Bible Tuesday

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Romans 5:1

Peace.  

Can you imagine?

Without Christ, we are enemies of God.  He can’t tolerate sin and we roll around in it like pigs in the mud.  We throw that word around a bit too casually these days but being enemies is pretty hardcore.  People hate their enemies.  They plot destruction of their enemy. 

So really, compared to that, peace with God would be more than enough, wouldn’t it?  Jesus is our mediator.  He works out an armistice.  A treaty of peace between us and God.  That alone would be pretty awesome, right?

Well, as usual, God goes above and beyond. 

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.  More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received reconciliation.”

 Romans 5:10

Try to picture this.  We were God’s enemy.  Jesus brokered peace between us.  God’s wrath against us was ended.  But Jesus did so much more than that.  He reconciled us with God.  Reconciled means 'a change from enmity to friendship'.  You could have peace with someone without having reconciliation.  When I think of the word reconciled, I always visualize a family reunion or two lovers who finally make it work. Either picture works in this scenario.  God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, has taken us back.  WE are welcome at the family table.  WE are welcome in God’s arms.

Peace would have been fantastic.  But God would settle for no less than full restoration.