December 17
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God,” Romans 5:1-2.
We are justified by faith; we are declared forgiven by our gracious God for Jesus’ sake. Jesus paid the price to redeem us. He suffered and died and washed our sins away. This we believe, and we make the righteousness of Jesus our very own. We stand in the presence of God robed in the garments of Jesus’ righteousness. We are saved by believing and trusting in what Jesus has done for us; we are not saved by believing that we have done something to save ourselves.
“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation,” 2 Corinthians 5:19. God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ. God planned our salvation through the sacrifice of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of what the Lord Jesus did, God announces to the whole world a message of peace and pardon. “(God, the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Over seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah foretold, “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” Isaiah 53:6, and in the chapter from which the Scripture text above is written, the apostle Paul writes, “He died for all!” 2 Corinthians 5:15. Don’t ever doubt what Jesus has done for you!
God is at peace with you. That was the announcement of the angels to the shepherds on the first Christmas Eve: “The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’ . . . And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” Luke 2:10-11, 13-14.
We need not run and hide to try to get away from God because we are sinners. Through the Good News of the Gospel, God comes calling, “Sinner, stop running! Turn around and behold the smiling face of your forgiving God!” The Savior says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” John 14:27.
When the message of peace and pardon is accepted by faith, we can go on our way and “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God!” Give God the glory for redeeming you from sin, death, and the power of the devil through Christ our Lord!
We pray: Lord Jesus, I thank you with all my heart for having redeemed me by shedding Your holy, precious blood to wash away my sins. I thank You for calling me out of spiritual darkness into the marvelous light of the Gospel. Strengthen this hope and faith in my heart, and move me to share this Good News with others. In Your name I pray. Amen.
“Glory be to Jesus,
Who, in bitter pains,
Poured for me the lifeblood
From His sacred veins!
Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood,
Louder still and louder,
Praise the precious blood!” Amen.