No Peace for the Wicked

Peace. Such a buzzword today, isn't it? Everyone wants to find it, share it, establish it, believe in it. Moms seek it. Nations fight for it. Religions promise it.

We want peace of mind,

peace and quiet,

to be at peace,

to make peace,

peace and safety,

......and then......when this life is "done," we want to rest in peace. But as my husband always reminds me, definitions matter. So, what in the world does "peace" actually mean?

There are always two sides to a coin, two sides to a story, and in the case of peace, there are two vastly different perceptions of the same word. The world's view of peace is in stark contrast to the true, biblical definition of peace. The world believes peace to be more of a subjective thing--a feeling one has which depends upon circumstance. They believe man has the power to replace inner turmoil with peace through numerous mystical methods using crystals, meditation, gurus, spirit guides, or whatever. The Dalai Lama says this...

"The practice of altruism is REALLY the source

of ultimate peace — inner peace and universal peace."

And Ekhart Tolle says,

"Peace comes from being aligned with the present moment.

Wherever you are, you feel that you are home—because you are home."

And according to WikiHow, here is how you may find peace–to which I say, nope! Apparently, to find peace you need to try one of their five different methods found in their article:

• find a quiet place

• remove distractions

• relax your body

• concentrate on stillness

• and move beyond the present moment

Oh, you may have temporary peace trying to forget the woes of your life, but it's impossible to put a bandaid on the the inside conflict that all of us are born with. Impossible.

No Peace for the Wicked

True statement. Every one of us are born wicked, with a sin nature (Romans 3:10, 23), due to the fall of man as recorded in Genesis 3. Every part of us has been tainted by sin which produces an enmity towards God. Bottom line? We're born rebellious. And even when we try to do good, God sees this as "filthy rags," (Isaiah 64:6), because He sees our hearts and the motivations behind these good deeds. Yup, our hearts are "deceitful and desperately wicked," (Jeremiah 17:9). There can never be peace inside when there's conflict with God. And no amount of "going into the stillness," deep breathing, yoga, meditation, or repeating mantras will ever, ever solve this. Bandaids don't work! So, how can we be at peace with God when we're at war with him in our hearts?

God's definition of peace refers to the removal of the conflict between man and Himself through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Because of Jesus, God is no longer in conflict with those who have received him. We are “at peace” with him. THIS is true peace. And it comes from nothing that we do. It comes only from what God offers through His Son.

The source of true peace is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The perfect sacrifice came in the form of God's only Son, Jesus, who took our place on the cross and conquered death with His resurrection. When we place our faith and trust in Him and repent of our sins, "He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). This means God now sees us as clean. We have the "imputed righteousness of Christ." It's actually a two-way imputation. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us through faith, and our sin is imputed to Christ. Best deal ever, wow.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,

so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Cannot fathom why God would do what He did to have a relationship with such a wicked sinner as myself. Will never fully understand His mercy towards me, His amazing grace, and His unending love and faithfulness. So thankful to experience true, lasting inner peace as I daily draw near to the God of peace who loves me.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7