the fine. The judge is about to pass sentence when someone you don’t know steps up, takes out his wallet and pays your fine for you! The court accepts the money and declares that you are free to go. Your debt has been paid in full, and the stranger’s sacrifice was a demonstration of his love for you.

 

That is what God did for you 2000 years ago. The Bible says that the God of the Universe became a man (His name is Jesus Christ), and suffered and died on a cross so that we could be set free. It is this simple:  we broke the Law, and Jesus paid our fine.

 

4. Our Response:  Receiving Jesus 

 

Do you see God’s great love for you?  Do you see your need for His forgiveness?  God calls us all to a choice - to turn away from our disobedience and believe in His son, Jesus.  Jesus said that He is God, He is King, and He is the Savior of the world.  Many people believe Jesus is God and King and Savior of the world, but they have never personally made Him their God, their King, their Savior whom they will follow for the rest of their lives.  The most important question of your lifetime is this:  What have you done with Jesus?  Is there any good reason why you should not turn and commit your life to Jesus Christ right now?

 

How to receive Christ: 

 

1.  Admit your guilt ("I am a guilty sinner who is unacceptable in God's sight."). 

2. Be willing to turn from your disobedience and obey God (repent). 

3. Believe in Jesus Christ as your God, your King, and your Savior who died to pay for your punishment and rose from the dead to give you new life. 

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The Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Putting your faith in Jesus means you now have peace with God and can experience the peace of God every day of your life. The Bible says, "Whoever has the Son has life, and whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:12-13).

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If you have chosen to receive Jesus as your hope of peace with God, please contact us so we can help you in your new life with Him.  Jesus loves you and seeks to have a daily life of love with you.

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