God’s Gift

John 14:²⁷ “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  (LB, emphasis added).

To enjoy God’s promise of peace you need to Have Peace With God. You cannot have the peace of God until you have peace with God. Most times, we want to have the peace of God, but we have not established peace with God. Until you have peace with God, you cannot have the peace of God. Romans 5:¹ “Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (GNT). We have been put right through faith; therefore, we have peace with God. A lot of us think we are the ones to make peace with God by doing good deeds, getting to church early, sweeping the streets, and taking care of the poor. All these things are good, and if you have peace with God, you will do those things.

But these are not the things that give you peace with God. The Bible says through Christ Jesus, God was the one who made peace with us. So, we have peace with God when we receive the peace that God has made with us. You have peace with God when you receive the peace that God has made with you. It is not you who makes peace with God. It is God who makes peace with you and that is huge! It is God who made peace with you even before you were born, even before you had come into that peace and accepted it. That peace is not dependent on your actions or inactions. It is not dependent on your situation and circumstances. God’s peace endures!

Colossians 1:²⁰ “…God made peace through the blood of Christ’s death on the cross.” (NCV). There is nothing you can do to make peace with God. The best of your righteousness is like filthy rags before God. There is no other sacrifice (ètutu), but that which God Himself made by Himself which is Christ. Pastor, what are you saying? What I am saying is that you did not make peace with God. God made peace with you. Yours is to receive the peace of God. That is why when Jesus enters a place, He says peace be unto you. So, I am saying to you today and I am speaking into your life, your circumstances, your home – peace be unto you!

You do not make peace with God. God already made peace with you. You receive the peace of God. To enjoy the promise of peace, you need to have peace with God. God’s peace is a gift—the gift of peace of mind and heart. You need to receive it. If you do not have peace of mind and heart, you have not received it, or you are rejecting it. Do you receive God’s peace today?

Prayer (hymn): I need no other argument; I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me. Amen!