Because of Jesus – I am at Peace with God

When the circumstances in your life are overwhelming you, have you ever thought God was unhappy with you or maybe even punishing you? I have. During illness, financial woes, relationship struggles, or you fill in the blank, we shouldn’t be surprised at the temptation to doubt. Our enemy works hard to frustrate and confuse us concerning our relationship with God and where we stand with Him.

When our oldest daughter was about ten years old, she opened the refrigerator to get the new gallon of milk. It was heavier than she expected, and as she pulled it off the shelf, she dropped it on the floor. The jug burst, and her feet were soaked as the puddle of milk quickly spread across the floor. I was standing at the sink nearby and nearly shouted, I was so surprised, “Oh, honey! Are you okay?”

I’m not sure if it was the intensity or the volume of my voice, or if she was remembering a time when I didn’t respond so kindly, but the poor child burst into tears. She was crying over spilt milk. Really?! Was she just relieved that I wasn’t angry? Was she embarrassed because of the mishap? I quickly grabbed towels and the mop, and together we cleaned up the mess.

Later I thought about why she cried. I’m sure she was startled, and her tears were probably a mere reflex reaction. Even so, I asked the Lord to show me if there was more, if there was something I could learn from the incident. Then a question came to me. Was she unsure of how I would respond? Was she insecure in her relationship with me? I was crushed, because I loved my daughter deeply! I wanted her to feel secure in my love and to have peace about where she stood with me. I wept to think that any inconsistency on my part might have resulted in her insecurity. Determined to live in a way to communicate the love and security she needed, I resolved to foster peace in our relationship by responding with more grace and forgiveness. I prayed that she would never again feel insecure in my love. That’s a tall challenge, but I had to try. I worked at it and still do after these many years.

In my heart I heard God say, “I want you to have peace about where you stand with Me. I want you to be confident of my consistent, unconditional love for you. I want you to rest in peace, knowing you are forgiven, that I will always love you, and I desire the best for you. I will never reject you or turn my face away from you. Because of Jesus, we are at peace, you and Me.”

The same truth applies to you! You, dear believer, are at peace with God because of Jesus. When you respond in faith to the love God extended to you when Jesus died on the cross, you are reconciled to God. You are put in a position of right standing. You do not have to worry about what God thinks about you or how He feels about you. The sacrifice of Jesus applied to you means that God will never change the way He looks at you. Your relationship is secure. The blood of Jesus puts you in right standing with God. Nothing additional on your part can achieve or improve that standing for you. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

When you are convinced of the truth that all the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus while he hung on the cross, then you will know that you are at peace with God.

When you realize there is no wrath left for you, that God will never be angry with you, you will be sure of where you stand with Him. God wants you to understand that His wrath was poured out on sin. Jesus became sin on the cross. He died for your sin—past, present, and future. There is no wrath left for you.

So what happens when you blow it, when you make poor choices, or react instead of respond to someone you love, or choose to do what you know is wrong? God knows the destruction sin can cause in your life, so what happens then to your standing with Him? You still have peace through Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s work is to convince you to see sin as God sees it and to transform you into the image of Christ. This transforming work will continue for the rest of your life. As you submit your will to His rule, as you see from His perspective, you will change. But God, whose love for you is holy and complete, will never change. The relationship will always stand. You have peace with God because of Jesus.

This week, every time you hang up the phone after a conversation, say to yourself, “Because of Jesus, I am at peace with God.” You never have to wonder where you stand in relationship with God. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself.

More about peace with God through Jesus Christ:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
Romans 3:28

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:9-11

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:11

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:19-21

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13

And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Ephesians 4:24

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.
Colossians 2:12-14