Where does your peace come from?
If peace came through a rule book why did Jesus come?
Please read Romans 5:1-5
Vs. 1 “Therefore since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
If you are not standing in grace through Jesus and His sacrifice there is no peace for you. Following a list of rules and regulations only makes you a hamster on an eternal wheel that Christ came to stop.
Will you still have difficulties and suffering?
Absolutely!
But this difficulty is for a reason. When I was under the law I struggled with things that kept me so preoccupied that I could Love others- that is exactly what satan wants. Less Love = Less God in the world.
Let me give you an example- Dont think about sex- anyone who thinks about sex is wicked!
With that statement I have just forced myself to think about the very thing I told myself not to think about. In addition I have distanced myself from myself (guilt) and anyone else on the planet that thinks about sex- yes about 99.9999% of humanity.
Is that suffering? Yes but its man made suffering just like all legalistic suffering.
Does this suffering teach me anything? It only teaches me what a terrible person I am- I already knew that because the law was created to make sure I remembered that.
Vs. 3 “Not only so but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because Gods Love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
If your peace comes from a rule book you will always have shame and you have no hope!
Do I suffer? Yes but not through shame. Yesterday in meditation I found myself thinking I must do this I have to get this done today and I have to follow up on this Monday. I was starting to suffer because I was so focused on the future that I couldn’t meet God Now!
Gods time is not my time but His timing is perfect! Perseverance makes me more calm (character) as I wait on His timing with hope that He knows better than me when something needs to happen.
Dont worry- Be Grace-Full!!
