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Why this is important: There are times I am clearly not at peace. I am not at peace with myself and I am not at peace with God or Jesus. Something is wrong. I may or may not know it, but it becomes evident in my anxiety and worry. I am not convinced, at that point in time, that God is good and has my best interest at heart.

God’s goal: God sent His Son Jesus to reconcile us to God. Our missing God’s goal keeps us at odds with God. We aren’t right. God wants us to be at peace. That is why Jesus came and died.

It starts with faith. I need to get clear with my faith in Jesus. When peace leaves me, I need to get back to the real issue. I don’t have faith; I don’t believe who Jesus is and what He accomplished. Lack of peace comes from ignoring the core issue of unbelief. God is good. God sent His son to make me right with God. God did it out of love for me. Now that is some good news!

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah.” ~Apostle Paul

 Romans 5:1 (NASB)

How often do I start condemning myself when my faith is faltering? Way too often. The enemy loves to get me down this way. I start believing a lie about God and Jesus. They love me because I am such a mess. It is a lie because by the love of God, I am a new person. I have died and been resurrected with Jesus. Again, good news and not condemnation.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in the Messiah Jesus.

Romans 8:1 (NASB)

The main thing about the main thing: This is a stunning statement from the Apostle Paul. I need to come back to it time and time again. Is God against me? Does Jesus condemn me? The answer is a resounding NO! Nothing can separate me from the love of God.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? The Messiah Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in the Messiah Jesus our Master.

Romans 8:31–39 (NASB)

And so … Peace is mine. That is the promise and that is the truth. It is a gift from my heavenly Father.

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in the Messiah Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Master [Lord] Jesus the Messiah [Christ].

1 Corinthians 1:2–3 (NASB)