Friday, December 20, 2013

What does it mean to be at peace with God?

    A Navy sailor is working in the engine room of his ship. From his vantage point, far down in the belly of this beast, he can see no daylight whatsoever. Floating through the compartment is the smell of oil, diesel fuel, and sea water. The is nothing that even resembles fresh air. The heat is almost unbearable as the enormous engines power the ship through the open seas. The sound is deafening as it echoes off of the steel walls surrounding him.
   The sailor has a very specific and detailed set of instructions. He is to keep an eye on the machinery around him, periodically checking pressure gauges, opening or closing various valves at specific times during his rotation, keeping his eyes and ears open for anything that looks or sounds out of the ordinary. He doesn't do anyone else's job, nor is anyone else expected to do his.

   It is a time of war, and they are heading into hostile territory to confront the enemy. Many lives are at risk, and the slightest mistake or oversight could potentially take the lives of innocent people.

   Far above him, from a vantage point on the top of the ship, the captain stands at the helm. He is being constantly informed of where the ship is, where it's heading, what their objective is, where other friendly ships are, and even where the enemy is located. The sailor down below has none of this knowledge, and even if he did, it would be useless to him. He simply understands that when the captain gives him an order, he is to obey immediately. If he doesn't, the results could be disastrous.

   What if this sailor didn't believe there was any captain, and that he was simply doing his own thing? What if he acknowledged that the captain was indeed the captain, but didn't believe that had any interest in what he was doing way down in the belly of the ship? What if he thought that maybe there was a captain, but had never seen any evidence of him, so he went about his business, ignoring the orders that were passed down to him by others who had claimed to have spoken to him? Worst of all, what if he insisted that there was no captain, and therefore insisted that everyone should be free to do whatever they pleased without any interference from those who believed this imaginary captain existed?

   What if every single member of the crew took one of the approaches listed above? The result would be absolute chaos, would it not? If this were the case, how long would it take before the enemy zeroed in on the ship and completely destroyed it?

   As we look at the people around us - in our homes, our schools, our workplaces, and everywhere else where others might be - these are the points of view we will hear in relation to how they view God. They will say things like; "I don't believe there is a God," or "Yeah, I believe in God, but I don't think He really cares about me or what I'm doing down here on earth," or "Maybe there is a God, but I've never seen any evidence of Him." Worst of all, there are those who boldly proclaim from the hilltops that there is no God, and therefore we should all be free to do whatever we please without any interference from those who do believe in Him.

   As the vast majority of people in this country - and in other countries as well - take these various opinions of who God is and go about their daily business, it's as if the entire world is nothing more than an enormous naval vessel spinning out of control. Sure, we all mean well. We want to do good. We don't like to see others hurt, oppressed, or in pain. We call out to God on occasion, not necessarily expecting any real answers. Meanwhile, there is an enemy nearby who's entire focus is upon destroying us.

   The bottom line is this: This world of ours will never know true peace........ until the entire world is at peace with God. He is the Creator, Designer, and Sustainer of all that is, all that has ever been, and all that will ever be.

   So, what does it mean to be "at peace with God?"

   The peculiar thing about having peace between two parties is that before there can be peace, both parties must first acknowledge the existence of the other.

   Once this occurs, the two parties must be in agreement as to how they should behave. They must agree on a moral code of conduct. If we're talking about two human beings being at peace with one another, coming to this agreement isn't all that complicated. But how can a human being, with all of their flaws and failures, find themselves at peace with the Creator of all things, who is perfect and holy? How can we live up to the perfect moral standards of a God who is absolutely perfect?

   That is where the good news of the gospel becomes such very good news. God reaches down to every last one of us, and says; "I know you.......I have always known you....I knew you before the earth was formed........I know every last one of your flaws and failures.......I know about every time you've been hurt, discouraged, oppressed, beaten down, insulted........I've seen every tear that has ever fallen from your eyes........And I love you more than anyone has ever loved you before. I love you more than anyone ever will love you in the future. Come to me, and I will heal you. I will give you hope and a future you never imagined possible."

   He is like the captain of a ship who loves every single crew member enough to lay down His life for every single one of them.

   But He doesn't say "Acknowledge that I exist, then go about your business." He says:

 Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
    you will eat the good things of the land;   - Isaiah 1:18-19 

   He says:

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."  - 2 Chronicles 7:14

   So, how do we come to Him?

   "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
   “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" - Matthew 7:7-11

   If you have never done so, bow your head right now and pray. Tell God that you want to come to Him. Acknowledge Him as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Thank the Lord Jesus Christ for dying for your sins, and tell Him that from this day forward, you want to put all of your trust in Him, and you want Him to guide and direct you wherever He may lead.

   Just as would be true of the sailor in the belly of the ship, refusing to believe there is a captain.......or an enemy for that matter.......will not result in neither of them being there. It will only result in refusing the help of one while waiting to be destroyed by the other.  

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. - John 3:16-17



    

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