#64 THE PEACE WITHIN US BECAUSE OF CHRIST 8-31-26
There is something Christ gives us that the world cannot give and circumstances cannot take away. It is peace. Because of Christ, we can have peace with God, peace with each other, and peace within ourselves. The world searches for peace in possessions, relationships, success, comfort, and security, but true peace is found in a Person. Jesus Christ is our peace. When we come to Him, He changes our relationship with God, our relationship with others, and our relationship with ourselves.
First, Christ gives us peace with God. Sin made us enemies of God, but Christ made reconciliation possible through His death on the cross. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). We do not have to live wondering whether God will receive us. In Christ, we have been brought near. The cross has settled what sin could never settle. The blood of Jesus speaks of forgiveness, reconciliation, and acceptance. We were once separated from God, but through Christ we can come boldly into His presence.
Second, Christ gives us peace with each other. Jesus did not merely reconcile us to God. He also tears down the walls that separate people from one another. “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation” (Ephesians 2:14). At the foot of the cross, human distinctions lose their power. Pride has no place there. Hatred has no place there. Bitterness has no place there. We are all sinners who need the same Savior. The person who has received the grace of Christ should become a person who gives grace to others. “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).
Third, Christ gives us peace within. There are storms that rage around us and storms that rage inside us. We cannot always control what happens around us, but Christ can rule what happens within us. He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you” (John 14:27). Notice that Jesus did not simply promise to give us peace. He promised to give us His peace. His peace is greater than our circumstances. His peace does not depend upon everything going right. His peace remains when the answers have not come, when the future is uncertain, and when the night seems long.
Imagine a small boat on a stormy sea. The waves may rise, the wind may howl, and the darkness may surround the boat. But the greatest difference is not the absence of a storm. It is the presence of someone who can say, “Peace, be still!” Jesus may not always calm the storm immediately, but He can calm the heart in the middle of the storm. His presence gives us a peace that circumstances cannot explain.
The peace of Christ reaches every direction. Peace with God looks upward. Peace with each other looks outward. Peace within looks inward. Upward, we know that we have been reconciled to our Creator. Outward, we seek reconciliation and fellowship with others. Inward, we rest in the presence and promises of Christ. This is the peace the world cannot manufacture because it is the peace that only Christ can provide.
We need to remember that peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Peace is the presence of Christ. You can have a quiet house and a troubled heart. You can have money in the bank and turmoil in the soul. You can have people around you and still feel alone. But when Christ is at the center, there is a peace deeper than circumstances and stronger than feelings. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
So let us rest in Christ. Let us live at peace with God through faith. Let us pursue peace with one another through love and forgiveness. Let us receive peace within through the presence of Jesus. The world needs many things, but above all it needs Christ. For when Christ comes into a life, peace comes with Him.
_______________
Lord Jesus, thank You for being our peace. Thank You that through You we can have peace with God, peace with one another, and peace within our own hearts. Help us to stop trying to find in the world what can only be found in You. Teach us to forgive, to love, to reconcile, and to rest. When the storms come, remind us that You are with us. When our hearts are troubled, let Your peace rule within us. May our lives become a testimony that the peace of Christ is greater than anything this world can give or take away. Amen.
BDD
