Day 10
Peace
Peace with God
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1
I am guilty. I was born that way. And it’s been downhill from there. I don’t do what I want to do. What I do, I hate. I can’t seem to get it right. And I am separated from God because of it. It’s like my flesh is at war with him, fighting him, pulling away from the gentle call of his Spirit. I really want to do what he wants, but the sin is too tantalizing, too second nature. I, like Paul in Romans 7, cannot resist it. So the war rages inside of me, and the result is a life filled with struggle, worry, fear, and doubt. What I need is peace. It sounds so calm and restful, and so unknown. Peace is freedom from the emotional and spiritual disturbances that come with a life at war with God. And peace is what we all desperately need. With peace you can rest. With peace you can calm your heart and breathe deep. And with peace you can let go of the battle of life, knowing the war is not yours.
But how do you find the peace that passes all understanding (see Phil. 4:7)? The first thing to understand is that peace, like joy, isn’t situational. Things don’t have to be peaceful around you in order for you to be peaceful within. Peace relies not on circumstances but on the Spirit. When your spirit is at peace with the Spirit of God, you have found it. You see, the foundation of peace in your life is peace with God. Without finding it with him at the foot of the cross, you will never find sustainable peace. The way you find that tranquility of heart and mind is through having a right relationship with him. This means that the battle between you must stop; even the fear of his judgment and condemnation must become a thing of the past.
But what do you do with the guilt? If you believe God is who he says he is and you want more of his peace in your life, then you have to do something with the guilt that unsettles the waters of your life. You must find relief from that guilt, because it is giving your guilt up to Jesus and letting him cover it with his blood that allows you entrance to the serenity of an unaccused life. But sometimes guilt can feel overwhelming. After all, he is a holy God, so how can you possibly accept his love and kindness when you are so filthy? It’s a valid question, but if you’re asking it, that means you understand the filth of sin. That’s good news! It is important to know that in order to have the peace of God, first you must have peace with God. And in order for this to happen, you must first realize your need for forgiveness.
Feelings of guilt are meant to be a sign of the separation between you and God. They aren’t meant to doom you to that separation but are designed to lead you to his side. See, guilt is meant to cause a sense of godly sorrow or grief, and this then “produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor. 7:10 ESV). When your guilt leads you to repentance and to the realization that you aren’t good enough but Jesus is, then it leads you to the saving work of the cross that is peace with God. But if the guilt you feel isn’t godly guilt—if it is the false guilt of believing you are too bad for God to forgive—then it will destroy you from the inside out and peace will never be yours. In order to find peace in your life, you must accept the forgiveness of your guilt, all of it, and not hold on to any notion that you are not acceptable to God. His Word promises the removal of all of your guilt and the gift of peace through his Holy Spirit (see Rom. 5:1).
- Verse It
Write out the following verses:
1 John 1:9
Romans 8:1
Psalm 32:5
Proverbs 28:13
- Define It
Take a look at these two kinds of guilt, and then put yours into the correct category.
Godly guilt: Guilt felt when you sin against God. This guilt is the result of disobeying God’s Word.
Worldly guilt: Guilt you still feel after having confessed your sin to God, or guilt you feel for having done something that wasn’t disobedience to God (i.e., guilty feelings associated with disappointing someone, doing something stupid or embarrassing, failure, etc.), or feelings of guilt that drive you away from God out of fear or because you doubt his kindness.
- List It
Which kind of guilt do you have?
Godly guilt in my life:
Worldly guilt in my life:
Peace starts with confession of sin. If you have areas in your life that you cannot let go of, godly guilt that stresses you, worries that plague you, then confess that stuff right now. If it is godly guilt, then you can call your sin a sin and agree with God. Then say, “Thank you for your forgiveness.” Make it the practice of your life to confess your sins daily and to trust his forgiveness. If you struggle with this concept, pick a verse on forgiveness, memorize it, and repeat it to yourself every day.
- Get Over It
If the guilt you are feeling is worldly guilt, then you must do the work of letting it go. This starts with the simple realization that it is bad guilt. Identify it, and then let it go!
- Pray It
Dear God, thank you for the forgiveness of all of my sins. I agree that your Word is good and that I am a sinner. But thanks to the blood of your Son, I can be set free from the guilt and so find peace with you. Thank you for setting me free from the bondage of sin and guilt. I love you, Lord. Amen.