Peace on Earth

 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

(Luke 2:14 ESV)

 

As we celebrate the season of Christmas, we are often reminded of this refrain. We hear it in church, as the Scriptures are read. We read it in our children’s Bibles, as we share with them the Christmas story. And it’s something we both hear and sing in many of the carols familiar to this season.

 

In Jesus, God has provided us with peace. Peace is received by those with whom God is pleased. It’s received by those upon whom his favor rests.

 

This, however, can seem confusing as our world is anything but peaceful. Wars rage around the globe, even as we speak. And even our own streets, even our own cities and towns, are anything but peaceful.

 

The peace he’s referring to, however, is not a worldly peace. An outward peace, a societal peace, is something that will only be enjoyed only when Christ returns and sin becomes a thing of the past. It’s something that will be enjoyed as we experience life eternal in his everlasting kingdom.

 

What the angels are referring to, as they praise the Lord, is peace with God. We read about this in Romans 5:1, where Paul writes: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Through Jesus, he says, we have been brought into a state of peace with God. We, in other words, are no longer his enemies. We are no longer in a state of condemnation and wrath. Rather than being under his curse, we are now in his blessing.

 

And this is received through faith in Christ. It, therefore, isn’t something that we deserve. Nor is it something we earn. It’s a gift of God, provided to us in his Son.

 

Jesus provided this blessing to us, as he took on flesh, becoming man. He provided it to us as he lived the perfect life we’re unable to live. He provided it to us as he died on the cross, paying the penalty of our sin. And he provided it to us as he rose from the grave, victorious over death.

 

So even if we are struggling, and even if we don’t feel at peace with God, this remains true. It remains true because it isn’t dependent upon us in any way. It’s dependent only upon Christ and what he has done for us.

 

As we, then, trust in Christ, we can know that we have peace with God. We can have full assurance of this peace. And this truth can offer us comfort in this world that is anything but peaceful.

Distinguishing Between Sins

“If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭4‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Most of us tend to make a distinction between the things we’ve done wrong. We make a distinction between the intentional and the unintentional.  We distinguish between things we’ve done purposely, and those we’ve done accidentally or without thinking.

Now, in one sense, these distinctions are very real. We often commit wrongs very purposely. We do them intentionally. We know what we’re doing is wrong and, yet, we do them anyway.

However, while we readily acknowledge the sinfulness of those things done intentionally and purposely, we minimize those done unintentionally or accidentally. We want to believe that these wrongs should be overlooked or dismissed. We do so telling ourselves that our intentions are generally good.

Speaking for myself, I’m more likely to give the benefit of the doubt to someone who sinned against me unintentionally. I’m quick, in this case, to overlook their offense. And, generally speaking, I expect the same from others when I unintentionally sin against them.

But we tend to believe the same is true when it comes to God. We tend to think that only our intentional sins matter. We think that only they count against us. And we think that only they need to be forgiven.

This, however, is far from the case. And we see this clearly in the above passage. As instructions are given to the people of Israel regarding the sacrifices, we see these instructions for sins committed unintentionally.

We’re told that, when a person has unintentionally committed a sin, and when he realizes his guilt or is made aware of it, he’s to offer a sacrifice. He’s to offer a sacrifice for this sin he has committed. 

We see here that these sins do make us guilty before God. Like sins committed purposely, they too make us deserving of his wrath. And, for this reason, atonement must be made for them.

We, of course, do not offer sacrifices. The death of Jesus on the cross paid for each and every one of our sins. But this does tell us that, when we sin unintentionally, we need God’s forgiveness.

When we realize our guilt, or when we’re made aware of it, we must not take it lightly. Nor should we dismiss or excuse our sin. We must, rather,  confess it to God. We must acknowledge before him the sinfulness of our sin. And we must look to him for the forgiveness that’s found in Jesus.

When We Feel Abandoned...

 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There are times in life when God seems absent. There are times in life when it seems that he’s forgotten us. There are times when it seems that he does not hear as we cry out to him.

Although we’ve come before him in prayer, it seems to us that he is not listening. Although we’ve brought our needs before him, it seems that he will not act. And although we’ve come to him in desperation, it seems that he does not care.

These were the feelings of David, as expressed in the words above. He felt utterly forsaken by God. It didn’t seem that God was acting to save him in his distress. And, although he came continually before the Lord, he found no relief.

Times like this lead us to question. Circumstances such as these lead us to doubt. They lead us to do so as we feel abandoned.

We begin to think that, perhaps, God doesn’t exist. We begin to think that, if he does exist, he certainly isn’t good. And it seems to us that he just doesn’t care.

Yet, in the midst of his distress, David’s faith persisted. He ends this passage, declaring that God is holy. He ends it declaring that God is enthroned on the praises of Israel.

If we read on, we see the reason for this hope. He points out that their fathers trusted in the Lord, and that he’d delivered them. David could, then, trust in the Lord in his present circumstances knowing that he had been faithful and that he had, in fact, provided his salvation.

This is true of us as well. We have every reason to remain firm in our faith. We have every reason to do so even when it seems pointless. We have every reason to do so even when it seems useless.

We have every reason as we consider Jesus. He, we recall, repeated these words as he hung on the cross. And not only did he feel forsaken. He was forsaken.

Although he knew no sin, Scripture tells us, he became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). He bore our sin in his body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). And by his wounds, we have been healed (Isaiah 53:5).

In this way, we know that we have not been forsaken. We can trust, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that we have not been abandoned. Even in times of hardship and distress, we have full assurance that God hears us and that he’ll provide for our need.

This doesn’t mean, of course, that our lives in this world will be easy. Nor does it mean that our problems will fade away. We know, however, that as the penalty of our sin has been paid, its consequences will one day be a thing of the past.

The Source of Faith

 “Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”

(Acts 13:12 ESV)

As we read through the gospels, as well as the book of Acts, many miracles are recorded for us. And we tend to think that these works of God caused many to come to faith. We tend to think that they were instrumental in the growth of the early church.

This leads us to believe that, apart from miraculous works, people will not be saved. We believe that, apart from miraculous works, it’s much harder for people to believe in Jesus. We believe, quite frankly, that miracles are more persuasive than the Word of God.

As we look at the circumstances in Acts 13, however, we see otherwise. Paul had brought the Word of God to the proconsul on the island of Salamis, off the coast of Greece. And, as he did so, a false prophet actively opposed him.

Paul informed this false prophet that the hand of the Lord was upon him. And this was not a blessing. It was, rather, a judgment. The Lord, Paul declared, would make him unable to see for a time.

Immediately, darkness fell upon him. He was unable to see. And he was left seeking people to lead him by the hand.

It’s in this context that we read the words above. We’re told that, then, the proconsul believed. He believed, when he saw what occurred. He believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Reading this, we have to ask ourselves: Did the miracle that he witnessed play a role in his faith? And we have to answer that question in the affirmative. But it wasn’t the miracle itself.

He was astonished not at the miracle. He was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. He was amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

The miracle was connected with the teaching of the Lord. It was connected with the doctrine of the Lord. But it was the teaching itself that imparted faith.

Paul tells us as much in Romans 10:17. “So faith comes from hearing,” Paul writes, “and hearing through the word of Christ.” Apart from the word, then, apart from the teaching of the Lord, there can be no faith.

Although miracles are a great blessing, and although they can play a role in upholding the Word being taught, they do not impart faith on their own. The Word can impart faith apart from miracles. But miracles cannot impart faith apart from the Word.

So, while we should always welcome the miraculous, and while we should never refuse the mighty work of God, we must place our emphasis on the preaching of the Word. Should God provide a miracle as we do so, we should praise him for it. But, again, faith is given, it’s provided, through the Word of God.