“Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at Peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” (Job 22:21)
“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Knowing the true God brings peace. If there is no peace in your heart about your eternal destination, then you don’t know the right God. If there is no peace in your heart as you face the cares of this life in prayer and reading His Word, then you haven’t connected with the one true God.
Jesus gave us ‘His Words’ (so we could meditate on His teachings), that we may have Peace, because the world is full of tribulation. He wants us to know that our hope is in the fact that He has overcome the world, and that we can also overcome, for greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. (John 16:33 & I John 4:4)
We need more than head knowledge of God and Christ. God is only known in our hearts as we obey His teachings and allow Him to direct our daily lives. “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.” John 7:17)
We need more than mystical knowledge of God and Christ. Satan and his demons transform themselves into angels of light to deceive us into believing in a ‘force of the Universe’ and an ‘imitation Christ spirit’. “You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.” (II Corinthians 11:4)
Father accessed by His Son
The only way to know God the Father is by calling on His Son, Jesus Christ. “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Jesus gave us instructions on how to know we know the true Christ.
Repentance:
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17
Water Baptism:
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,” Mark 16:16
Spirit Baptism:
“Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:39
Confession:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
“But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Acts 2:21
Obedience:
“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23
Profession:
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
Sin has to be paid for
God is love, but He is also Just, Holy and Righteous. God is merciful and patient, but He is also the Judge of the whole earth. There is a Judgment Seat of Christ where all believers shall stand before Him. There is a Great White Throne judgment where all unbelievers shall stand before Him. There is eternal life and there is eternal separation from God. The wages of sin are physical and spiritual death. Sin must be paid for, if not by Christ’s life, then by our own life. Christ has paid for our sins. All we have to do is to confess our sins and receive His free gift of eternal life by obeying His teachings.
The World cries for Peace
The world is crying for peace, but there will never be peace without the Prince of Peace living in each heart of every man, woman and child.
“Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Proverbs 3:17
“If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24
Jesus Is Our Priest Today and Our Judge Tomorrow
Jesus Christ is our High Priest today. Soon, He will return as our King and Judge. Today we have the privilege of calling upon Him for mercy and help in time of need. When He returns, He will no longer be our Priest who can counsel and forgive our sins. Today is the day of salvation. Today is all we are promised in this life. Today is our opportunity to call on Him for mercy and strength to overcome the sins that so easily separate us from Him.