Verse: ROMANS 5:1-9
If you’re brave enough, stand on a sidewalk and ask passersby the question, “What gives you peace?” The answers you receive will most likely have one thing in common: peace defined as dependent upon circumstances—a solid relationship with a spouse, a well-paying job, or good health. What happens, then, if a couple fights, the company lays off employees, or sickness saps the body? Peace rooted in good situations isn’t really peace at all; it’s a brittle kind of harmony between man and the world. It crumbles very easily.
Jesus Christ is the only One who offers true peace—a lasting contentment that is unbreakable, no matter what missiles Satan may hurl. However, a sinful life makes peace impossible because a person cannot experience assurance of God’s care when he or she acts in defiance of His will. When a believer expresses faith in Jesus, the battle for self-rule is won. Submission to the Lord allows His peace to permeate one’s life.
When the Holy Spirit lives within us, we can approach life confidently and serenely. The only way to get this lasting peace is through a relationship with the Savior. Paul explains in Romans 5:1 that to be justified—that is, declared no longer guilty—we must accept the sacrifice Christ made in our place. Justification makes us right with God and opens our hearts to peace.
If you haven’t yet acknowledged to God that you recognize His Son’s loving sacrifice made on your behalf, then you don’t have real peace. Now is the right time to surrender to Him.
