We all long for peace, in our families, communities or the wider world, and yet any peace we find never lasts for long. The reason is that we don’t enjoy peace with God, and peace with God is the foundation of all true peace.

Peace with God is impossible in our current sinful condition.

Jesus Christ, the true and living Word of God, tells us in the Bible, that the reason we don’t have peace with God is that ‘all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). Because the ‘heart is deceitful … and desperately wicked’ (Jeremiah 17:9) no amount of outer change will make a difference. All our prayers, good deeds, or religious commitments can never cleanse our sinful hearts. Peace with God is impossible in such a condition, but there is hope.

Peace with God is made possible through the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

‘For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things … making peace by the blood of His cross.’ (Colossians 1:19,20)

This is amazing grace. The eternal Word humbling Himself to not only become a man, but become ‘obedient unto death, even the death of the cross’ (Philippians 2:8). And while on that cross Christ ‘once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God’ (1Peter 3:18). In other words, it is because Christ died, that it is now possible to have forgiveness of sin and peace with God.

Christ Jesus is able to ‘bring us to God’ because He is ‘risen from the dead’ (1Corinthians 15:20). He is the living Saviour, and He promises that ‘whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). This is the promise of God. Do you believe it?

Peace with God becomes certain when we trust the Lord Jesus Christ.

If forgiveness of sin, and eternal life was something we had to merit through our good deeds, prayers or religious commitment, we could never be certain of attaining such a position. We would never have peace!

However, the good news is that forgiveness of sin and eternal life are gifts from God to those who will humble themselves, confess their sin and accept that Jesus Christ has paid the price on their behalf. All that God asks of us is to trust Him. If you do, peace with God is guaranteed.

‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved’ (Acts16:31).