Peace With God: Key to Good Health!
by Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace..." (Eph. 5:22)
Billy Graham's book, Peace With God bulges with undiluted Bible preaching!
It claims that a person cannot really be at peace with himself or his fellow man, until first he has made his peace with God! And he quotes numerous scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments, to back up his claim.
SIN IS AT THE HEART OF MAN'S BASIC PROBLEMS! And it must be adequately dealt with, if one is to experience God's peace and tranquility on a regular basis!
The Bible says, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Rom. 5:1)
To be justified means that we can stand in God's presence just as if we had never sinned.
Through the cross-work of Jesus we receive access to Almighty God, even though we are sinners. He looks at us through the perfection of His Son who has redeemed us!
That is good news and the word 'gospel' means 'glad tidings'.
In our natural, carnal state we all are lost and condemned to eternal separation from everything that is holy, for the Bible states:
"But we are like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)
In my travels across the world for more than four decades, I have counselled many people who were suffering with enormous problems, fears, anxieties and torments.
And what a joy to be able to point them to Jesus Christ who said, "Come unto Me, all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". (Matt. 11:28)
When we know that we are justified by faith, we automatically have PEACE WITH GOD and with one another!
WORLD RENOWNED
PSYCHIATRIST AGREES!
In a recent book, Whatever Became of Sin?, Dr. Karl Menninger declared that sin exists and must be dealt with.
He was deeply concerned that today's society talks about morality and seeks to sort out its problems without even mentioning the word "SIN"!
In order to bring about a high standard of normality, Dr. Menninger believed that we must define "SIN" so that society will understand what plagues them!
In his book Menninger defined sin as "a transgression of the law of God; disobedience of the divine will; a moral failure...sin has a willful defiant, or disloyal quality; someone is defied or offended or hurt".
The famed founder of Menninger Centre, Topeka , Kansas
"Dr Karl" as he was affectionately called, trained 2,000 psychiatric workers and wrote numerous books. His clinic became the psychiatric capital of the USA , known as the 'VIENNA
The great Apostle depicts the unconverted as "having no hope, without God in this world".
But through conversion we who “were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace..." (Eph. 2:12-13)
THE BLOOD OF JESUS
GIVES US
The Bible says, "And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross." (Col. 1:20)
Clearly, Jesus Christ purchased our peace, through His substitutionary death upon Calvary 's cross for us!
The Bible says, "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked". (Isaiah 57:20,21)
Jesus Christ is called 'The Prince of Peace'. He said, "My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid". (John 14:27)
The pursuit of peace takes people in many and varied directions. Some opt for the "sensual life", constantly seeking pleasure through new avenues.
They live "on the edge", developing a pattern of alcohol abuse, experimenting with exotic and dangerous drugs, getting involved in erotic sex, hard core pornography or other kinky, perverted lifestyles!
Others become workaholics, seeking wealth and material prosperity - as a means of attaining peace. Still others follow the life of ease, leisure and travel.
Some have become distressed by the ‘false promises of quick-fix peace’ through the occult. Palm and tarot card readers, together with a mixed bag of New Age clairvoyants, horoscope and witchcraft prognosticators, often get people hooked on Satanism.
And many become disillusioned with life itself
as relationships sour, love turns to hate, joy shifts
to grief and peace becomes torment, as human failure comes into focus.
In my counselling sessions, people often use words like disappointed, depressed and frustrated! Hopelessness pervades their lives!
In his warning to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
And Isaiah invited, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”. (Isaiah 1:18)
Without doubt, peace, contentment and fulfillment is a spiritual matter, for the 'fruit of the Spirit is...PEACE'. Amen.
