Peace - Advent, Week 4 Reading 4

Jesus makes peace with God possible.

"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."

Colossians 1:19-21

"But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's condemnation. 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."

Romans 5:8-11

Newsflash: we are not born children of God. In fact, we are born enemies of God.

Oh sure, we are still born cute and gorgeous according to His design. But beneath all the good, is a depravity, a corruption infused into our DNA by the first sin from our father Adam. It's anything but cute and gorgeous. And it makes relationship with God impossible. We are not right with God. There is hostility between God and evil, and so there is hostility between us and Him. Even the most perfect "goody-two-shoes", golden children are not good enough to override this corruption. No matter how much any of us try, we cannot override it. Sin is deserving of all of God's wrath because He is so good.

In God's mercy and grace, He allowed animals' deaths to substitute temporarily for the payment of death that our sin requires but an animal's death will not fully satisfy God's wrath.

This is bad. Very bad.

And this is precisely what makes the Good News so so good.

Jesus bore all of God's wrath for all of our sin in a most brutal, horrible death.

So now all who come before God's altar, before His throne of judgement, with Christ's blood now have their debt settled. Because they present to God Christ's blood, their sins are paid for and therefore God wipes them away forever.

Imagine yourself before God's judgement seat. There's a thick wall of hostility between you. You're in the same room but there's a chasm so deep and wide that no amount of good intentions or works could ever begin to bridge. All you have is Christ's blood. God's eyes light up and He immediately hammers down the gavel which echoes and says, "Innocent!" Immediately all of your sins disappear never to appear again. Next, He steps down from His throne with a robe in His hand. It's a beautiful robe made with the most luxurious fabrics; velvet, silk and fur. It's made to last a lifetime. Somehow you know what it is. It's Christ's robe of righteousness. His reward for living a perfect, sin-free life. With a tear of happiness in His eye, God decidedly wraps it around you. Surprisingly, it fits just right. It won't slide off and you won't even stumble over it as you walk. The chasm that filled the room before is completely replaced with love, joy...and peace. "You're free now!" God says with a hearty laugh. And then He puts both His hands on your shoulders and looks you straight in the eye and deep down in your soul, "Between you and Me, there is peace. Forever," He says seriously yet with gentleness.

Now this new relationship, it's also friendship. And it's not meant to be put aside for moments of desperation. The best kind of friends don't do that to each other.

This moment, those words...you'll need to return to them often. As you read His Word, everything starts making more sense, has more meaning. And when the days feel empty and you feel like you fall short and pressure and condemnation threaten your peace...remember God's Words and that you are at peace with Him.