We can all use some more peace on earth.
Colossians 1:19-20 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
The infant child arrived on a night that was just like any other as far as most people could tell. But in this small corner of the world there was a magnificent event taking place. The God of all creation became Immanuel, God with us, hardly anyone knew that the Prince of Peace came as a baby to change our relationship with God and with our fellow man.
Ever since the original sin in the Garden of Eden the world has been in chaos. Satan hated mankind because they were the most excellent part of his creation because we were made in his image. That's the reason Satan hates you so much, God is his enemy and since you are made in God's image, you force Satan to see his enemy everywhere.
So Satan went to work to break the relationship that God enjoyed with man. Maybe he thought that God would destroy us because of our sin but God had a better plan to make a way for us to have peace with him.
Thank you Lord for bringing peace to our relationship, a peace that affects every part of my life. Help me to show peace to the world so that they will know the Prince of Peace.
The original sin was the beginning of strained relationships, suddenly relationships were tainted by fear, man and woman tried to hide from God in the bushes and from each other by creating clothing to cover themselves.
Peace with God
Romans 5:1,10-11 Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Our situation was hopeless and there wasn't any way for us to fix our broken relationship with God. As soon as you were conceived you became an enemy of God, your sin nature put you at odds with him, but he loved you too much to leave you in that condition.
A just God must punish sin but thankfully our God is also a God of mercy and peace. The same all powerful God that is your judge is also the provider of your pardon. Jesus told us over and over again during his three years of ministry that he came so that he could die to pay the debt that we owed for our sins. That was his main agenda.
Peace with Man
Romans 12:16-18 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
We are to approach our relationships with our fellow man the same way that Jesus treated us, he didn't give us what we deserve, he didn't seek revenge for those that hurt him, he didn't even raise his voice in anger to defend himself.
As a follower of Jesus we must put aside our natural reactions to being wronged and allow the characteristics of the Holy Spirit to be our guide. It is amazing that we think that the Holy Spirit can dwell in us and yet we can be so at odds with one another. (Galatians 5:22-23)
"True love never thinks evil of the beloved. It is never suspicious, but always supportive and inspiring. True love bears all things. Nothing weakens or undermines it." -Billy Graham
We should be able to make peace and live harmoniously with those around us as a result of the peace that we have with God, he went to the extreme to fix relationships and he expects us to do the same. How far will you go to mend a broken relationship?
John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid."
The biblical concept of peace does not focus on the absence of trouble. It is ironic that Jesus taught his disciples about peace on the night before He was arrested and sentenced to die. Jesus didn't give us any reason to believe that this world was going to be easy but he did say that we can have peace in the middle of our trials.
Thank you Lord for bringing peace to our relationship, a peace that affects every part of my life. Help me to show peace to the world so that they will know the Prince of Peace.
