Winter Fire – Prince of Peace - Tuesday
Today’s Verse
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. (NLT)
In 4th grade, I had a teacher named Ms. Peck. She was usually a reasonable teacher—fair and consistent—but there was one thing none of my classmates could predict: whether she would be "Cool Ms. Peck" or "Grouchy, Angry Ms. Peck" that day. We never knew which version of her would show up when we walked into the classroom. It felt like a guessing game. We were always restless and anxious as we wondered what kind of day we would have. Even on the days when we got “Cool Ms. Peck,” we could never quite relax, because things might change. One wrong move might change the tide and “Grouchy, Angry Ms. Peck” could go on full display.
This same sense of anxiety is a feeling that so many believers experience. Time and again I listen to someone tell their story and they include something like, “But what if God is still angry at me for all the ways I’ve messed up?” It’s easy to see why. If I’m honest, I, too, sometimes fear standing before God and being reminded of all the things I’ve done wrong… Remembering all my shame, remembering the guilt I carry for the life I used to live, and all the ways I still struggle with sin. What if, in that moment, God turns from a "God of Mercy" to a "God of Justice"? What if I’m disqualified from Heaven because of my sins? What if God doesn’t love me anymore because of all the ways I’ve fallen short? The thought alone can be paralyzing. So often we’re caught in this tension, causing unrest in our relationship with God, rather than experiencing the peace that we are promised.
But here’s the truth: this isn’t what the Bible teaches us about our relationship with God. Our Prince of Peace didn’t just come to bring peace to us and those around us, He also came to bring peace between us and God. We don’t have to feel any anxiety about how God views us. Those of us who follow Jesus have peace with God, not because of anything we’ve done, but because of what has been done for us. Jesus stood in our place and received the judgment we deserved so that we could be at peace with God. We no longer have to have any fears about whether God will be the “God of Mercy” or the “God of Justice” when we stand before Him. Because we are in Christ, we have peace with God. When He sees us, He sees His beloved children, not the sinful screw-ups we see ourselves as. Through faith in Jesus, we have complete confidence that God loves us and that we have peace with Him, both now and forevermore.
REFLECTION
Close your eyes and think about what God sees when He sees you. Does He see a sinner that is destined for Hell? No, He sees His son or daughter that He died for. Take some time to think about how God sees you and then pray this prayer: “Father, help me to see myself as you see me.”