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Peace With God Introduction: What does it take to be at peace with God? In the movies as they get ready to execute the prisoner they ask if there is any last request and if they want to make their peace with God before they die. I dare say all of us should want to be at peace with God but not just before we die. I) Without Peace A) One is lost—at the point of death one is either going to be lost or saved. Depending on one’s relationship with God. B) One is living a life with a horrible outcome. II) Peace A) Synonyms – tranquility, harmony, unity, calm. 1. All describe a relationship that is right with God. 2. Many passages speaks of us living in peace with God, 2 Cor. 1.2; 13.11; Romans 15.33. 3. The Gospel is even called the Gospel of Peace, Romans 10.15 B) Peace is broken by sin 1. Sin is described a number of ways in the Bible. It is rebellion, transgression of God’s Law, missing the mark. But sin is against the very nature of God. 2. Sin brings about conflict, anger, rebellion, division. a. The very first sin cause conflict between man and God and between man and woman. b. See this every day around us as families are broken apart by sin. C) Sin between man and God 1. Causes us to be out of fellowship with God. 1 John 1.5 2. Caused Israel to be cut off, Isaiah 57.21; 59.1-2 a. The wicked shall be cut off. b. Who are the wicked? 3. A person that dies at war with God will be lost, Ephesians 4.18-19; Isaiah 3.11 D) Between man and his fellowman 1. A man that steals of kills his neighbor is obviously going to have problems with his fellowman. The same for stealing, gossip, lying, etc. Sin will cause problems with your fellow man. 2. Conflicts and wars are the result of sin. E) Can even cause us to not be at peace with ourselves 1. Even our own conscience condemns us for doing that which we know is wrong. Hebrews 10.21-22 2. In such cases people often try to either blame others, or use drugs to escape the guilt, or become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 3. David describes the inner turmoil he felt in Psalm 38.3-8 4. Judas is described as having remorse after he had betrayed Jesus, Matthew 27.3 E) Since sin is the cause the ultimate remedy is forgiveness, Isaiah 57.17-19 1. Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, Romans 4.7-8 2. Once the man is forgiven then peace is established. We can not get the cart before the horse. 3. To try and have peace with God while remaining in sin is impossible. As aid on the sign outside. Moderation in sin like moderation in hanging. Or being just a little pregnant, or a little dead. III) How To Establish Peace with God A) Not by 1. Worldly fame or fortune 2. Not by our own meritorious works 3. Not by the Law of Moses 4. Not by running away from God or to some place where no one knows you. B) First we must turn to Him for the answer, Isaiah 57.17-19 1. We must turn to Jesus, John 14.27 a. It is by His blood we can have our sins forgiven, Ephesians 2.12-13, Colossians 1.19-20 b. To have peace we must have faith in Jesus, Romans 5.1 c. To have peace we must obey Jesus, Hebrews 5.9 d. To have peace we must have the blood of Christ, Acts 2.38 2. Peace with God comes on His terms and not our own. We can not bargain with God. C) We must love our fellowman 1. Love will stop me from sinning against you. A man that sins against his fellowman does not actually love his fellowman. 2. This means we do not actually love God, 1 John 4.20-21 3. We often talk about the “Golden Rule” of treating others as we want to be treated. Matthew 5.43ff. Conclusion: In order to have peace we must: strive to have it, stop that which gets in the way of it, do that which establishes it, and value it. |